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Girls usually started using alcohol and other drugs as coping strategies to face depression, anxiety, and negative feelings 21, whereas men usually initiate the use of drugs influenced by peers or sensation-seeking 22. The fact that women are more exposed to negative life events such as trauma and intimate partner violence is directly related with the rapid development of substance use and the narrowing gap between rates ketamine withdrawal timeline of drug use among genders 23. Despite all this, it has been described that women who adhere to specialized treatment achieve better results 24 than men and are also more predisposed to receive information about the treatment process 25. Every person in our society can play a role in reducing stigma and discrimination against people with substance use disorders—from health professionals and addiction researchers to the general public and those directly affected by drug and alcohol problems. Although Tammy described her program as more effective than others, she had the advantage of being offered an expensive residential treatment program with psychiatrists who treated her underlying causes of drug use.

This study explores the initiation of drug use among women, as well as the difficulties women face as drug users and as they try to recover from drug use. The goal of this study is to examine (1) the stigmatization of drug use through different stages; (2) how stigmatized women drug users perceive normality; and (3) barriers and challenges to recovery. This qualitative analysis of the life histories of 20 women who used illegal drugs focuses on their social roles, the influences of initiating and using drugs, and the process of recovering from a stigmatized social identity. This study is significant in that stigmatization is examined at each stage of drug use with an in-depth focus on gendered social roles. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how stigmatization of women drug users impacts their recovery. Although data on the differences in smoking and marijuana use indicate higher prevalence among men, women are estimated to have more difficulty quitting, while marijuana use can cause severe premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

1. People who are considered different from “normal” are stigmatized, perceived as deviant, and often marginalized.
2. A limitation of the current study is the search for materials for analysis in only one database of scientific articles.
3. Therefore, these are further important indications for policymakers responsible for accessing and developing medical and social care for women suffering from substance abuse 35.
4. The ability to focus and to work on the smallest details also helped them to conceal their use of drugs from others who may stigmatize them once they find out.
5. Similarly, evidence suggests that many people who could benefit from medications for opioid use disorders, which promote abstinence from opioids (Schuckit, 2016), do not receive them.

Topical Collection on Gender & Addiction

Within this section, these definitions, key concepts, and processes are described in the context of SUDs, with a focus on the current opioid epidemic. A conceptual framework, which builds off of previous theory and research on stigma and health inequities (Earnshaw et al., 2013; Earnshaw & Chaudoir, 2009; Hatzenbuehler et al., 2013; Quinn & Earnshaw, 2011; Smith & Earnshaw, 2017), is included to guide this discussion (Figure 1). Not only are women more likely than men to experience chronic pain, which can facilitate a prescription for opioids, but they also tend to use opioids differently than men. Women are more likely to take opioids for longer periods and at higher doses, which can cause dependence quickly.

Substance Use Disorders in Women

We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The does water flush alcohol out of urine information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. In the 1970s and 1980s, medical practitioners and researchers began to recognize how little was known about providing adequate treatment to women with substance use disorders.

How does NIDA research address stigma and discrimination?

The 20 participants used in the analysis for this paper were selected because they were mothers who had children in their care when they were using methamphetamine or they were of childbearing age. The mothers who currently had children in their care (custodial mothers) provided a comparison group for those who were not mothers or who no longer lived with their children. The life histories of these women provided rich data on life experiences and situations that could answer the key questions related to stigma, normality and challenges to recovery among female drug users. Being stigmatized marginalizes the discredited individual from mainstream society, and stigmatization by social services is often viewed as an attempt to exert social control (Palamar, Halkitis, & Kiang, 2013).

Yet, we are better prepared now than ever before to address this stigma by leveraging what we know about why stigma exists, the ways in which it is manifested within structures and individuals, how it affects outcomes via mediating mechanisms, and what moderates it. As experts in mental and behavioral health, psychologists can play a frontline role in addressing stigma to prevent and treat SUDs via clinical care, research, and advocacy. Psychologists have a substantial opportunity to address stigma experienced by targets via clinical care. Psychologists can promote resilience among people living with stigmatized statuses to prevent the development of SUDs. As noted above, research has identified a suite of resilience resources that buffer targets from the deleterious effects of stigma on health. Within this suite, coping shows particular promise for promoting resilience because it appears to both mediate and moderate associations between stigma and substance use outcomes.

While treatment programs are the most obvious space to facilitate access what happens if i report a drug dealer to new networks for recovery efforts, social institutions, such as religious organizations, schools, and workplaces, also can provide opportunities for social activities that link women to new networks outside their own communities. Religious organizations can provide space for social clubs and activities for people in the community other than their own congregations or members. Workplaces can offer treatment for all levels of employees, and incentivize social activities that encourage constructive relationships. Schools can provide subsidies and transportation for children to participate in social clubs and free equipment to participate in sports teams. Incorporating an understanding of the social environment in prevention, intervention and treatment shifts the focus from individuals to the relations between individuals and social networks.

Attention should be paid to the individual’s social environment, which significantly influences the behavior in question 68. Many researchers believe that psychological distress and low self-esteem influence the use of psychoactive substances 69. Women who use these substances, in addition to temporarily raising their self-esteem, “enter” their social reality in which they feel good. By using drugs, they find a sense of self-esteem, strive to perform tasks, and achieve goals they believe society sets for them.

In our understanding, challenges are phenomena of much greater scope than just economic or systemic barriers. Challenges are cultural phenomena that require major transformations to change, which are, unfortunately, complicated to implement in many countries. Also, men and women experiment with a different profile of withdrawal symptoms under detoxification 76. And women with alcohol use disorder are known to become intoxicated with smaller quantities of alcohol, achieving higher blood concentrations than men and show a lower tolerance even with an equal alcohol blood level 25.