The debate between whether gender-specific treatment programs or co-ed treatment programs are the right way to go is one debate that doesn’t have a clear winner. Simply put, because addiction is such a personal and complex mental illness, different people fare better depending on their particular circumstances. Although there may not be a specific right or wrong here, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of both gender-specific and co-ed treatment programs to find out which one is right for our own personal needs. There are many benefits of rehab facilities in Santa Monica– and reaping those benefits starts with choosing the right facility.
What are the benefits of rehab facilities in Santa Monica?
Rehab facilities like Thrive Treatment℠ of Santa Monica, California, take pride in providing personalized treatment options for every person that walks through our doors. As an outpatient treatment facility, many of our treatment options are ideal for students or employees who want to stay on track for graduation or have to financially support their families. We provide holistic recovery options that help treat the underlying causes of addiction, and we provide those options in a way that allow our clients to continue with their lives in the process.
Some of the benefits that rehab facilities here in Santa Monica provide include things like individual and group therapy, alcohol and drug education, 12-step work, relapse prevention, life and re-socialization skills, and referrals to sober living homes. We wholeheartedly believe that addiction can be defeated, and we devote all of the time and resources we need to in order to help our clients take the right steps towards recovery. At Thrive Treatment℠, our goal is to teach our clients how to uphold the nuts and bolts of life like accountability, values, life skills, boundaries, trust and responsibility and learn how to manage both sobriety and the anxiety that can come along with living life sober. Santa Monica’s rehab facilities don’t just help men and women recover from addiction and mental illness– they help men and women become stronger, more confident, and more independent than they’ve ever been before.
Does it matter what type of treatment facility I choose?
It certainly matters what type of treatment facility we choose, because while the goal of all facilities is to help us conquer addiction, the way they go about that can be very different. For those of us that are looking for focus and limited distractions, for instance, a gender-specific treatment facility might be the way to go, if we think the opposite sex will distract us. Alternatively, if we’re looking for a way to get sober in an environment indicative of Santa Monica and pretty much everywhere else, it may make more sense for us to choose a co-ed facility. The choice is up to us, but whichever choice we make will certainly play a large role in our recovery process.
What’s the argument between different facility types?
Proponents of the gender-specific mode of treatment indicate that men and women have different needs in treatment. If we take a concept like a dual-diagnosis treatment program, for instance, we can see where men and women might need different medications to take for specific illnesses, different ways to cope, and different resources to feel comfortable. The argument here is that the co-ed treatment program doesn’t have the capacity to adequately address many underlying issues of addiction that both genders don’t share. For instance, according to one report, “74% of addicted women have been victims of sexual abuse, 52% have been victims of physical abuse, and 72% have been victims of emotional abuse.” Unless the numbers are the exact same for men, proponents of gender-specific treatment indicate that there’s no way treatment can do both genders justice simultaneously.
On the other side of the spectrum, proponents of co-ed treatment indicate that being in the same environment with the opposite sex is just what individuals need in order to learn how to interact with their peers in a “healthy, modernized way.” Additionally, proponents say that sharing the same space also helps breed a mutual respect between the two genders, and that by realizing that they share many of the same issues and maladies, both genders are able to form bonds with each other that may not have been formed otherwise. Addiction is not gender-specific, and neither is life, they argue– so it’s fitting that treatment shouldn’t be either. Finally, in the case for a concept like dual-diagnosis treatment, those that support the co-ed treatment process indicate that while medicines and dosages may differ according to gender, treatment methodologies can be adapted to work for just about anyone, regardless of whether they’re male or female.
Whether choosing a gender-specific or a co-ed treatment facility, what’s most important is finding a facility that is able to cater to our specific needs. After all, no matter the debate between dual diagnosis treatment plans or best socialization techniques, at the end of the day, what’s most important is conquering addiction for good.
Thrive Treatment℠ is an outpatient treatment facility located in Santa Monica, California. We help our clients defeat addiction by helping them uncover its underlying causes and learn sustainable methods to get rid of them. Through a series of modalities like art therapy, yoga, meditation, and group outings, our clients learn to conquer the self defeating behaviors that keep them down, and build the confidence and independence they need to become pillars of their communities. Call us at (888) 975-8474 to get started today.
