Adolescent alcohol abuse or drug abuse is especially damaging for women.  It is these fragile years in the growth process that shapes who they will become both physically and emotionally.  So if adolescent alcohol or drug treatment is not used to put a stop to substance abuse or dependence, adult treatment may need to be gender-specific.

In general, when teens abuse alcohol or drugs they alter the course of their adult lives.  Alcohol abuse and drug abuse has been proven to interfere with brain development.  For women between age 12 and 17 this is critical.  It logically follows that if the brain is not growing properly, then hormonal connections are not being completed or are being shifted in an abnormal direction.

Teen decision making, without adult guidance, is not usually regarded as being based on wisdom.  Add alcohol or drugs to the equation and you lose inhibitions as well.  This leads many adolescent women into abusive relationships due to low self-esteem, and to engage in unsafe sex and promiscuity.  In these cases, women may see men as threats or tools for validation by the time they reach adulthood.

It is always recommended that adolescents receive alcohol and drug treatment at the earliest signs of a problem.  For those who don’t, gender-specific alcohol and drug treatment needs to be an option.  Some women who enter treatment will be distracted by men, making focus difficult.  In women-only treatment the distraction can be removed, allowing for a better chance at long-term recovery.

Some deep-seated issues from adolescence may not be detected until women are in an alcohol or drug detox program.  The feelings may seem very normal to these patients, so addiction counselors must take note when women begin habits in their youth.

The graph below is from a report posted on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.  It shows that in 2008, as a percentage, the only age range when women engage in substance abuse more than men is 12 to 17.

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Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides youth alcohol and drug treatment and women-only alcohol and drug treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.