Addiction and Woman
Yesterday I read an article about the rise in opioid drugs and even heroin with women, in particular suburban women/ women who have money. The shocking part is that when they can no longer get pain medications they will turn to heroin as a viable and often times less expensive alternative. Once addicted people do some truly astonishing things that are out of their character and no one is above addiction. Although the statistics are shocking I would like to shine more light around the why of addiction than the numbers.
A History:
Whenever I have talked to women who are addicted to drugs there is almost always a history of a life lived that has been extraordinarily hurtful including sexual, verbal and physical abuse. One typical substance is alcohol which although some people would say is not a drug, I am in agreement with the medical professionals that it in fact is a drug, often times the drug of choice because it is easy to get and is after all "legal". We cannot cure drug abuse in a way that addresses the entire person without understanding the reasons and the triggers that initiated the abuse. Drugs are after all used to mask the feelings inside and provides a false relief as we spiral downward and often times hit "rock bottom". Our history will tell us all that if we were raised by an alcoholic we can easily adopt the same addiction. That is part of our history and we must be vigilant about those things that make up our history and can easily be the reason behind the addiction.
Feelings of Worth:
Another one of the things I have heard repeatedly from women struggling with addiction is how they feel about themselves, often times unworthy and unimportant. Although one of the reasons for feeling like this can be tracked to child abuse it can simply be a chemical imbalance. Feeling unworthy is more about the inner messages a woman receives and there are many: "you're too fat", "you are not beautiful", "your hair is too thin" and "you have no boobs". It is no wonder that more women get plastic surgery than men when there is so much pressure around body image and looks. Feelings of unworthiness comes from various sources and women have a lot more coming at them than men. When a woman feels not worthwhile she may turn to drugs as a way out and as an escape from that which is so emotionally painful. Looking at our feelings and getting the support we need is the key to building our self-esteem to the degree where we feel worthy of living a drug free life.
Bad Relationships:
I think that bad relationships effect women differently than men. Men tend to go out on their spouses and find relief from a nagging wife or a "bad relationship". Women tolerate more and will try to fix the relationship often times not understanding that it is not worth fixing and likely better to end it. Bad relationships turns into self-loathing with some women and then in turn addictions to drugs like heroine that make life feel tolerable if only for a moment. Bad relationships can be found everywhere from the poorest areas of the city to the richest suburbs. No one is immune to the reality of an abusive husband even if he is a doctor. Staying in and enduring a bad relationship is toxic for anyone, especially a woman with children who feels trapped and unable to get out or see herself taking care of herself financially. Yet the alternative of staying is often times the cause for masking pain with drugs like heroine and pain killers.
Bad Workplaces:
Many women are working in jobs where they feel obligated to stay especially when they are single mothers. Bad jobs where one is treated with disrespect are likely one of the many causes of addiction. While we all believe we have a choice to leave a horrible job with an abusive boss it is truly not that easy.
To be continued:
A History:
Whenever I have talked to women who are addicted to drugs there is almost always a history of a life lived that has been extraordinarily hurtful including sexual, verbal and physical abuse. One typical substance is alcohol which although some people would say is not a drug, I am in agreement with the medical professionals that it in fact is a drug, often times the drug of choice because it is easy to get and is after all "legal". We cannot cure drug abuse in a way that addresses the entire person without understanding the reasons and the triggers that initiated the abuse. Drugs are after all used to mask the feelings inside and provides a false relief as we spiral downward and often times hit "rock bottom". Our history will tell us all that if we were raised by an alcoholic we can easily adopt the same addiction. That is part of our history and we must be vigilant about those things that make up our history and can easily be the reason behind the addiction.
Feelings of Worth:
Another one of the things I have heard repeatedly from women struggling with addiction is how they feel about themselves, often times unworthy and unimportant. Although one of the reasons for feeling like this can be tracked to child abuse it can simply be a chemical imbalance. Feeling unworthy is more about the inner messages a woman receives and there are many: "you're too fat", "you are not beautiful", "your hair is too thin" and "you have no boobs". It is no wonder that more women get plastic surgery than men when there is so much pressure around body image and looks. Feelings of unworthiness comes from various sources and women have a lot more coming at them than men. When a woman feels not worthwhile she may turn to drugs as a way out and as an escape from that which is so emotionally painful. Looking at our feelings and getting the support we need is the key to building our self-esteem to the degree where we feel worthy of living a drug free life.
Bad Relationships:
I think that bad relationships effect women differently than men. Men tend to go out on their spouses and find relief from a nagging wife or a "bad relationship". Women tolerate more and will try to fix the relationship often times not understanding that it is not worth fixing and likely better to end it. Bad relationships turns into self-loathing with some women and then in turn addictions to drugs like heroine that make life feel tolerable if only for a moment. Bad relationships can be found everywhere from the poorest areas of the city to the richest suburbs. No one is immune to the reality of an abusive husband even if he is a doctor. Staying in and enduring a bad relationship is toxic for anyone, especially a woman with children who feels trapped and unable to get out or see herself taking care of herself financially. Yet the alternative of staying is often times the cause for masking pain with drugs like heroine and pain killers.
Bad Workplaces:
Many women are working in jobs where they feel obligated to stay especially when they are single mothers. Bad jobs where one is treated with disrespect are likely one of the many causes of addiction. While we all believe we have a choice to leave a horrible job with an abusive boss it is truly not that easy.
To be continued:
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