Some California addiction treatment centers like Casa Serena provide gender-specific treatment services. A gender-specific treatment environment describes a program designed specifically to treat the needs of men and women in separate programs. Science has proven men and women typically use drugs and alcohol differently and, therefore, often face unique obstacles and challenges while progressing through addiction treatment. Casa Serena’s women’s treatment program addresses these differences and provides a safe space to heal in a supportive environment that addresses the unique needs of women. 

What Is Drug and Alcohol Addiction?

Addiction is a disease that touches the lives of millions of Americans each year. Historically, addiction was considered a choice or moral failing. Many in the medical community viewed substance abuse as a conscious choice. Fortunately, time and a better understanding of how drugs and alcohol affect the mind and body have helped medical and mental health professionals better understand the unique challenges of overcoming addiction. 

The National Institute on Drug Abuse defines addiction as a “chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain.” When you struggle with addiction, you cannot control the impulse to obtain and use drugs or consume alcohol, even when there are negative consequences to your actions. Behavioral and emotional changes are also accompanied by changes in the chemistry of the brain and brain function, specifically the areas of the brain that control pleasure, reward, and inhibition. If you struggle with an addiction to drugs or alcohol and try to reduce or stop using, you will experience withdrawal symptoms. In many cases, withdrawal symptoms become too challenging to manage without the help of an addiction treatment center like Casa Serena.

Benefits of Going to a Women’s Treatment Center for Drugs and Alcohol

There are distinctive differences between the ways men and women experience addiction. Therefore, there are many benefits to seeking out gender-specific treatment that caters to women’s unique treatment needs. Women-only rehabs like Casa Serena provide specialized treatment designed around how women can best recover from drug and alcohol abuse. Biologically, female bodies are physically different than men, and therefore the speed and ability to process drugs and alcohol out of their system are different. 

Also, women may be vulnerable to different types of drugs than men. For example, common women are sometimes more sensitive to stimulant drugs such as methamphetamines due to how estrogen and stimulant drugs interact. For women to learn and benefit from treatment models, it is important to provide coping strategies and relapse prevention techniques that focus on the ways women’s bodies function and process alcohol. This is best done in a women-only setting.

Socially and psychologically, women have different needs when it comes to the treatment environment. It is not uncommon for women in addiction treatment programs to have experienced trauma or various types of abuse, often (unfortunately), at the hands of significant others or male counterparts. Due to the mental health implications of these experiences, specific therapy models that focus on trauma may be better suited for women than males in the treatment environment. 

Also, while in treatment, it is vital to focus on self-care, self-improvement, growth, and mental health. For some patients, having members of the opposite sex present during therapy sessions or within the treatment facility can lead to emotional distractions that hinder their ability to progress through the treatment process. 

Due to the roots of previous trauma, women in a mixed treatment environment may feel uncomfortable sharing intimate or traumatizing experiences. For these reasons and many more, women-only rehab creates an environment that feels welcoming and safe, especially for women who’ve experienced trauma related to their addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Reach Out to Us Today at Casa Serena 

If you are ready to seek treatment for drug or alcohol use disorders and are interested in what a woman-only (gender-specific) rehab can provide, contact us at Casa Serena’s California drug and alcohol rehab today. Let our caring and compassionate admissions team help you understand how women-only rehab can help you overcome your struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.

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