Women's Experiences with Relapse

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine relapse factors among women in recovery from substance abuse. Many previous substance abuse studies have excluded women from the research. The recent opioid epidemic has increased the number of drug-overdose related deaths and women comprise almost half of the approximately 72,000 people who perished in 2018. Recent studies show women face obstacles that men do not. Biological, neurological, and cultural forces direct the path of addiction women take. Motivation behind an individual’s drug use is unique to the person. However, there are noted commonalities in the reasons people relapse back into substance abuse. To better understand substance use and abuse, an anonymous online survey asked questions concerning former drug use, recovery, and subsequent relapse. Participant answers were analyzed for repeated themes. Future treatment programs could benefit from the data obtained from survey participants.