Abuse and addiction - problems that often go hand-in-hand
New York, NY March 22, 2004 (HealthNewsDigest.com)...Nearly a quarter of a million women are victims of sexual abuse in the United States each year, estimates suggest that between two and four million women are physically abused annually and emotional abuse occurs so often people may not even recognize it as abuse. So, chances are that each of us knows a woman who has been the victim of abuse severe enough that it affects her emotional health on a daily basis. Traumatic events like these often lead to low self esteem, distrust, emotional problems and very often, to substance abuse.
There is a strong link between addiction to chemical substances and a history of abuse. Nearly 80 percent of female addicts report having suffered from physical and/or sexual abuse as children, 28 percent of women with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an alcohol disorder and 27 percent of female PTSD sufferers have a drug disorder. Although the link between substance abuse and trauma is so strong, most women may seek treatment for the addiction but do not address the emotional issues surrounding the trauma, which can lead to relapse.
To provide and develop specific treatments for women who have experienced trauma or abuse, many but not all of whom also suffer with addictions, the psychiatry department at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital created the Women’s Health Project Treatment and Research Center (WHP). The program, staffed by dedicated psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and specially trained clinicians, provides a supportive, multi-modal outpatient treatment environment.
Recognizing that people respond to therapy in different ways, WHP offers individual psychotherapy and also group therapy programs, which are designed to meet the unique diagnostic needs of the women in the program. Specific groups focus on issues such as: posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use, relapse prevention, parenting, anger management, dialectical behavior therapy skills training, case management, dreams and safe sleep, using
writing as a way to heal, and other special needs. WHP also provides psychopharmacological consultation and management. Treatment plans and length of treatment vary based on client needs.
Since St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center is part of the Continuum Health Partners hospital system, clinicians at WHP are able to offer women in the program a range of additional healthcare services, including general medical care, comprehensive HIV/AIDS care, and more intensive substance use treatment, as needed. WHP accepts most forms of insurance and has a sliding fee scale for self-pay clients.
For more information on the Women’s Health Project (located in St. Luke’s Hospital at 411 West 114th Street, Suite 3B) or to register for a program, please call Ann Goelitz, CSW at 212-523-7693.