We are, for the most part, a fairly egalitarian society in many ways, and this is somewhat true on the basis of gender, as well. We believe, and enact in public policy, in equal treatment of men and women, and we try to ensure that men and women are welcome in the same places. Yet there are still areas where a focus on gender as a separating factor can be useful and important. Medical care can be one place, and that includes drug treatment and addiction recovery.
Breaking free of addiction can sometimes be done more easily without the distractions of the differences between men and women, making the benefits of gender-specific drug rehab evident to all.
Many people tend to bristle these days when the suggestion of separating men and women in nearly anything other than sporting events is made. We accept that the two sexes differ physically, which requires gender-specific treatment in such areas, but in nearly every other area we tend to advocate for equal treatment.
At first blush, addiction treatment would seem to fall under that same approach. Drug and alcohol abuse is equally bad for men and women, after all. Substance abuse is no respecter of persons and sees gender as no barrier, so why treat men and women differently when treating such abuse?
Yet there are reasons that gender-specific drug rehab might be the right call for a person. Some of them are in fact physical, even. Male and female bodies process substances differently to some degree, for example, making women who abuse alcohol more susceptible to long-term effects. Going into treatment where such issues can be acknowledged upfront can be beneficial.
But there are other reasons, too, having to do with the way some people react to treatment in a group setting. Many programs emphasize group sessions, asking patients to share their struggles and feelings with one another publicly to both express their own problems and learn they are not alone in such circumstances by hearing of others’ struggles with the same issues.
For some patients, doing this in mixed company can be very uncomfortable. Sharing personal details is hard enough in front of strangers in general, but some patients, of either sex, may struggle even more to do so in front of others of the opposite sex.
At Good Landing Recovery, gender-specific drug rehab is an option for those who need it. The doctors and nurses there can make adjustments to treat the gender-specific needs of a patient and ensure they get what they need out of treatment without having to worry about handling the needs of those of the other sex.
Not every patient needs gender-specific drug rehab. They can thrive in a mixed group and find the care they need without needing allowances for their biological sex at all. But for other patients, a gender-specific approach can make a world of difference and could, in fact, be the difference between successful recovery and imminent relapse.