Home • About Us • Programs • News & Events • Help Us • Drug Free Workplace • Addiction Quiz Links • Contact Us
Women's Recovery Center:The Name Change
In visiting the Women’s Recovery Center formally known as the Women’s Center of Greater Cleveland, as the Women’s Recovery Center is celebrating 25 years of providing gender specific alcohol and drug treatment services, it was necessary to have the name of the organization match our mission.
For many years the Founders of the Women’s Recovery Center wanted to protect the anonymity of women that were seeking alcohol and other drug treatment. In recognizing the shame and seclusion that women experience with their addiction, it became apparent that the organizational name contributed to the secretive nature and shameful aspects of the disease.
Physical
Since the 1950’s, the American Medical Association has viewed addiction as a chronic disease in which your body becomes dependent on alcohol and other drugs. With the higher proportion of fat cells, women metabolize alcohol and other drugs differently and the physiological impact of addiction is much more significantly impacting women’s health. It is estimated according to the National Institute of Drug Addiction that more than 6.5 million American women are in need of treatment services. According to the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County more than 18,000 are in need of treatment services in this County.
Each year 200,000 women die from complications of addiction that is four times the number of deaths from breast cancer
Why?
More than 90% of the women that are engaged in alcohol and other drug treatment services reveal a history of traumatizing events including victim of childhood molestation, witnessing violence, experiencing a sexual assault, etc. Often women are having difficulty dealing with those memories. Perhaps they are hypersensitive to loud noises, or having those memories invading daytime tasks or repeated nightmares. Alcohol and other drug use is a way to self-medicate in order to feel normal and to be able to take of the children and to work. The addiction begins spiral as it requires more and more in order to feel normal and capable. Often, however, women are suffering in silence not admitting the pain or the increasing addiction to anyone out of a sense of shame. If you or a loved one may be experiencing some issues with addition, there is a quiz that may be of assistance to you.
Treatment
Treatment is available and recovery is possible. At the Women’s Recovery Center, treatment services are viewed as individual needs. The treatment is available with morning, afternoon and evening hours. The treatment curriculum provides education, group and individual therapy and case management. Within the last year, art therapy has been incorporated to encourage clients to express themselves using different mediums.
The Women’s Recovery Center provides treatment services for all women regardless of their ability to pay for those services based on a sliding fee scale to zero.
Culture
Just as women experience shame and secrecy with their addiction, the media and public reinforce these attitudes. As we witnessed Amy Winehouse’s public struggle with her addiction and multiple attempts at rehabilitation, she was ridiculed in the press. On the other hand, Charlie Sheen’s very public spiraling addiction, arrests for domestic violence and vandalism and firing from a top rated CBS television show. The result for Charlie Sheen included a national tour.
Thank you to our corporate sponsors for their support and visibility through the weekend sports festival. The corporate sponsors of run,jane,run included:
Major
Contributors include:
The Abington Foundation • Alcoa
Foundation • Alcohol
and Drug Addiction Services Board of Cuyahoga County • American
Greetings • Cleveland
AIDS Walk • Cleveland
Browns Foundation • The
Cleveland Foundation • Cleveland
Indians Charities • Community West Foundation • The Gerson-Margolis Foundation •
The Doll Family Foundation • The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation • The
Thomas White Foundation • Ronald
McDonald House Charities • Stocker
Foundation • The
Benjamin S. Gerson Family Foundation • The
Woodruff Foundation • Medicaid • Greater
Cleveland Community Shares • The
George Gund Foundation • Key Foundation • McDonald Investments,
Inc. • National
Council of Jewish Women - Ohio
Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services • Ridgecliff Foundation • United
Methodist Church • East Ohio Conference • The
Plain Dealer • Radio
Shack Corporation • Community Businesses, Individual and Anonymous
Donors
