Costa Mesa, California; 03, June 2015: Southern California womens’ rehab facility New Directions for Women has released a new information page clarifying the confusion and misconceptions surrounding mature women and chemical dependency.
http://www.newdirectionsforwomen.org/special-issues-for-mature-women-in-recovery/
“The process of assessing and treating mature women recovering from an addiction can be far more involved,” New Directions said in a statement. “Two years of drug or alcohol use by a women results in the same poisonous effects as would be experienced by a man who used the same amounts for ten years.
As a result, when a mature woman enters our program, we take special care to assess their well being, sometimes monitoring them for a period of weeks or months as they move through the initial stages of recovery.”
The new information page goes on to explain that this thoroughness is required because it’s often not clear whether already existing physical problems (as appear in old age) might be made worse by the detox and withdrawal process.
The substances the woman has been taking often cover up the serious physical effects produced by her addiction — and the patient is herself in many cases unable to see their illness accurately. Denial, after all, is part and parcel of chemical dependency, and for mature women the degree of denial can be especially strong. In some cases, the woman has never experienced a long recovery period in her life, producing an especially strong sense of denial.
Fortunately, New Directions’ gender-separated approach to treatment is particularly helpful for mature women. The reason for this is that they grew up as part of the “baby boomer” generation, in a social environment where women and men occupied fixed roles in society. Their addictions are in fact often supported by traumas and issues related to social expectations present in the era into which they were born.
The “baby boomer” generation experienced a time when men and women were co-dependent, with the men acting as primary breadwinners and the women acting as primary caretakers. In the experience of New Directions’ staff, this fact represents a major issue for many mature women as they go through the recovery process. They need to be in a safe place where they can find self-esteem and their own power as human beings.
The research has shown addressing addiction and trauma at the same time is possible, but only if done in the right kind of environment and after relationship issues have been properly assessed.
New Directions’ gender-separate approach also helps mature women work through the physical changes associated with aging, which also make the recovery process more complex. By being able to work through these questions in an environment that has other women of the same age range and in a similar situation, the process of healing is significantly helped.
About New Directions For Women:
New Directions for Women is a womens-only addiction treatment center founded in 1977 to address the lack of options for women recovering from chemical dependency and substance abuse.
http://www.newdirectionsforwomen.org/treatment/mature-women-entering-recovery/
New Directions has since grown to a 30-bed luxury facility whose holistic approach has been internationally recognized.
For Media Contact:
Tania Bhattacharyya
(866) 346-8431
[email protected]
http://www.newdirectionsforwomen.org
