This article is from page 4 of the 2012-10-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE growing number of women in Clare development addictions to prescription drugs and alcohol has prompted the Bushypark Treatment Centre to launch an after treatment programme, specifically aimed at women.
The number of Clare women with addiction problems is on the increase – with older women abusing prescription medication a particular concern. This has prompted the Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force and Clarecare to fund Bushypark in a new women in recovery group.
“Women tend to go for alcohol and prescription drugs – and prescription drugs really is a key issue for women. from the trends that we see coming in to us they are much less likely to abuse elicit drugs or gambling,” said Margaret Nash of Bushypark.
“This is a problem across all ages. We are seeing a trend of young girls from 14 or 15 years of age who are binge drinking. But there is a real problem for older women, especially when it comes to prescription drugs. This is a huge concern for us.
“This is older women who are deal- ing with an empty nest, when their children move away, but also women tend to live longer than men – so a lot of widows are finding themselves in difficulty. There are a lot of widows out there. Usually with addiction there is an underlying condition and the stress of different situations can bring that to a head.”
Women can often face greater stigma than men when facing up to their addiction issues. The women in recovery group aims to help women rebuild their lives after an addiction problem and reduce the likelihood of a relapse.
“Women generally have much more guilt and shame than men when they discover they have a drugs, gambling or alcohol problem and that does make them slower to come forward. Women’s drinking is more secretive than men, they tend to drink in the home and that makes it harder to spot and be diagnosed. This makes them slower to access services,” continued Margaret.
“It is also different for women going back into society after treatment. People can be a bit more unforgiving to a woman in this situation as opposed to a man and they can also have responsibility thrust on them earlier. So there tends to be a higher relapse rates for women than there does for men, and this is where the new programme comes in. It is about learning the skill of self care – about minding themselves.”
The group features a mixture of group therapy, personal development, relationship support, art therapy and other supports. It is designed for women who have completed a treatment programme but is open to anyone. For details ring 065 6840944.