Everyone is used to women being strong. They are often responsible not only for their own well-being but also for the happiness of their entire family and other loved ones. However, sometimes it happens, that they need help themselves as they also make mistakes. Like anyone else, the fair sex can be weak and dependent. The worst thing is when this addiction is a drug addiction. Read more on dallaska.
It is almost impossible to overcome drug addiction on your own. But it is possible to solve this problem knowing that you are not alone. The stories of Dallas residents who managed to overcome drug addiction can serve as a good example for many.
The extent of drug addiction in women
Unfortunately, historically, most research on the extent of drug dependence has been conducted among men. For many decades, the main participants in important surveys were exclusively men. This bias has led to a significant misunderstanding of how drug addiction affects women. However, contemporaries are actively trying to correct this and have already proved that out of 100% of addicts, 60% are men and 40% are women. One of the institutes that is part of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse is conducting a study among women living in the state of Texas in general. As of 2022, almost 12% of residents admitted to having a drug addiction. Most of them said they wanted to get rid of it.
Texas residents are mostly addicted to the following types of drugs:
- Opioid drugs. Buprenorphine is one of the prescription opioids most commonly abused by women over 13 years of age (29%). Buprenorphine is followed by methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, tramadol and morphine. Women aged 45 to 54 years are more likely than women in any other age group to die from complications related to prescription drug overdose.
- Methamphetamine. Between 1995 and 2005, methamphetamine use in the United States more than doubled.
- Cocaine. In 2017, more than 1% of women reported using cocaine. Women also report having first used cocaine at a younger age than men.
- Marijuana. Statistics show that women are less likely to use marijuana than men (approx. 5% of women and 10% of men). However, research suggests that women who do are more likely to progress to addiction.
Crawford is a city girl who wanted to be a good mom
Crawford found out she was going to be a mother at the age of 20. Since then, she has decided that she would be the best mom for her unborn daughter. Since the child’s biological father refused to start a family, Crawford was forced to take on all the responsibilities. During her pregnancy, she worked hard to buy the necessary baby items and pay the rent.
After the birth of her first child, Crawford began to exhaust herself even more: work, household duties and the desire to spend quality time with her child were tearing her apart. One day, a colleague suggested that the young mother try Adderall, a drug used to treat her activity disorder. It contains several types of amphetamine salts. So the girl began to manage literally everything but her addiction was getting stronger every day. At first, she sold her clothes and furniture, and later children’s clothes.
The situation became even worse when Crawford began living with a man who provided her with even more difficult drugs. She was so dependent on him that she endured beatings for a long time, just so he wouldn’t disappear from her life along with the drugs. It got to the point where social services took Crawford’s daughter and temporarily placed the girl with her mother’s parents.
Crawford went through a long journey of deprivation, poverty and humiliation until one day she found herself on the doorstep of the Dallas 24 Hour Club shelter. There, she was helped to get out of an abusive relationship, overcome drug addiction and find a job. After earning enough money, Crawford took her daughter away from her parents. In addition, she finally found a decent man who sincerely loved her and her daughter. A few years later, the couple had a son.
Jessica’s story: from drug addiction to working at Texas Against Fentanyl
When Jessica was 25, she underwent a rather complicated surgery that required her to take painkillers for a long time. Since she developed an infection after the surgery, she had to repeatedly take the medication. They were quite serious, as they were available only in special pharmacies and with a doctor’s prescription. Before discontinuing the medications, Jessica’s doctor insisted that she take a drug test. But long before that, the girl had already realized her problem, as she had even tried heroin.
Jessica decided to buy a harder drug when she realized that her doctor’s prescription was too little. She found a company where heroin was a common thing. Because of this, she did not feel any doubt or fear.
Then the hardest part began. For three years Jessica was addicted to heroin with fentanyl. Several times she was prosecuted for theft. The girl was forced to change when she met her future husband. At that time, he also had a drug addiction and was determined to overcome it. Although at first, they spent months sleeping in various abandoned hotels in the city, where they spent time with other drug addicts. The couple moved from Dallas to California together and started a new life.
Jessica found a job with Texas Against Fentanyl (TXAF), an organization that helps people fight drug addiction. Besides, she became a mother of a boy. The news of her long-awaited pregnancy made Jessica happy. Therefore, at work, when she communicates with drug addicts, she constantly emphasizes that it is very difficult to fight on your own. Therefore, in her opinion, it is imperative to turn to your loved ones and not hesitate to ask for help from specialists.
Where in Dallas do drug addicted women get help?
For many former drug addicts, special recovery centers or shelters have become a lifeline. Since these facilities provide free medical and psychological assistance, it becomes much easier for women to deal with their problems. First, they are offered to undergo a detoxification process under the supervision of doctors, which safely removes drugs from the body. Then women begin an even more difficult stage of recovery, psychotherapy. During it, the reasons for each woman’s addiction are analyzed, and she is set up for a “sober” life.
The following Dallas centers do not stand aside from women’s misery and addiction:
- Burning Tree Programs. The facility’s programs include inpatient treatment, family programs, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and relapse prevention.
- Homeward Bound. The facility’s programs include medical detoxification, inpatient services, and residential units for people with mental health and substance abuse problems.
- Lighthouse Recovery. Programs provided: Partial Hospitalization (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), Quiet Living Homes and Treatment for Women in Texas.
- The Magdalen House. All programs of the institution are designed exclusively to help women.