Treatment for drug addiction comes in many different forms but one of the most basic choices to make after you’ve decided to seek help is whether you opt for a gender-specific or coed drug rehab – mix-gendered in other words.
Because addiction is such an intimately personal experience, there’s no catchall answer or silver bullet. It’s really about weighing what would work best for you.
The silver lining though is that there are so many options available to you that you’re sure to find the right rehab after a bit of research.
What Is a Coed Drug Rehab?
A coed drug treatment center is a place that treats addiction in both men and women.
The hallmark of most rehabs is talk therapy, where you work with an addiction specialist individual and in group settings. With coed rehab, those group sessions would have men and women and for the individual counseling, you may be paired with a therapist of the opposite sex.
In the case of gender-specific men’s or women’s programs, you’d only have touchpoints with those of your gender.
Broad and substantive research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that “a large proportion of men and women do well in mixed-gender treatment settings, and for these people, such settings will likely be more cost-effective than providing gender-specific treatment. However, some individuals or subgroups (female and male) may benefit in important ways from gender-specific treatment. Adequate assessment and appropriate treatment—whether in gender-sensitive mixed-gender programs or gender-specific programs—are critical to improving clinical outcomes for many people who currently are not well served”.
To put it differently, doing the proper soul-searching and deciding what’s best for yourself will ultimately yield the best outcomes.
Pros of Going to Coed Drug Rehab
Why might you choose a coed option?
Mirrors the real world
It goes without saying that once you leave rehab you’ll have to interact with men and women. That’s just how society is and doing it in rehab allows you to prepare for that.
Build connections
Having healthy relationships with the opposite sex is important for day-to-day life. If that’s been a challenge for you, coed rehab could be beneficial in developing that.
Heal relationships
This goes hand in hand with the previous two. As an addict, you may have developed toxic behaviors and attitudes toward either men or women. Coed rehab allows you the opportunity to examine those and right those wrongs so to speak
Diversity
With both sexes bringing their unique life experiences you’ll get not only a diversity of people but, more importantly, diversity of thought. You’ll be able to see things from a wildly different perspective than your own which very well might be needed for some.
Cons of Going to a Coed Drug Rehab
The pros seem solid, what’s the potential downside?
Distractions
Rehab demands your undivided attention. At a mixed gendered rehab just being around men or women could distract you from the task at hand. Worse yet, there’s a possibility of developing a romantic relationship with someone in treatment which is very much discouraged due to the potential for relapse should it not work out, among other reasons.
Uncomfortable sharing
Being open is another critical part of rehab and having both genders participating in the program may create an environment where you don’t feel safe or comfortable sharing for fear of judgment, stigma, etc.
Trauma may involve the opposite sex
If the source of your addiction was a traumatic experience with a man or woman and the subsequent PTSD, it may be excruciatingly difficult for you to get the benefits of rehab in the presence of that sex.
If you’re wondering which is right for you, reach out to us at Multi Concept Recovery and we can talk you through our coed drug rehab program as well as help you find the best fit for you.
