Young women and addiction
Physical dependence and addiction are a serious threat to the health of anyone who abuses drugs, but these threats are often more serious for young women than for other groups of people. In fact, in his book Women and Addiction in the United States, Dr. Stephen R. Kandall states that “women’s drug use is due in large part to the stresses they face in society, such as minority status, lowering social and political expectations, and disproportionate suffering through physical and sexual abuse.For other more advantaged women, hidden drug abuse may stem from manipulation by the advertising industry, medication inappropriate behavior on the part of clinicians or an attempt to address social barriers to their lives. What this means is that the very nature of being a woman may cause a woman to turn to drugs and/or alcohol to address these social and economic disparities. And because these disparities sometimes persist in the field of addiction treatment, getting the right help at the right time can be difficult for young women addicted to drugs.
Young women who abuse and become addicted to drugs are often victims of sexual predation and abuse. And because drugs are involved in these crimes, many women do not report them to law enforcement authorities. Sexual coercion and extortion for drugs trap many women in a cycle of sex for drugs or money that often leads to unwanted pregnancies and/or sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, AIDS and herpes. Additionally, many women who become addicted to drugs suffer psychological damage that may be difficult or impossible to reverse. Young women who abuse substances, including alcohol, also face significant reproductive harm that could lie dormant for years.
Girls and young women who use drugs to the point of physical dependence often completely change their lifestyle to fuel their growing habit. The true sign of addiction, continuation despite serious consequences, can result in the complete destruction of a woman’s education, career, family, financial status, and even freedom if convicted of drug-related charges. drugs, such as possession or even trafficking. And because the prison system is no place for a girl, the sexual abuse and predation associated with drug addiction could very well follow her into the penal system.
The Network of Addiction Technology Transfer Centers states the following on its website: “…substance-dependent women experience different barriers to treatment entry, engagement, and retention than their male counterparts.” According to the ATTCN, it will be more difficult for a woman to get the right treatment than a man. This point is supported by some in the addiction treatment industry who believe that of the total number of women who are addicted to drugs, far fewer will seek and receive professional treatment than their male counterparts.
Because young women are generally perceived as more susceptible to the dangers associated with drug use and addiction, and because these same women will encounter more barriers to treatment than men, it is important to understand these risks and mitigate them with education. and prevention whenever possible. The treatment is available to anyone, male or female, of any age and from any background. All you have to do is seek help.
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