Young Female Drug Addicts in Treatment: A Twelve Year Perspective

Abstract

A facility for treatment of young drug addicts in a hospital environment and the patients applying for detoxification and care over twelve years is the starting point of a series of observations concerning the characteristics of the female drug addicts and their career. These characteristics were found to be different from the male addicts in the hospital. Their short introductory period, their tendency to support a criminal addict by their habit and the high frequency of mental and physical illness characterizes the female drug addicts. Women drug addicts enter treatment earlier than men and have longer periods of abstinence in connection with treatment or childbearing. The women seem, however prone to relapses and need family and therapeutic support for considerable periods after the initial treatment period.