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TO NATIONAL EDITORS:
New Survey From Caron Treatment Centers Finds More Than 50% Of Women
Sought Treatment For Prescription Drugs And Heroin
WERNERSVILLE, Pa., March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Heroin and
prescription drug addiction are on the rise among affluent women,
reveals a new survey from Caron Treatment Centers, a leader and
nationally recognized non-profit provider of alcohol and drug
addiction treatment.
The online survey polled former female patients at Caron and Hanley
Center who were treated for addiction. The survey was conducted to
better understand what motivated the women to seek treatment.
Respondents cited alcohol and prescription drugs as the leading legal
causes for seeking treatment. The majority (70 of female respondents
who abused prescription drugs said they were initially prescribed the
medication legally for an emotional or physical ailment.
More than half (55 of the respondents who entered treatment for an
addiction to illegal drugs were abusing heroin, which experts at Caron
and Hanley confirm is a primary illegal drug of choice for female
patients. Women cited anxiety (65, depression (67%), and a critical
internal voice (69 as significant factors that contributed to their
addiction. Although a majority of the women polled were married with
children, they were most likely to abuse alcohol or drugs when they
were alone.
"Addiction impacts individuals and families from all walks of life,"
said Michelle Maloney, Executive Director of Treatment Services at
Hanley Center, a Caron Treatment Center. "Female addicts often
experience a lot of shame about using alcohol and drugs. They often
feel they are the only ones with these problems. But we want them to
know they are not alone. There are millions of women in recovery and
all women deserve to get the help they need to live a healthy and
productive life."
Caron chose to release the survey findings during Women's History
Month to recognize female leaders who paved the way for women to have
access to treatment and continue to educate the public on addiction.
Pioneers like Catherine Caron, Betty Ford and Mary Jane Hanley showed
tremendous courage and conviction to improving the lives of all women
and their families. However, there is still significant education
needed to discredit the myths and stereotypes about addicts and
empower women to seek the help they need.
Additional notable statistics from the survey include:
-- 65% of respondents were between the ages of 36-55 when they entered
treatment.
-- 61% of respondents had a household income of $100,000 or more when
they entered treatment; 52.6% have children
-- 90% of respondents used alcohol and drugs to cope with stress
-- Top three stressors were relationships with their parents, siblings
(63, romantic relationships (60%) and work (49%).
-- 74% said they kept up personal hygiene and appearance, 66% were
social with friends and family, and 61% held a job during their active
addiction; 50% cared for children and 40% volunteered for the PTA.
Leslie, a former patient at Caron who is now nearly two years sober,
recalls her experience as an addicted nurse. "In addition to alcohol
and Xanax, I did something I still find hard to believe - I started
injecting some of the drugs from work, hoping to treat the drinking,
alleviate the stress, and sleep at night. It was as if I was watching
myself do it and I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but I did it
anyway."
Leslie has since regained her nursing licenses, which she had
willingly surrendered before entering treatment. She is taking her
life one day at a time and feels thankful for her treatment at Caron
and for the love and support of her family.
The survey was conducted in January and February 2014 among 102 former
patients within the Caron Treatment Centers continuum. With the help
of individualized treatment and recovery plans for themselves and
their families, Caron Treatment Centers' alumni feel empowered,
self-sufficient, and healthy. If you are seeking help or looking to
learn more about substance abuse, please visit: http://www.caron.org.
About Caron Treatment Centers Together, Caron and Hanley Treatment
Centers comprise one of the largest and most comprehensive non-profit
addiction treatment providers in the country, focused on a 12-Step
recovery program with a powerful clinical component. The Caron
Treatment Centers network operates treatment centers in Wernersville,
PA and Dallas, TX. In South Florida, Caron operates lifesaving
addiction treatment services at Hanley Center, Caron Ocean Drive and
Caron Renaissance in Palm Beach County; and Gate Lodge in Vero Beach.
Caron also has regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Bermuda, New York
City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. For more information on Caron
please visit Caron online or follow us on Twitter @CaronTreatment.
SOURCE Caron Treatment Centers
-0- 03/05/2014
/CONTACT: Caron Treatment Centers, Karen Pasternack, 610.743.6576, kpasternack@caron.org
/Web Site: http://www.caron.org
CO: Caron Treatment Centers
ST: Pennsylvania
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SU: WOM SVY
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0000 03/05/2014 14:08:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
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