Unique characteristics of women battling addiction: multiple challenges for today's working woman.

In Glamour Magazine's 2003 article "Do I Look like A Drug Addict to You?," Mark Boal takes a shocking look at women who make up the 1.3 million Americans abusing methamphetamines. The specific accounts of two women, Amy Hart and Lisa Smith (both of their names were changed), illustrate the enormous--and often overlooked--impact that drug abuse has on the working woman. Hart, a recovering meth addict, used drugs in an attempt to capitalize on her flourishing career. Working as an account executive for a San Francisco based dot-com company, Hart was earning $80,000 a year while secretly abusing meth. Lisa Smith used methamphetamines to secure two jobs in New York City, one as a daytime marketing consultant and one as a deejay. Patricia Morgan, Ph.D., a sociologist in Berkeley, California who studied 450 meth users, supports the notion that "women who use it say they want to keep working--they feel like they're being productive."

Women who suffer from chemical dependency possess unique characteristics, some of which result from their roles as business professionals. Research from Drug Impaired Professionals (1997) has shown that drinking increases among women working in male-dominated occupations. Women also deal with issues such as resentment by male co-workers, envy, and isolation, often struggling with mixed attitudes regarding women who acquire or maintain power in the workplace. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that women become addicted more quickly and develop substance abuse-related diseases sooner than men (1998). These diseases include alcohol-related liver damage, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, anemia, malnutrition, and colorectal cancer. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) in New York also reports that women tend to abuse prescription drugs more than men, comprising 60 percent of all prescription drug-related emergency room visits (1993/1994).

Having a psychiatric disorder also increases one's risk for chemical dependency. Clinical depression affects nearly twice as many women as men, and women often experience the onset of depression when attempting to balance the responsibilities of work and family. The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that depression may occur at any time in a woman's life, with many circumstances--including substance abuse--increasing the likelihood of depressive episodes; plus, depression affects women from all educational, economic, racial, and ethnic groups (2003). Research also suggest that women may be more likely than men to experience depression in response to stressful events, which can occur in employed women who are battling substance abuse.

Women also experience substance abuse-related problems when addiction plagues a member of their family. There is a distinct correlation that exists between substance abuse and domestic violence: "Fifty percent of batterers are believed to have had addiction problems" (Faller, 1998). Substance abuse and resulting occurrences of domestic violence do not only remain as household issues. In a 1997 national survey by EDK Associates, 37% of women who experienced domestic violence reported that this abuse had an impact on their work performance in the form of tardiness and absenteeism. Additionally, 78% of human resources professionals polled by Personnel Journal said that domestic violence is a workplace issue (1995). Victims of domestic violence can also turn to substance abuse in order to escape the pain of physical and emotional abuse, and avoid directly confronting issues of domestic violence.

Youth substance abuse extends beyond the limits of the home and also affects the workplace. In a survey conducted at the Society for Human Resource Management 1999 Leadership Conference, 99 percent of human resource professionals said that employees who have children with substance abuse problems are more likely to suffer from decreased morale and productivity at work. Alcohol and drug use among youth is staggering and plagues countless families. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported in 2002 that over half (54 percent) of youth have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school. Alcohol use among teenagers is even more likely; four out of every five students (80 percent) have consumed alcohol by the end of high school, with about half (51 percent) of them doing so by 8th grade (NIDA, 2002). Other serious problems among adolescents are often connected to substance abuse, which can include mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety), poor academic performance, other health-related complications, and serious legal problems.

While prevention is the best cure, it is important to realize that treatment is available and effective for substance abuse. Treatment programs also cater to those issues related to substance abuse, such as domestic violence and other significant stressors. People often wait too long to address substance abuse issues, but it is never too late to make changes in one's life and lifestyle. The first step is to talk about the problem and make concrete plans to change. These lifestyle changes require the support of family, friends, and treatment professionals. These changes are not easy, but the consequences of doing nothing can result in the loss of one's family, the loss of one's job, and if left untreated, even the loss of one's life.

For further information or a free assessment, please contact Ken Bachrach Ph.D., Clinical Director for Tarzana Treatment Centers. His e-mail address is [e-mail]. If you would like to discuss the contents of this article in further detail, of learn about the ways in which Tarzana Treatment Centers can assist you, please call our Customer Service Department at [phone] or visit www.tarzanatc.org.