Addiction is a disease that affects people of all ethnicities, walks of life and gender identities, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s experiences with substance abuse and recovery are identical. Gender-specific treatment programs have some distinct benefits in the healing process, since they are responsive to the unique needs of each group in recovery and provide a nurturing, distraction-free environment that allows a more complete focus on getting better.

Advantages of Gender-Specific Treatment for Men

Men are more likely to use illicit drugs than women, and they also abuse substances for different reasons, which is why men’s needs and goals in addiction recovery will vary from women’s. What’s the value of a separate recovery environment for men?

• A judgment-free setting: It can be daunting to enter treatment, especially if isolation was a chief characteristic of your addiction. In a men’s-only setting, you can bond with fellow clients, developing a sense of camaraderie and fellowship. You’ll be more likely to benefit from group therapy when you feel comfortable about speaking up and discussing your feelings. You will be able to relax, be yourself and talk honestly about your past without worrying that others will think less of you.   
• Freedom to express yourself: Men often feel societal pressures to bottle up their emotions. A men-only environment removes this expectation, allowing you to work on doing what you need to do to pursue your new, sober lifestyle.
• Fewer distractions: In a mixed-gender environment, the temptation to start a new relationship might seem appealing. However, experts recommend avoiding dating in early recovery. Keeping men and women separate in treatment virtually eliminates the issue of clients developing attractions to each other instead of concentrating on the reason they enrolled in rehab, which is to regain their mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
• Sole focus on men’s issues: Men and women will both have gender-related issues to work through during treatment. A group exclusively for men will not get hung up on women-specific issues in therapy, but will instead be able to spend time on the reasons men become addicted, and the cultural expectations facing them as sons and brothers.
• Discover shared experiences: In a male-only treatment program, you’ll be able to meet people who have been through similar challenges and life experiences, even if you come from vastly different backgrounds. The relationships you make in recovery can stay with you for the rest of your life.

Starting Your Recovery at Spearhead Lodge

Spearhead Lodge provides long-term, evidence-based, 12-step therapy in a men’s-only setting in the heart of cosmopolitan Austin, Texas. With our unique focus on dual-diagnosis treatment, honing life skills and having fun in recovery, clients can learn how to lead happy, healthy lives without drugs and alcohol. If you’d like to learn more about our 90-day recovery program, we invite you to contact us today. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.