Women and men have always shown different patterns of drug use. According to the studies women get more addicted quickly as compared to men. One third of adults use drugs at least once in a lifetime, drug abuse is not a niche activity. However we rarely talk about the drug abuse in women. There are various drug rehabs for women and drug rehabilitation centers across the globe. Women can develop a substance use disorder just as likely as men. Let’s break the silence on women and drug abuse and pill addiction.
Why do women start using a substance?
In official statistics sex differences do not show up clearly, but talking about the rehabs in India women face greater problems for drug use than men. Misuse of drugs has a serious impact on their lives be it their career or inter personal relationships. In a country like India where women are already disadvantaged such an impact becomes a more serious problem. We talk about modernization and urbanization but patriarchy cannot be neglected or denied. Stigma attached to a woman for addiction is much more than what a male would face in the society. This is one of the reasons that these problems do not come to the surface because families are reluctant towards accepting the fact and seeking help. There are various drug rehab centers across the country like rehabilitation centers in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi where the person suffering can seek help but usually the families are in denial. This stigma attached by the society causes a hindrance in seeking help as well as a person’s recovery as families refrain from seeking help. Gender does affect recovery, susceptibility and the risk of relapse. According to a study the behaviors and themes repeated by women could be organized into 3 consequences that are interrelated of drug stigma: the basic survival, access to treatment services and family reintegration. Society expects a woman to be a nurturer, a mother, a caretaker, a wife, a sexual partner, and when a woman deviates from these prescribed roles, she tends to face discrimination and stigma. Talking about the basic survival instincts women do face job discrimination if they are known to have a history of addiction, the society is not very warm and welcoming towards the recovering addicts. Many women have reported having a difficulty benefiting from the services because of the stigma of drug abuse.
Substance here is not a problem; it is the stress, repressed emotions, childhood trauma and various other psychological problems which need to be treated and taken care of. There are various risk factors related to substance abuse such as biological factors, genetic and environmental factors, psychological factors, psychiatric comorbidities and socio-cultural factors. There can be terrible consequences such as health consequences, social and familial consequences and legal consequences.
It is not just that the career and inter-personal relationships that get affected; women who misuse drugs have reported sexually transmitted infections, gastrointestinal, respiratory and liver problems. It does affect their physical and psychological well being. According to the reports by rehabilitation centre for drug addicts, women addicts have often reported to have depression, insomnia and anxiety about their future and current lives.
History of traumatic life events precipitates the development of substance-use disorders in later life. Studies say that the lifetime prevalence of substance is 4 times higher in women with a history of sexual assault. In a recent study women who have experienced sexual assault as an adult reported substance use as a coping strategy. Similar association with depression and substance use in women has also been reported. Eating disorders also are commonly found in women who use a substance or with substance use disorders. A review of clinical populations reported that about 40% women reported comorbid lifetime eating disorders. Women with binge-eating disorders or bulimia, rates of substance abuse were higher in those with a history of sexual and physical abuse.
Rehabs in India provide required assistance to addiction and recovery. Addiction is a psychological disease and seeking professional help is required as the problem is much bigger than it appears on the surface level. Zorbacare Rehabilitation Centre is a home away from home with a team of mental health professionals serving and helping people in recovery and addiction.