Women and Addiction

Addiction comes with lots of unpleasant effects, and it is important to tackle it before it destroys an individual. A woman who is addicted stands the risk of putting her home in danger, and this is why she needs to seek help before it is too late.

First off, the addiction of a woman prevents her from keeping her home in good shape.

She would not be able to care for her home because she is busy tending to her addiction. This is one of the reasons why some children grow up without proper upbringing.

Children of addicted mothers would most likely grow up to be addicted, and the reason for this is because they imbibed the habits of their addicted mothers.

A woman’s addiction implies neglect, not only to her home but to the society. She would pay less attention to things that are important and more attention to frivolous things.

If she is in the workplace, there is a tendency for her not to be productive. Her performance would be on the decline because she is not properly suited for work.

In addition, there is also a chance that it would affect the relationship she has with her husband, if there is any. They could have frequent fights just because of her addiction.

Addicted individuals and non-addicted individuals do not see eye-to-eye. And the reason for this is the brain of both parties are not wired alike.

For an addicted woman, her brain has been rewired to suit her addiction. So, it affects the way she thinks and feel, which is alien to those who are not addicted.

An addicted woman needs to seek help from an addiction treatment center for her heath to get better. If she does not make attempts to get better, she would discover that her case is worse than before.

If she is not careful, her addiction problem could have an adverse effect on her physical and mental health.

When it comes to the concept of addiction, it is no respecter of persons, as both genders are affected in ways which can almost be termed as equal. Men and women could become addicts to substances such as alcohol and drugs for instance, and it is a known fact that a good number of these reasons have an adverse effect on women.

Emotional issues and stress which pertains to family life, are known to have a special impact on women, and it tends to make them more invested in addiction than men.

Some schools of thought are of the opinion that, relationships are often the likely cause of female addiction, and this spans from the nature of the relationship which the woman finds herself, to her partner. It is likely for a woman to indulge in substance abuse, if her partner does the same thing too.

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Studies have shown that women are more likely to cultivate the habit of addiction to alcohol and drugs faster than men. This is majorly the reason why women are often victims of poor mental health. As regards the physical effect of alcohol and drug addiction, women are most likely to suffer from the adverse complications which includes: hypertension, liver disease and the likes.

Taking a look at alcohol addiction more specifically, the bodies of women are not productive when it comes to the metabolism of alcohol, as the bodies of men. Women who are pregnant, are at a higher risk when they consume too much of alcohol, as there are a number of serious complications which could affect the unborn child.

It is essential that addiction treatment providers, should ensure that there is treatment available for female clients. This is very important because, when making the necessary assessment, it would be essential to know the type and the degree of the addiction. It is also important to take note of any already existing mental disorder which might be present.

Also, in order to help addicted women, it is essential that the causes for their addiction problem is effectively addressed, so that there would be no reason for a relapse. Women who are addicted need to be given enough care so that they can combat addiction successfully.

There are a number of things that women become addicted to, but some are more commonly observed than others. Women turn to addictive substances and activities in an attempt to cope and to escape with life circumstances they cannot deal with. Addiction in women varies from men in motivation and in expression. Some of the most common female addictions are listed below:

• Alcohol. A large number of women consume alcohol as a means of escaping from their problems. Alcohol is a dangerous addiction for women to succumb to because they lack an enzyme that men have that enables their bodies to break down alcohol more efficiently. Alcohol consumption increases the disease rate in women by a significant percentage.
• Drugs. Be it prescription drugs or street drugs, women may become addicted as a way of escaping or as a form of comfort. Prescription drugs in particular become a security blanket for many women who are afraid to feel physical discomfort and become dependent on substances that mask it.
• Food. Food is another comfort / security blanket addiction for women. Consuming comfort food creates endorphins and dopamine within women that trigger many desirable pleasure responses. It can be very difficult for women to control their impulse to moderate what and how much they eat.
• Sex. Sex becomes a compulsive, addictive behavior for many women. A sex addiction in women is commonly a way of trying to numb one’s self to past abandonment and is often an indication of running from pain.
• Shopping. Like sex, shopping is a process addiction, meaning the high comes from repeating a pleasurable process. Purchasing items makes many women feel a sense of richness in obtaining their desires and can become compulsive, even to the detriment of their finances and personal space.
• Internet. The internet is addictive to men and women alike, but women are likely to lose themselves to the internet because it makes for a great distraction from problems.

Statistically, men are more likely to struggle with addiction than women. This fact is frequently misinterpreted to mean that women seldom struggle with addiction. The truth is, women struggle with addiction at a rate comparable to men, but slightly lesser. Addiction is universally human, and women are very much in need of support and treatment when they are struggling with addiction. There is a great deal of light that needs to be shed on how addiction affects women in particular, but psychologists are aware of some facets of addiction that are unique to women.

One distinction between the way that addiction affects women verses men is what prompts women to become addicts. Women are slightly more likely to become addicts due to a need for escape or comfort, where as men are slightly more likely to become addicted to the pleasure and adrenaline of addiction. Some psychologists argue that, due to the evolutionary biology of women having less control of society than men, they exhibit their need for control over their inner lives, such as their imaginations and fantasies, or in some cases, they defer to the attention of men for comfort or feelings of control. This explains the nature of common addictions among women.

Several common addictions that women struggle with are love, romance and sex, as well as a number of substance related addictions such as prescription drugs or alcohol, and process addictions such as gambling. Men and women share some of these addictions closely, but addiction to love is statistically a more female problem.

Addiction treatment for women is widely available for those who are willing to reach out for help. Confronting the underlying reasons for addiction is emotionally taxing and scary, but it is also the only way to heal. There are addiction treatment centers that are created specifically for women, to help women through the addiction problems that are particular to them. If you or a women you care about is struggling with addiction, receive help today.