womenandaddictions-blog

[womenandaddictions-blog]

I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.

Audre Lorde (via recovery-experts)

[womenandaddictions-blog]

[womenandaddictions-blog]

[womenandaddictions-blog]

What substances have the greatest Impact?

While alcohol is more commonly used among men, the rates that women drink has increased from past years. Alcohol is still the most common drug used among women. In a 2004 study, 76.8% of women reported using alcohol. Among young, college-aged drinkers, however, women have reported higher rates of drinking. 87.5% of female participants reported drinking in the last 12 months compared to 82% males. Among these, 41.1% of the young women reported “harmful” drinking, and 29.3% reported “dependant” drinking. These statistics are both slightly higher than young men.

In relation to tobacco, while the rates of young people smoking have drastically decreased from past years, young women and girls still smoke tobacco at higher than average rates than their male counterparts. 15% of 15-17 year old girls reported using tobacco compared to 13% of boys. Among 18-19 year olds, women used tobacco at 13.8% while men used at 11.6%. Rates are higher for First Nations (45.5% of the population smoking), and when broken into gender categories, 48.5% of women smoke, compared to 42.7% of men.

Benzodiazepine is a prescription medication commonly prescribed to patients who are experiencing mental health issues and sometimes chronic pain. On average, women are prescribed this medication at higher rates, and for longer times than men (12.2% compared to 7.1%, respectively). Indigenous women are prescribed this medication at dramatically higher rates (63.3%). Benzodiazepine is a highly addictive drug. The rates at which women prescribed and use Benzodiazepine and other similar drugs is a gendered issue. Statistics Canada also reports that women use prescription drugs at higher rates.

With this information, it is important to have a critical eye about how women use substances. It is also noted that these studies do not account for other genders outside of the women/man binary, nor do they look intersectionally at how sexuality, class, and ethnicity (other than Indigeneity) are factors in use.

Poole, N. & Dell, C. A. (2005). Girls, women and substance use. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/ccsa-011142-2005.pdf

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[womenandaddictions-blog]

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Women who have experienced sexual or physical abuse are more likely to use illicit drugs

Martin, S. L., Beaumont, J. L., & Kupper, L. L. (2003). Substance use before and during pregnancy: Links to intimate partner violence. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 29(3), 599-617.doi 10.1081/ADA-120023461 

[womenandaddictions-blog]

In 2002, 37.2% of HIV tests were from women with Injection Drug Use (IDU).

The rate increased among Indigenous women (66.9%)

Poole, N. & Dell, C. A. (2005). Girls, women and substance use. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/ccsa-011142-2005.pdf

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Women and girls are often judged more harshly than men and boys for using substances, especially if they

Are pregnant

Have children

Are racialized

Poole, N., Harrison, S. & Ingber, E. (2014). Working with women. Fundamentals of Addiction: A practical Guide for Counsellors [4th ed.], pp. 523-547. Toronto, ON. CAMH.

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Center for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) reports that;

Women ages 16-24 in treatment for substance use are more likely than men to have symptoms of PTSD (pp. 526)

Many women in treatment have experienced sexual/ physical trauma (pp. 531) and half have diagnosed with PTSD (pp. 402)

Gender power relations and inequality are among the most influential social determinants of health, in relation to substance abuse

Mawhinney, J. (2014). Diversity and equity competencies in clinical practice. Fundamentals of addiction: a practical guide for counsellors [4th ed.], pp. 43-62. Toronto, ON. CAMH.

Mackenzie, T., Cuff, R. & Poole, N. (2014). Working with clients who have histories of trauma. Fundamentals of addiction: a practical guide for counsellors [4th ed.], pp. 399-417. Toronto, ON. CAMH.

Poole, N., Harrison, S. & Ingber, E. (2014). Working with women. Fundamentals of Addiction: A practical Guide for Counsellors [4th ed.], pp. 523-547. Toronto, ON. CAMH.

[womenandaddictions-blog]

It is important to recognize that among Aboriginal women in Canada, these factors frequently reside in the context of colonial oppression and its aftermath, including ongoing social and economic marginalization and the intergenerational link between residential schooling and FASD among Aboriginal peoples.

(pp. 9) Poole, N. & Dell, C. A. (2005). Girls, women and substance use. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/ccsa-011142-2005.pdf

**in relation to how we need to understand Indigenous drug use

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Illicit substance use and other self-harm often linked to trauma, violence, and abuse.

(pp. 9)

Poole, N. & Dell, C. A. (2005). Girls, women and substance use. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/ccsa-011142-2005.pdf

[womenandaddictions-blog]

I learned in therapy the word “No” is a complete sentence

Jaycee Dugard, A Stolen Life

Learn to say no when you need to!

(via localrehabs)

[womenandaddictions-blog]

There is minimal literature on the experiences of black women survivors of sexual/physical abuse. The legacy of slavery in which black women still suffer from the histories of sexualized violence and white supremacy is often both forgotten and ignored. There is little research on how black women may use substances to cope with these histories and experiences.

Creswell, L. (2016) Review of Literature of Women with Co-occurring Disorders through the Feminist and Black Feminist Perspective. J Addict Res Ther 7:267. doi:10.4172/2155-6105.1000267

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Depression reported to be the leading mental health issue among women. This can influence access to treatment due to the very experience of depression (eg. apathy)

Creswell, L. (2016) Review of Literature of Women with Co-occurring Disorders through the Feminist and Black Feminist Perspective. J Addict Res Ther 7:267. doi:10.4172/2155-6105.1000267

[womenandaddictions-blog]

Men have been the target of most research and prevention/intervention work. This work is influenced by the medical field, much of which is male dominated. This discourse is often associated with treatment programs such as AA.(pp.888)

A feminist perspective may suggest that substance abuse can be one manifestation of gender oppression and internalized homophobia. (pp. 889). This is concluded due to the high rates of violence women in treatment, using substances, report.

Peralta, R. L. & Jauk, D. (2011). A brief feminist review and critique of the sociology of alcohol-use and substance-abuse treatment approaches. Sociology Compass, 5(10). 882-897 doi: 10.1111/J.1751-9020.2011.00414.x

[womenandaddictions-blog]

PSA: People who use drugs are still people.

#justsayin

#addiction #substance use #substance abuse #drugs