At LA Detox, we know that there are as many rehab treatment plans for substance abuse as there are people struggling with addiction. This reason is why we tailor our Los Angeles-based women’s detox center to the individual and their needs.
One of the most important—and most effective—ways that we do this is through our women’s drug detox center for drugs or alcohol.
Experts at the National Institute on Drug Abuse know the patterns of alcohol or drug use and abuse by men and women are very different. The conclusion that these doctors, therapists, and addiction counselors and therapists have reached makes perfect sense.
Just as every individual needs a unique plan, women and men have different needs when it comes to detoxification, drug rehabilitation, and addiction recovery.
Women and Addiction
For most of the 20th century, addiction research examined the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on men exclusively. It was not until the 1990s that several US organizations instituted requirements for the inclusion of women as participants in drug and alcohol studies. Since then, researchers discovered—and continue to discover—vital differences in addiction, recovery, and relapse between men and women.
For instance, men are generally more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, 12% of men over the age of 12 have a substance use disorder, compared to less than 7% of women and girls. However, women are more likely to go to the emergency room or fatally overdose due to substance abuse.
Women are more likely to grow dependent on drugs and alcohol, and at a faster pace than men. In addition, women are more likely than men to self-medicate with substances. Also, women are more likely than men to experience intense cravings and relapse which is why it is so important for a women’s detox center.
Risk Factors for Women and Drug Addiction
Many factors can increase the danger for women of becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some can include genetics or mental health disorders. Thus, these risks increase when not properly addressed.
Risk factors for women and addiction include:
Genetics. Genetics becomes a risk factor for women and addiction. If a woman has or had a relative with a genetic makeup for addiction, she is more likely to develop addictive traits than someone without such a family member.
Trauma. Women with severe mental, physical, or sexual trauma in their past are more likely to abuse substances in order to self-medicate. The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests 80% of women who seek addiction treatment have a history of past trauma.
Mental Health Issues. Untreated emotional or mental health disorders can motivate women to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. If a woman suffers from a condition such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, she may cope by overusing substances to deal with her thoughts and feelings.
What is a Women’s Detox Center?
A women’s detox center is a female-only rehab program designed to help women facing substance abuse or addiction problems. It works by removing the substances (toxins) through medication-assisted treatment (MAT), nutritional health treatment, and behavioral therapy and assessment services.
The goal of detox is to safely wean the body off of the physical dependency of the drug(s) or alcohol while keeping her comfortable with detox drugs and physical and mental support. This is also most often the first stage of a comprehensive addiction rehab program. Medical supervision is essential in the recovery process, and detox treatment lasts between 2 days and 2 weeks.
Why Women Need a Specialized Detox and Treatment Approach
A lot of women battling substance abuse or addiction state that they previously had attempted to quit “cold turkey”. In addition, they tried to quit with street purchase withdrawal medication but had failed. Not only is this dangerous and even lethal, but it also can leave one uncomfortable and suffering.
All in all, it can be avoided by entering a women’s detox center to deal with their addiction withdrawal. With substances like alcohol or opiates, many women reported that they experienced varying symptoms of physical withdrawal.
The most common detox withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:
Tremors, shakiness
Agitation
Seizures
Increased heart rate
Increase in body temperature
Sweating, chills
High blood pressure
Anxiety
Sleeplessness
Fever
Runny nose
Nausea and vomiting
Muscle cramps and aches
Los Angeles Detox offers varying levels of detox services for all of our programs, including women’s drug detox centers. Not every case is the same, so detox may not necessarily mean medication-assisted treatment detox. Some of our rehab treatment programs offer a social detox setting that focuses on supportive rehab treatment.
While in a medical detox program, patients take withdrawal medications to help manage the severity of their withdrawal symptoms. Thus, this helps to minimize cravings for the substances. In addition, all of our detox programs include medical monitoring, in case they experience complications from their withdrawal.
Medications Used at a Women’s Detox Center
Medical and natural detox are the 2 principal types of detox programs. Both are available in either an inpatient or outpatient rehab center or treatment program. Our natural detox program does not use any detox medications, while our medical detox program utilizes the use of withdrawal medications.
Various types of detox medications include but are not limited to:
Benzodiazepines
Antidepressants
Opioid agonists
Non-opioid agonists
Opioid antagonists
Partial agonists and antagonists
There are 2 factors to consider when determining the type of detox medication administered and the length of detox rehab treatment:
What is the severity of substance abuse or addiction?
What type of substance was abused or caused the addiction?
Benefits of a Women’s Detox Center
Detox is the first step in recovery, and it may be the most important step. However, addiction in women often comes with complicating factors such as mental health issues related to depression, anxiety, or trauma.
An effective women’s detox center takes an integrated approach to stabilize the clients’ health and well-being. Moreover, these centers offer therapies, services, and medications when appropriate to keep their clients comfortable and safe.
Gender-specific addiction treatment allows clients to bond. This is especially true for women as they are more inclined to open up about their experiences. As a result our clients often find community and comfort in bonding with each other.
What to Expect at a Women’s Detox Center in Los Angeles
Some common approaches to detox work for both men and women although everyone’s recovery experience is unique. The treatment at a women’s detox center begins with a medical and psychological evaluation. Then, clinical professionals need to know your substance abuse history to help. They may also do bloodwork.
Next, comes the hard work of detox. Detox provides women with the care and support they need to overcome their withdrawal symptoms. Detox takes place on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.
Typically, the more severe cases tend to require residential detox and the less severe cases are handled on an outpatient basis. Following detox, you can expect to enter a period of individual or group counseling. This is followed by aftercare, which is aimed at reducing your risk of relapse.
Begin a Women’s Detox Center in Los Angeles
We staff experienced and caring professionals at LA Detox. Based on the best medical evidence, our approach has just one goal in mind—to bring you sobriety and health as quickly and effectively as possible. Contact us today and take your life back!
