Women often have different reasons than men for how they became addicted to substances. They also have different needs in treatment as well. For many women, a mixed-gender facility does not meet their needs during treatment, and they are better-served healing with other women. There are many different reasons, but these are seven common reasons why you might choose a recovery program for women:
#1. Feeling Safe During Healing
Treatment for drug or alcohol addiction is a time when you will feel a full spectrum of emotions. You will also feel particularly vulnerable at times. Treatment also marks a period when you will want to feel completely safe in your environment. For women, this often means a residential facility that is exclusively for women.
Statistically, women experience harm at the hands of men at a much higher rate than they do with women. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than one in three women will have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact from men during her lifetime.
Because incidents of emotional, physical, and sexual violence involving men are so common in society, many women simply feel safer in a facility with other women instead of a mixed-gender facility.
#2. Trauma-Informed Care
Women who have experienced trauma will experience additional challenges attempting to feel safe during treatment, so it is essential to offer trauma-informed care. Many facilities claim to have trauma-informed care but do not follow the five basic tenets:
- Safety
- Choice
- Collaboration
- Trustworthiness
- Empowerment
Once again, a woman’s standard of safety often pertains to the nature of her trauma, and a majority of women’s trauma typically centers around abuse or assault by men. Therefore, having men and women together in a residential facility breaks the first principle of trauma-informed care for those women when safety can be very triggering. When women do not feel safe, the other principles of trauma-informed care cannot be effective, either.
#3. Feeling Emotionally Supported
Women and men have different communication styles. Because women are very intuitive and communicate emotionally, they also connect with others on an emotional level. In order to feel heard and feel supported, they need to be surrounded by others who can speak and understand their dynamic language. This idea does not explicitly exclude men; it simply makes it easier for women to feel more emotionally supported when communicating with other women.
#4. Creating Emotional Bonds
Women as a gender are generally more naturally empathetic and able to express emotions freely. They are also more likely than men to express love with others, which can be a strength during the healing process. These traits can help create strong emotional bonds of love and trust during treatment. Feelings and experiences are shared more freely in an environment where these vital emotional bonds can exist.
#5. Being Empowered by Other Women
Men and women have different strengths and weaknesses. During treatment, women have many specific strengths that allow them to support and empower one another. The ability to express emotions, empathize with one another and create strong emotional bonds of trust all allow them to encourage and empower one another during the treatment process. Women give each other an exceptional strength and power that is unique and healing.
#6. Addressing Female-Specific Issues
Another benefit of a women-specific treatment facility is the opportunity to address female-specific issues, including:
- Motherhood and addiction
- How substances affect pregnancy
- How female hormones interact with substances
- Healing from rape/sexual assault
- Healing from PTSD or trauma from male violence
- Accessing childcare during treatment
- Relationship factors that influence addiction
- Women in the military
#7. Bypassing Gender Discrimination
Many women in the military or the workplace face gender discrimination or inequality that impacts their lives and livelihood each day. Other women face cultural or familial gender inequality and discrimination in their homes and families. Addiction treatment has long been researched and catered to men, as well. The programs of most co-ed facilities are actually based on the needs of men, which is another form of societal gender bias that leaves women short-changed and out of the healing equation.
When you choose a female-specific treatment facility, you can bypass gender discrimination altogether. You will know that the treatment you receive is based specifically on the needs of women and that you will be safe and emotionally supported as such. At The Ho Tai Way — Recovery for Women, your needs will be put first as you receive proper trauma-informed care for transformation and empowerment as you heal.
Choosing a recovery program is an important decision. As a woman, there are many reasons to choose a female-specific facility, including safety and the ability to receive care that is genuinely based on your needs. The Ho Tai Way – Recovery For Women offers authentic trauma-informed residential treatment for addiction for women ages 18 and over. We help women empower other women and allow them to feel truly emotionally supported in an environment that is both peaceful and healing. Our Costa Mesa, California facility is a quiet refuge for women from the gender discrimination they often face on a daily basis. Our compassionate staff will help you feel emotionally and physically safe as you begin your treatment. We offer trauma-informed 12-Step meetings, and we also provide She Recovers sessions for women with any type of addiction. Contact us today at (714) 581-3974 to take the first step in healing from addiction.
