Alcoholism Treatment for Mothers

Drinking is a coping mechanism for many women, especially mothers with children young enough to still live at home. Alcohol consumption has become normalized.  Often times, women see having a glass of red wine as a way to unwind but, more and more women are having more than “just one glass.” The dangers of eating trans fats, smoking, and other such “comforts” are well-known but, we rarely acknowledge the dangers of our favorite drug – alcohol. Unlike men, who tend to abuse alcohol in social settings, women, especially mothers, drink at home alone and self-medicate their anxiety and depression

with wine and other alcohol. This is why access to alcoholism treatment for mothers is important.

Women and Alcohol: Statistics and Trends

There is a growing need for alcoholism treatment for mothers. Recent research shows the rising number of women who abuse alcohol.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIHAAA) division of treatment and recovery research says that the latest surveys show that more than 5% of women in the United States have alcohol use disorders.  An analysis of national surveys shows that 47% of white women were regular drinkers in 2002, up from 37% a decade earlier. Among black women, the rate rose from 21% to 30%; among Hispanic women, from 24% to 32%.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10% of women between 45 and 64 say they binge drink; and so do 3% of those over 65.

Drunk driving arrests are on the rise among women as are emergency room visits for alcohol-related accidents, according to traffic surveys. Research looking at the rising number of women who abuse alcohol theorizes the factors behind this growing trend.

Women feel a “sense of entitlement that we can do everything a man can do,” and the sociological revolution that tells women that they have to be perfect in every role, including being perfectly thin, being perfect parents and being perfect at work.

The Goal of Alcohol Treatment for Mothers

Alcoholism treatment for mothers is for women who have been addicted to alcohol in the past or are at a high risk for relapse due to poor coping skills and the many stressors that come with motherhood. Alcohol treatment for mothers provides an intensive program for children ages infant to twelve years old along with a program for their alcoholic mothers to help them develop parenting skills.

Alcohol Treatment for Mothers: A New Development

There is a nationally recognized program of alcoholism treatment for mothers called the Family Rehabilitation Program (FRP). Drug rehabs such as alcohol treatment for mothers, like FRP, give alcohol-dependent mothers treatment while their kids stay with them, instead of going into foster care. A 1999 study by the National Drug Rehabilitation Institute found that programs for alcoholism treatment for mothers had higher success rates than traditional treatment and that few children – less than 5% at one typical agency – ended up in foster care. This combination of treatment and nurturing makes FRPs surprisingly successful at keeping moms off drugs like alcohol as well as keeping kids out of foster care.

Some centers for alcoholism treatment for mothers specialize specifically in mothers of young children. These facilities allow children to come for supervised visits or even allow children to live at the facility with their mothers. This approach to treatment allows the mother and child to work on their relationship while the mother also works on her sobriety. Alcohol treatment for mothers also usually offers special programs and therapy for the children, because their mother’s addiction has affected them tremendously. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol and is looking for alcoholism treatment for mothers, please call toll-free 1-888-672-4435.