Addiction Therapy
Our Women’s Program

The Women’s Program at The Plymouth House is geared to help women feel safe, secure and focused on healing. Women naturally experience the affects of their alcoholism in different ways then men. And getting vulnerable with a group of supportive women can be hugely beneficial to the treatment process for women. Our Women’s Program was carefully developed by a team of licensed and compassionate professionals to meet the unique set of needs women have. When it comes to effective addiction treatment, women have been shown to have higher rates of long-term success in sobriety when they are surrounded by other women.

A Gender-Specific Set of Challenges

Why Attending a Women’s Program is Encouraged

Many women who are in addiction recovery face a unique set of challenges. For example, it is not uncommon for women who suffer from a substance abuse disorder to simultaneously suffer from unresolved trauma. The National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that there are several distinctive issues that women face that can lead to the development of substance abuse.

“Scientists who study substance use have discovered that women who use drugs can have issues related to hormones, menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause,” the article reads. “In addition, women themselves describe unique reasons for using drugs, including controlling weight, fighting exhaustion, coping with pain, and attempts to self-treat mental health problems.”

NIDA also suggests that roughly 19.5 million women have abused an illicit drug at least once over the course of the past year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that excessive alcohol consumption rates are also high among women. According to the CDC, roughly 13 percent of women reported binge drinking at least once over the course of the past month in 2019; 18 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 44 engage in binge drinking regularly; and binge drinking is much more common among female high school students than male high school students.

More About Women and Addiction

Why are rates of substance abuse and dependence so high among women? Scientists and researchers have discovered the following facts about women and substance abuse:

• Women and men use chemical substances differently. For example, a woman typically uses a smaller amount of a substance for a shorter period of time before developing a physical and psychological dependence.
• Women are more sensitive than men to the effects of some drugs.
• Women who engage in drug abuse tend to experience more significant physical effects as a direct result.
• Women often have a different experience with drug addiction. For example, they are more likely to experience a relapse after treatment because psychological drug cravings tend to be more severe.
• Women who have experienced domestic violence of sexual trauma are more likely to abuse chemical substances.
• Women are more likely to experience overdose-related death at the hands of some chemical substances, and they are more likely to visit the emergency room as a result of illicit drug use.
• Women who abuse drugs are more likely to suffer from a dual diagnosis disorder like depression, anxiety, panic disorder or borderline personality disorder.
• Women are more likely to be triggered by significant life events like divorce, the loss of a child, the loss of custody, infidelity or the death of a partner.

Because of these differences, substance abuse treatment for women progresses differently than it does for men. Because withdrawal symptoms might be more severe in women, it is important that they enter into a medically monitored detox program before transitioning into inpatient treatment. For more information on medical detox programs in the area, contact us today — we will gladly help you find a detox program and arrange a transfer from detox to The Plymouth House.

Building a network of strong, sober women is essential to continued recovery. In Alcoholics Anonymous, you will undeniably hear the old-timers say, “Men stick with the men and women stick with the women!” There are several reasons why it is important for members of the same gender to stick together. These reasons include:

• Women’s only group therapy sessions focus on recovery-related topics that are unique to women. For example, balancing motherhood and sobriety or developing healthy and functional friendships with other women.
• Being in a female-specific environment makes women who have suffered sexual trauma or domestic violence feel safer. In order to truly open up and work through unresolved trauma, women must feel safe and supported.
• Members of the opposite sex can serve as a distraction, taking away from the efficacy of treatment. When we first get sober, we have a propensity to reach towards other things as a way to fill the “void.” We might reach for food, or we might begin to work out excessively, or we might reach for sex and relationships. It is recommended that people who are new to recovery completely stay away from any degree of romantic involvement for at least the first year.
• Many women who are new to sobriety have failed to develop meaningful and healthy friendships with other women. In our Women’s Program, guests learn how to communicate with one another in healthy ways and truly rely on one another for support and encouragement.

Our Women’s Program

At The Plymouth House we offer women’s only group therapy sessions, women’s lodging and female-specific Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Our Women’s Program also centers around trauma-informed care, seeing as the majority of our female guests have experienced some degree of trauma. According to the National Center for PTSD, five out of every 10 women will experience a traumatic event during their lifetimes. The most common traumatic experiences among women are sexual abuse and childhood abuse. Roughly one in every three women experiences a sexually traumatic event over the course of their lives. At The Plymouth House our therapeutic staff members specialize in trauma-informed care, and trauma is thoroughly addressed in a one-on-one setting. We utilize a combination of proven therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Psychodrama. We help women develop the healthy coping mechanisms they need to effectively work through any trauma-related relapse triggers without resorting to alcohol or drug use.

Begin Your Recovery Journey Today

Our experienced team of Treatment Advisors will personally work with you from the moment you contact us until the day that you arrive at The Plymouth House. We know that in most cases, our guests and their families will have a range of questions regarding treatment options, coverage options, specialized programs, our facilities and admissions details. With one phone call we can assist you and your loved one in making the right choices for their situation. Contact us today. We are here 24/7 to answer your questions, be your sounding board and lend an empathetic ear.