Addiction Treatment

How Addiction Develops Differently in Women

Research has established that addiction follows a different path in women than in men across several important dimensions. Women generally progress from first use to physical dependence more quickly — a pattern clinicians call telescoping. Women are more likely to have underlying trauma, anxiety, or depression driving their substance use. Hormonal factors including estrogen fluctuations can intensify cravings and increase susceptibility to certain substances. Women are also more likely to begin substance use in the context of a relationship — whether through a partner who uses, social circumstances, or substances obtained through a medical prescription.

Understanding these patterns shapes how effective treatment works. A program that does not account for trauma, for hormonal factors, or for the relational dimensions of women’s addiction is treating only part of the picture. Every aspect of Momenta’s program is designed to address the full picture — the addiction and the experiences that shaped it.

Addictions We Treat at Momenta Recovery

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol use disorder is one of the most common conditions we treat at Momenta. Women develop alcohol use disorder more quickly and at lower consumption levels than men — a difference driven by body composition, metabolism, and hormonal factors. For many women, alcohol begins as a way to manage anxiety, numb trauma, or cope with the emotional weight of daily life. Over time, what started as relief can become a dependency that is increasingly difficult to address alone.

At Momenta Recovery, alcohol use disorder is one of our primary treatment focuses, and we have developed a dedicated women’s alcohol rehab program that addresses the trauma and co-occurring conditions that frequently underlie women’s relationship with alcohol. Learn more about our Women’s Alcohol Rehab Program →

Opiate and Heroin Addiction

Opioid use disorder in women often begins differently than in men. Women are prescribed opioids for pain management at high rates — for conditions including chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and post-surgical recovery — and research indicates that women tend to escalate to higher doses more quickly due to differences in pain sensitivity and opioid metabolism. The path from prescription opioid use to physical dependence affects women across all backgrounds and demographics.

Opioid withdrawal is physically intense and medically serious. Our admissions team evaluates each woman’s situation to determine whether medical detox is needed before residential treatment. At Momenta, opioid use disorder is treated within a trauma-specific framework that addresses the pain — emotional and physical — that often underlies its development.

Benzodiazepine Addiction

Benzodiazepines — medications prescribed for anxiety, panic disorder, insomnia, and muscle tension — are prescribed to women at significantly higher rates than to men. Many women who develop benzodiazepine dependence do not initially recognize it as addiction, because the medication came from a doctor and was used as directed. Physical dependence on benzodiazepines can develop even at therapeutic doses over time.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal is one of the most medically serious withdrawal syndromes and should never be attempted abruptly or without medical guidance. If you have been using benzodiazepines regularly, our admissions team will carefully assess your situation and ensure a safe transition into treatment. We also address the anxiety, sleep disorder, or trauma that the benzodiazepines were originally prescribed to manage — because treating the dependence without addressing its roots rarely leads to lasting recovery.

Methamphetamine Addiction

Methamphetamine affects women in ways that are often specific to women’s experiences. Some women initially begin using methamphetamine for weight control or energy — a factor that becomes intertwined with body image, self-worth, and at times, disordered eating. Methamphetamine is neurotoxic, affecting dopamine and serotonin systems in ways that can produce prolonged depression, cognitive changes, and intense cravings particularly in early recovery.

Colorado has experienced significant increases in methamphetamine-related treatment needs in recent years. At Momenta, methamphetamine addiction treatment is delivered within our trauma-informed, whole-person framework, with particular attention to the co-occurring depression and anxiety that frequently accompany recovery from stimulant use.

Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine and crack cocaine create powerful stimulant effects that can rapidly lead to psychological and physical dependence. Research indicates that women experience stronger cravings and a more intense response to cocaine-related cues than men — a difference partly connected to estrogen’s influence on dopamine pathways. Cocaine use frequently co-occurs with alcohol use, and binge patterns are common. Cardiovascular risks associated with cocaine use are also more pronounced in women.

At Momenta, cocaine addiction treatment addresses the stimulant dependence alongside the emotional regulation difficulties, trauma history, and co-occurring disorders that are frequently present in women seeking help for cocaine use.

Marijuana and Cannabis Addiction

Cannabis use disorder is a recognized clinical condition, though it is often minimized compared to other substance use disorders. Women frequently use cannabis to manage anxiety, trauma symptoms, chronic pain, or sleep difficulties — and while cannabis is not physically addictive in the same way as opioids or alcohol, psychological dependence can develop and can interfere significantly with daily functioning and emotional health. High-potency THC products available today create greater dependency risk than lower-potency forms.

At Momenta, cannabis use disorder is treated with an understanding that for many women, cannabis has become a primary coping mechanism for unaddressed mental health challenges. Treatment focuses on developing healthier coping tools and addressing the underlying conditions driving the use.

Sex and Love Addiction

Sex and love addiction — sometimes described as relationship addiction or compulsive sexual behavior — involves patterns of seeking intimacy, validation, or emotional connection in ways that become compulsive, unmanageable, and harmful. For many women, these patterns are deeply connected to early attachment wounds and trauma histories. The behavior provides temporary relief from emotional pain while creating its own cycle of shame and consequences.

At Momenta, sex and love addiction is addressed through our attachment-focused clinical approach — one of our areas of specialty. We help women understand the attachment patterns and unmet needs driving their relational behaviors, and build the capacity for healthier connection with themselves and with others.

Designer Drug Addiction

Designer drugs — including MDMA, synthetic cannabinoids, bath salts, kratom, and other emerging substances — are often marketed as safer or legal alternatives to traditional substances. In reality, their effects are unpredictable, their chemical compositions change frequently, and their medical consequences can be severe. Designer drug use can produce serious psychological symptoms including psychosis, extreme anxiety, and in some cases, medical emergencies requiring immediate care.

At Momenta, designer drug addiction is approached with the same individualized, trauma-informed clinical framework as all other substance use disorders. Our team stays current on emerging substances and their effects to ensure our clinical approach reflects the landscape our clients are actually navigating.

Food and Eating Addiction

Compulsive eating and food addiction involve a loss of control around food that shares important features with other addiction patterns — preoccupation, compulsion, failed attempts to stop, and significant emotional and physical consequences. These patterns frequently co-occur with eating disorders, trauma histories, and struggles with body image and self-worth.

We want to be transparent here: food addiction that is accompanied by a primary eating disorder — anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or ARFID — may require specialized eating disorder treatment in addition to or instead of a general addiction program. Our clinical team assesses each woman individually and will provide an honest recommendation about the most appropriate level and type of care for her specific needs. If Momenta is not the right fit, we will help identify a program that is.

Shopping and Spending Addiction

Compulsive shopping or spending is a behavioral addiction often driven by the same emotional dynamics that underlie other forms of addiction — temporary relief from anxiety, emotional pain, or emptiness that creates a cycle of compulsion and consequence. Financial harm, relationship damage, and a deepening sense of shame are common experiences for women struggling with compulsive spending.

At Momenta, behavioral addictions including compulsive spending are addressed within our broader addiction treatment framework, with particular focus on emotional regulation, trauma processing, and developing coping strategies that address the underlying need driving the behavior.

Our Approach to Women’s Addiction Treatment

All addiction treatment at Momenta is built on core principles that reflect what we have learned about how women heal:

Trauma-specific care — Trauma is present in the histories of the majority of women who seek addiction treatment. Addressing that trauma — not only managing addiction symptoms — is central to everything we do.

Dual diagnosis treatment — Most women at Momenta carry co-occurring mental health diagnoses alongside their substance use disorder. Our therapists are credentialed in both mental health and addiction treatment and provide integrated care that addresses both concurrently.

Evidence-based therapies — We use proven clinical approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and integrative modalities tailored to each woman’s individual needs and history.

Whole-person care — We address mind, body, and spirit. Recovery is not only the absence of substance use — it is the presence of a life that feels worth living.

The Role of Trauma in Women’s Addiction

Trauma and addiction are deeply connected, particularly in women. Childhood abuse, sexual trauma, domestic violence, loss, and relational wounds can all create the emotional pain that substances and behaviors are used to manage. Without addressing the underlying trauma, addiction treatment alone rarely produces lasting change.

Momenta Recovery is a trauma-specific treatment center. Every clinician on our team is trained to work with trauma, and our entire program is designed to create the safety, stability, and therapeutic trust that trauma healing requires. We do not rush this work. We walk beside each woman at the pace her healing requires.

Accreditations That Reflect Our Standard of Care

Momenta Recovery holds The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval®, is a member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), and is licensed through the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health for Adult Substance Use Treatment and Co-Occurring Mental Health Treatment. These credentials reflect our commitment to meeting and exceeding the clinical standards that families and referring professionals trust when choosing care.

Start Your Recovery at Momenta

Through education, compassion, and evidence-based care, Momenta Recovery help women break the cycles that have kept them from the lives they want to be living. We walk beside each woman on her healing journey — offering support without judgment, and care that meets her where she is.

Call us at (970) 930-6355 or contact us online to take the first step. Your call is completely confidential.