Featured Articles
- Dealing with Acute and Chronic Pain While on Methadone
- Downward Trend in Teen Marijuana Use Slows; Prescription Drug Abuse Remains High
- Females Typically Have Different Motivations For Drug Use
- Ecstasy Gets Into the Brain Very Easily
- Harsh Truths About Cocaine
- Suicide Tied to Alcohol Intake
- Rapid Detox - Rapid Opiate Detox - What is it?
- Marijuana's Memory Effects Tied to Misfiring Brain Cells
- Older Men More Likely to Seek Treatment for Alcohol
- What are the medical consequences of drug addiction?
- Study Shows Most Treatment Effective Against Alcoholism
- Neuroimaging Identifies Brain Regions Possibly Involved in Alcohol Craving
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) Affects up to 16 Million Americans
- PTSD Can Lead to a More Severe Course and Worse Outcomes When Coupled With Substance Abuse
- Substance Use Associated with Low Response to Depression Treatment Among Teens
- What Effects Do Anabolic Steroids Have On Behavior?
Females Typically Have Different Motivations For Drug Use
Drug abuse studies reveal that, while boys often experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and drugs because they are looking for thrills or heightened social status, girls are typically motivated by a desire to reduce stress or alleviate depression. It also seems that substance abuse is more prevalent for girls who reached puberty early, experienced eating disorders (e.g., anorexia, bulimia, bingeing and purging), or if they were ever physically or sexually abused.
The likelihood of using cigarettes, alcohol or drugs also increases for girls during times of disruptive transition, for example, moving to a new community, or advancing from middle school to high school or from high school to college.
Additionally, studies are more and more inclined to support the idea of separate treatment centers for women, now found in such facilities as the Betty Ford Center, since female substance abusers who were victims of physical abuse may not respond well to a group with men.
