This high number is most likely due to the way traumatic events affect the brain. The instant effects of a traumatic event include perspiration, increased heart rate and hypervigilance. Long-term effects of the trauma can alter a person’s thinking patterns. Symptoms such as panic attacks, depression, anxiety and flashbacks will occur. In some people, PTSD may arise.
The likelihood of women developing PTSD is 10%, while for men, it’s 4%. That means women are twice as likely to have PTSD than men. A major reason could be because women are more likely to get sexually assaulted or raped.
Unfortunately, people suffering from trauma tend to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs to forget the tragic event. As they begin to desire more of the substance to experience the same effect, dependence can develop into an established addiction.
Trauma results in co-occurring disorders such as depression, sleep disorders, psychotic disorders and persistent feelings of loss and grief. When this happens, sustained recovery may be hard to achieve without addressing the co-occurring issues.
Signs of PTSD
Some women may not even know they have PTSD, particularly if they aren’t aware of the impact the traumatic event had on them. Common signs of PTSD include:
- Paranoia
- Difficulty trusting people
- Intrusion
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Hypervigilance
- Risky behavior
- Change in romantic relationships
- Avoidance
- Hyperarousal to situations
Women are more likely to seek treatment for trauma-related issues. But some challenges affect women’s addiction treatment.
Obstacles Women Face When Seeking Addiction Treatment
Some of the most common challenges women face when looking for addiction treatment include:
- Lack of services designed to suit women
- Inadequate finances
- Improper housing
- Lack of services for children
- Long waitlists
- Fear of losing kids
- Fear of divorce or separation
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Stigma
Apart from the challenges women face when seeking treatment, they also encounter treatment programs that aren’t suited to their needs. This is partly because most addiction treatment and rehab programs were not originally made to cater to women’s needs. So, when women started looking for addiction treatment, therapists thought the same methods that worked for men would also work for women. However, in many cases, this is not so.
A woman’s recovery needs to address relationship needs because they play a major role in her recovery. Family relationships are also quite important. Women who partake in residential addiction treatment usually struggle with feelings of guilt from leaving their family and home responsibilities behind.
Women also thrive better in community settings, so they need to build friendships and develop trust in support groups. When combined with improving self-worth and self-care, women can open up more about their trauma and deal with the main cause of their addiction.
Introducing a Women-Only Therapeutic Environment
We’ve built a safe, gender-specific environment to enable our clients to start and complete their healing journey successfully. The Gateway Carbondale facility is situated on 14 wooded acres in an environment where women feel safe and secure. At this facility, we have a 12-bed women’s trauma and substance use disorder program that provides PTSD treatment for women.
Women’s Trauma Recovery Program
In line with our nine major evidenced-based clinical practices, we also use therapeutic methods to address issues stemming from traumatic events at our women’s trauma treatment centers. Our services:
- Help women recover
- Provide eye movement desensitization reprocessing
- Take care of family and individual therapy
- Offer dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Provide mindfulness-based sobriety
- Incorporate exercise, nutrition and motion therapy
- Include medication-assisted treatment to manage withdrawal symptoms
For more information about this program, please call us at 877.505.4673 or send us a message through our contact page today.