SPECIFIC PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN
A gender perspective in addressing addictions
The Women and Addiction programme arises from the historical need to give women a voice and a space in the field of drug dependence and from the sustained increase in requests for treatment in recent years. In our organisation, women receiving care account for 25%, with a significant recent increase. This situation, together with the awareness-raising work we carry out at FSC on women’s substance use, has led us to incorporate a gender perspective, given that many addiction treatments were traditionally designed with men in mind.
Our proposal aims to address addiction from a female perspective, recognising different profiles and contexts: stigma and social discrimination towards women who use drugs, difficulty in sharing intimate matters in mixed groups, the burden of motherhood and family ties, and possible experiences of violence. These particular circumstances often make it harder for women to feel reflected or understood in predominantly male groups, encouraging silence or dropping out of treatment.
What do we offer?
Personalised individual psychotherapy. We create a climate of trust in which to assess the pattern of use (use, misuse or addiction), broaden awareness and activate motivation for change.
Psychotherapy group with a gender approach. A space to share experiences and reflect on addiction from the specific vulnerabilities of being a woman, with the following objectives:
Break stereotypes and be able to talk about loneliness and the lack of understanding from those around them.
Work on self-esteem and on the unmet needs arising from conflicting roles (motherhood, work-life balance).
Address silenced violence (psychological and physical abuse, sexual abuse) in the family of origin, the couple or the family created.
Make visible everyday micro-aggressions linked to discrimination and stigmatisation.
Analyse substance use as an additional vulnerability factor.
Strengthen the therapeutic climate that fosters awareness and motivation towards change.
Psychiatric care. Guidance and pharmacological assessment where necessary.
Espai Ariadna. The possibility of access to a residential resource that offers comprehensive care to women on their own or with children, to address simultaneously situations of gender-based violence and drug dependence in a safe environment.