You may not consider a housewife, working middle-aged woman, or an elderly grandmother to be the type to develop an addiction to Vicodin. But women can and do become addicted, especially in population groups you wouldn’t expect. If you don’t know much about Vicodin addiction and women, reading this article can fill a gap in your understanding of addiction.
Legitimate Beginnings Can Lead To Destructive Addiction
It’s important to remember that Vicodin is prescribed for very legitimate reasons. It doesn’t take much for a person to overuse this medication and slip into an addiction. A Vicodin addict doesn’t necessarily fit the typical stereotype we might immediately think of – scraggly, penniless, and living on the streets. While this can be true of some people, many Vicodin addicts are parents, people living in the suburbs with a high level of education, and elderly people.
Women with Vicodin addiction could have started with pain medication to help with fibromyalgia or surgery recovery. They may have had severe back pain from an accident or endometriosis. If Vicodin is prescribed and the woman finds that it helps certain emotional difficulties, she may allow herself to use it more than her prescription calls for. Or, she might notice when she backs off on her medication, she feels more pain and discomfort. These are all signs of addiction.
If the reason for needing strong pain medication is connected to some type of trauma or emotional upset, Vicodin addiction could unintentionally but easily develop. Before long, she has found herself with more problems than she started out with.
Women With Vicodin Dependence Have Unique Challenges
Babies born to addicted women are also addicted to the drug. The drug can pass through the umbilical cord, so any baby born addicted needs extremely well-supervised detox. Such a delicate balance between new life and addiction. A new mom with an addiction needs extra physical and emotional care as well. Depending on the circumstances of addiction, the mother and child need to be monitored closely to be sure other mental and physical health needs are being met.
Vicodin Treatment for Women
Many drug rehab centers accept both men and women, creating a mixed gender environment. For some women, this may be a good and effective fit. For others, a women-only setting would feel more comfortable. The social bonds between women are at an entirely different level of importance than they are for men. That’s not to say that men don’t need social connection.
An all-female socially supportive environment can give women with Vicodin addiction a unique sense of security and healing.
Women Living with Vicodin Addiction
No matter how a Vicodin addiction begins, women needing addiction treatment have many options. Outpatient treatment can work for someone who is more functional, and residential treatment can help someone with a more chronic or complex addiction.
If you recognize this problem with a woman you care about (or if this sounds like a problem in your life), call today at 760.548.4032 to get started with Vicodin rehab.
