Prescription Drug Abuse Rehab for Women

 Understanding drug abuse and rehab for women

Did you know women are more likely to abuse prescription drugs than men, and they are more vulnerable to addiction? Concerning women, drug and alcohol abuse are both gender specific in how they affect the body. Some of the prescription drugs that women are more likely to abuse are sleeping pills, pain medication, psychotropic medication and diet pills. Rehab for women and teaching relapse prevention should be just as specific as the root causes of their addiction.

Weight loss prescription drug abuse

Many women want to maintain their body image and fret when they gain weight. Some turn to prescription diet medications for weight loss without realizing that most of these pills have a high abuse and addiction potential. Most diet medications are amphetamines that stimulate the person and give them increased energy and stamina, and also suppress the appetite.  Over time, weight loss medications can have an adverse affect on a person’s mental and physical well-being. Some of the adverse effects of weight loss pills include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, exhaustion, tremors, chest pain, irregular heart beat, mood swings, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and seizures. Contraindications of weight loss medications when combined with other medications can cause liver or kidney disease.

Mental Disorders

Some women suffer from mental disorders and depend on prescription psychotropic medications such as Prozac, Xanax or Valium. Psychotropic drugs depress the central nervous system to help calm down the effects of such mental disorders as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. Some women use and abuse these medications even when they don’t suffer from mental disorders because they like the calming, soothing effects of the drugs. Some of the adverse side effects of the drugs include addiction, depression, mania, sleeplessness, inability to concentrate, paranoia, and hallucinations. Women who take psychotropic drugs with other drugs or alcohol put themselves at a high risk for abuse or physical complications.

Pain Medications

Prescription opiate pain medications are one of the highest abused drugs in the world, and are highly addictive. Women are prescribed opiates to treat moderate to severe pain from childbirth, cancer, and serious injury and bone degeneration. Some adverse effects of prescription pain medications can include anxiety, depression, mood swings, delusions, hallucinations, anger, suicidal thoughts, liver or kidney damage, respiratory depression, coma, overdose and death.

Sleep Aids

The old adage that “a woman’s work is never done” appears to be true for many women. Women tend to multi-task, worry, analyze and organize their life, sometimes late into the night. They may have difficulty shutting off their brain and they may need the help of a sleep aid. Many prescription sleep medications are benzodiazepines or barbiturates that inhibit the neurotransmissions of the brain and depress the central nervous system. Some of the adverse effects of these drugs include addiction, vertigo, drowsiness, constipation, confusion, depression, impaired memory and judgment, respiratory depression, euphoria, mood swings, hostility and erratic behavior.

Treatment of prescription drug abuse for women

There are excellent treatment programs available for women at prescription drug addiction treatment centers. Rehab centers that are staffed with knowledgeable and experienced medical professionals can offer women excellent treatment services with dignity, respect and compassion.

Once the initial phase of the detox process is completed the patient will begin a series of psychological therapies. Whatever the issues were that caused a woman to abuse and become dependent on prescription drugs will be addressed and treated at a rehab for women. Issues involving chronic pain, depression, anxiety or other problems will all be assessed and treated as a part of the addiction treatment for women. Deep-seated psychological problems that are expressed as anorexia and bulimia are also examined and rooted out. By digging deep and identifying the root causes of the problems that a woman may be facing will lead to a successful recovery with a minimal chance of relapse. Many relapses occur because deep-seated issues are not resolved and cause overwhelming tension when they re-surface.

Addiction treatment for women should include the teaching of relapse prevention techniques that will serve the women well when they are faced with stressful situations. Cognitive behavior therapy will help women overcome destructive thought and behavior patterns and replace them with healthy ones. Learning how to manage strong emotions and negative thoughts through positive actions takes the focus off the negative and creates a new, healthy mindset and behavior.  Addiction treatment for women who are addicted to prescription drugs is a long-term process that will heal them and prepare them for a victorious drug-free life.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.