Many addiction treatment centers offer coed rehab programs where they accept both male and female patients. It can be a beneficial approach to treatment since it provides real-world interactions and opens people of different genders up to hearing each other’s experiences.
That said, some people may worry that coed rehab could be distracting or may not provide an approach that’s tailored enough to gender-specific needs. What are the benefits of coed rehab, and what should you consider before opting for a mixed-gender rehab program? Keep reading as we discuss all the details.
What Is Coed Rehab?
Coed rehab is an addiction treatment program that includes both men and women. These programs are available in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Treatment centers offering coed rehab aim to provide guidelines that create a supportive and therapeutic environment that minimizes distractions and keeps everyone safe.
What to Expect in a Coed Rehab Program
Some of the standard features of these programs are:
- Group therapy sessions with mixed genders: Many rehab programs include group therapy or support groups to build community and learn from other members. In coed rehab, both men and women may attend these sessions and contribute, which provides a well-rounded view of different experiences.
- Shared but supervised living environments: Both men and women can live at the facility during inpatient rehab programs. Treatment centers provide consistent supervision and support to ensure safety and adherence to the program.
- One-on-one counseling: Individual counseling sessions help tailor treatment to each patient’s needs and provide a safe space to talk and discuss experiences without anyone else around.
Benefits of Coed Rehab Programs
Some of the common benefits of coed rehab programs are:
Real-World Social Interactions
Many real-world settings have men and women interacting with each other, such as work, school, or networking events. Therefore, interacting with people of different genders in a treatment setting can make transitioning back into everyday environments easier after completing the program.
Diverse Perspectives
Interacting with people of different genders and backgrounds during addiction treatment provides several perspectives to learn from. It can help group members see how others manage similar problems and develop helpful coping mechanisms they wouldn’t have thought of.
Family-Style Support Environment
Many studies describe group therapy as a family-style support system that mimics real-life situations and fosters emotional growth. Over time, group members become more connected, building a sense of community.
During a study in 2019, researchers interviewed 18 participants (both men and women) who struggled with substance use disorder and had been sober for at least 5 years. A common theme the participants echoed was the importance of social relationships in recovery. Positive connections build a sense of accountability and improve well-being, whether it’s an actual family member or someone in a support group.
Shared Experiences
Treatment programs that involve men and women provide shared experiences. It can help to see that people of the opposite gender are experiencing some of the same problems and how they’re working to recover. That way, you don’t feel like you’re going through it alone or the only one feeling the way you do.
Are Coed Rehab Programs Effective?
Coed rehab programs can work. Research suggests that a large portion of men and women do well during addiction recovery in a mixed-gender setting. It’s beneficial that it can make addiction rehab more cost-effective and more accessible to everyone.
That said, it’s important to note that some individuals may benefit from gender-specific rehab, so treatment teams should perform adequate assessments before recommending rehab options.
Addiction and personal experiences can impact everyone differently, so there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. Looking for treatment centers that provide personalized options is important in both coed and gender-specific settings.
Challenges of Coed Rehab?
Coed rehab has pros and cons, so it’s essential to consider both before deciding on the correct treatment route for your needs. Some of the common challenges include:
Distractions or Romantic Relationships
Heterosexual men and women attending coed treatment may worry about distractions or forming romantic relationships that could interfere with recovery. It’s a turbulent and emotional time during someone’s life, so dating someone new during the early stages of recovery isn’t always easy.
Fortunately, many coed treatment centers counteract this by having a policy against finding a romantic partner at the treatment center. If this is a concern, looking at each treatment center’s policies and procedures can help ease your mind before entering a coed program.
Different Emotional Processing Styles
Studies show that men and women can have different emotional processing styles that affect how they internalize negative emotions like sadness and anger. Therefore, it could pose a challenge during activities like group therapy in addiction treatment, where some individuals don’t respond as well to specific activities or discussion techniques.
Treatment centers can counteract this by providing individual elements like one-on-one therapy during coed rehab and tailoring the approach to each person’s needs. Therefore, if one approach isn’t working, your treatment team can work with you to provide alternative outlets and activities that provide better results.
Gender-Related Trauma
Individuals who experienced trauma or abuse from the opposite gender may feel more comfortable receiving gender-specific treatment. It can help to start with gender-specific care in these instances and work with therapists to learn how to cope and manage negative emotions associated with traumatic events.
As improvements are made, you could work with your therapist to transition back into everyday life and learn how to interact with the opposite gender in ways you feel comfortable.
Coed Rehab vs. Gender-Specific Rehab
After learning about the differences between coed and gender-specific rehab, you may still wonder how to tell which one is best for you.
Overall, the effectiveness depends on individual needs.
In certain situations where someone experienced trauma from the opposite gender or feels more comfortable in a gender-specific environment, opting for gender-specific treatment may be a better choice. Working with each patient to determine their needs and comfort level with treatment options is essential to get them the best results.
On the other hand, many people do well in coed treatment and benefit from its diverse connections. If you feel comfortable with this treatment style, it’s a good and effective option. Coed treatment can also be more accessible and affordable, lowering the barriers to entry.
Conclusion
Both coed and gender-specific treatment can be effective, and the right choice ultimately depends on individual needs. It’s important to remember that recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, so looking for treatment centers that provide tailored solutions based on individual needs can be a great place to start.
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, we can help at Genesis House. We provide both inpatient and outpatient treatment with a tailored approach to meet your needs. When you connect with us, we’ll provide personalized guidance to ensure you find the right treatment program.
References
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. “Groups and Substance Abuse Treatment.” Nih.gov, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US), 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64223/
- Pettersen, Henning, et al. “How Social Relationships Influence Substance Use Disorder Recovery: A Collaborative Narrative Study.” Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, vol. 13, no. 1-8, 2019, doi:10.1177/1178221819833379. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6410387/
- Green, Carla A. “Gender and Use of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.” Alcohol Research & Health, vol. 29, no. 1, 2024, p. 55, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6470905/
- Chaplin, Tara M. “Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective.” Emotion Review, vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 14–21, doi:10.1177/1754073914544408. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4469291/
