The Handbook of Addiction Treatment for Women

Until recently, the therapeutic community has paid little attention to the special needs of women who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or other self-destructive behaviors. Current research reveals that women exhibit addictive behavior and addictive thinking for reasons that often are very different from those of men, and they respond more favorably to clinical treatments that are tailored specifically to meet their individual needs. In The Handbook of Addiction Treatment for Women, editors Shulamith Lala Ashenberg Straussner and Stephanie Brown, and more than thirty leading researchers, clinicians, and teachers examine the complex topic of women and addiction. This comprehensive resource offers an overview of the history of women and addiction, explores the unique challenges the female addict poses, and provides specific guidelines for diagnosing and treating an individual female addict. The contributors to this volume analyze the underlying psychological issues, traumas, and abuse that contribute to addictive behavior and examine the repercussions women experience when they become addicted or cross addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, relationships, shopping, gambling, smoking, or spending. This important handbook considers the complex factors that can influence a woman's behavior, including age, race, culture, and psychological issues, and the authors explore how individual women experience addiction differently. For example, this book addresses such questions as: How is a teenager's addiction different from that of a middle-aged woman? What issues are specific to the Asian, Latina, or Black female addicts? How does addiction affect women who are lesbian, homeless, incarcerated, or dually diagnosed? Based on many years of combined experience in the field, the authors recommend a wide-array of treatment modalities and provide guidelines to help clinicians evaluate which approaches or interventions are most appropriate for the individual woman. In addition, the book examines the plight of nonaddicted women involved in relationships with addicts. This hands-on guide is an invaluable resource for clinicians working with female addicts in their struggle to recover and reclaim their lives.