Myths & Facts about Addiction

Women and Addiction:
Truth and Fiction

Here are some myths and reality when it comes to gender and substance abuse problems.

Myth
Both genders become addicted for the same reasons.

False
For a number of reasons including differences in brain chemistry, women have a much higher incidence of anxiety and depression. Their attempt to deal with these conditions often causes them to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, which can lead to addiction. Women also are more often affected by interpersonal violence, which can lead to substance abuse and addiction.

Myth
Both men and women are equally affected by the stigma of addiction. False. Both genders are looked down upon for having an addiction, but the spotlight is often especially harsh on women due to their frequent role as primary caregivers in families. Women who are pregnant and addicted are viewed especially negatively.

Myth
Addiction affects more men than women. Partly true. There was a time when men were much more likely to have an addiction than women. However, studies show that that gap is closing fast as women are one of the fastest-growing segments of drug users in the U.S.

Myth
Drug abuse affects men and women the same way. False. According to studies, women get addicted to substances more quickly than men. The time from first use to dependency is shorter, and they are often dealing with more psychological and medical issues when they enter treatment.

General Myths about Addiction

Myth
Drug addiction is voluntary behavior. A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary decision. But as times passes, something happens, and that person goes from being a voluntary drug user to being a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain — at times in dramatic, toxic ways, at others in more subtle ways, but virtually always in ways that result in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.

Myth
More than anything else, drug addiction is a character flaw. Drug addiction is a brain disease. Every type of drug of abuse has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions. But regardless of which drug a person is addicted to, many of the effects it has on the brain are similar: they range from changes in the molecules and cells that make up the brain, to mood changes, to changes in memory processes and in such motor skills as walking and talking. And these changes have a huge influence on all aspects of a person’s behavior. The drug becomes the single most powerful motivator in a drug abuser’s existence. He or she will do almost anything for the drug. This comes about because drug use has changed the individual’s brain and its functioning in critical ways.

Myth
You have to want drug treatment for it to be effective. Virtually no one wants drug treatment. Two of the primary reasons people seek drug treatment are because the court ordered them to do so, or because loved ones urged them to seek treatment. Many scientific studies have shown convincingly that those who enter drug treatment programs in which they face “high pressure” to confront and attempt to surmount their addiction do comparatively better in treatment, regardless of the reason they sought treatment in the first place.

Myth
Treatment for drug addiction should be a one-shot deal. Like many other illnesses, drug addiction typically is a chronic disorder. To be sure, some people can quit drug use “cold turkey,” or they can quit after receiving treatment just one time at a rehabilitation facility. But most of those who abuse drugs require longer-term treatment and, in many instances, repeated treatments.

Myth
We should strive to find a “magic bullet” to treat all forms of drug abuse. There is no “one size fits all” form of drug treatment, much less a magic bullet that suddenly will cure addiction. Different people have different drug abuse-related problems. And they respond very differently to similar forms of treatment, even when they’re abusing the same drug. As a result, drug addicts need an array of treatments and services tailored to address their unique needs.