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    International day against drug abuse: Women addicts more vulnerable than men

    Synopsis

    As a handful of facilities are exclusively for women, they feel reluctant to seek services at the male-centric treatment centres.

    TNN
    (This story originally appeared in on Jun 26, 2016)
    CHENNAI: Homemaker Savithri (name changed) began taking sleeping pills as she had difficulty falling asleep. Before she knew it, she was hooked, secretly procuring the pills from various medical shops. Though her family suspected something was wrong they took her to a psychiatrist years later when her mood swings disrupted their daily life. She was then referred to a de-addiction centre.

    "It is still a taboo to bring in women," says Dr N Rangarajan of Psymed Hospital, adding that they get more women who are addicted to alcohol. "Most of them are closet drinkers. And when families discover it, they try to handle it at home. There is a notion that family honour depends on women being 'good'." Other substances that women are addicted to include sedatives, painkillers, and sleeping pills.

    While there is a stigma attached to men addicted to alcohol or drugs, it is doubly so for a women. Very often they hesitate to seek help, and when they do, few families are supportive enough to bring them to de-addiction centres. The high numbers of men in these centres also serve as a deterrent, which is why doctors and counsellors are now pushing for women-only facilities.

    In facilities like Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) and Voluntary Health Services, counsellors say women seek help only when they are pushed to the edge. "The stigma associated with addiction among women often means that they come to us when it is too late. They come with depression or other psychiatric disorders which turn out to be a result of alcohol abuse," says Dr R Thara of SCARF.

    In the more than 20-bed de-addiction facility at VHS, for instance, only a couple of women patients have been admitted in the past six months, says psychologist B Mala, incharge of the deaddiction department. At TTK Hospital, counsellor G S Rajeswari says since they admit only two or three women at a time, they don't have special facilities for women."But we do have family wards, and special rooms," she adds.

    In 2015, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office South Asia (UNODC ROSA) commissioned a study of women drug users in the eight north-eastern states."Women drug users are a hidden population as they are doubly stigmatised, marginalised and victimised," says Dr M Suresh Kumar, principal investigator and author of the study , who has been working in the field of substance use and mental health for 30 years.

    There is also no information available on the extent, patterns of drug use and needs of women drug users. "To plan services, it is important to know the profiles, problems, and perceptions of users," says Dr Kumar. The findings are applicable to other women drug users in the country , he adds.

    As a handful of facilities are exclusively for women, they feel reluctant to seek services at the male-centric treatment centres.The UNODC findings stressed on the need for women-friendly drug dependence treatment centres as most of the facilities have a majority of male patients, which make the women feel vulnerable.

    "When men find out that we take drugs, they take advantage and force us to have sex...we feel totally helpless," said a Manipuri woman who was part of the UNODC study , which is echoed by other users across the country. "Since women, especially in the withdrawal stage, are more vulnerable to sexual abuse, special facilities would help, says Dr Rangarajan.

    Also, group therapy is essential to battle addiction and prevent relapse after the initial medical treatment but few women participate in these sessions as it is difficult to share their story in a male-dominated group. "The needs of women are different and they are not addressed in many places. The needs include sexual, interpersonal issues, violence, abuse and child care," says Dr Kumar.

    Also read: People who boast about their drink are prone to alcohol addiction

    Also read: Now, a vaccine against opioid drug abuse




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