👩‍⚕️ It’s More Than a Habit. It’s a Cry for Help.

In many Chennai households, the story of a woman struggling with alcohol, pills, or smoking doesn’t begin at a party—it begins in silence. Behind that wine glass, sleeping pill, or cigarette often lies a history of emotional pain, control, or violence.

Substance use in women isn’t just about addiction—it’s often about survival, escape, or numbness. And to truly help, we must understand the emotional, relational, and gendered dimensions of their suffering.

⏱️ Telescoping: Why Women Progress Faster into Addiction

Studies show that women experience what’s called “telescoping”—a faster trajectory from first use to dependency compared to men. This means:

• Women may start later, but get addicted quicker

• Physical and emotional health deteriorates faster

• Withdrawal symptoms (especially from alcohol or benzodiazepines) are more intense

• Many women reach crisis before anyone notices or intervenes

A woman may go from casual use to crisis within a few months—because her body, brain, and social context respond differently.

🤝 Codependence: The Invisible Trap

In Chennai’s conservative settings, many women are caught in codependent relationships where:

• The partner or family member misuses substances

• The woman becomes the “caretaker” but suppresses her own needs

• Over time, she may turn to substances—to cope, to feel seen, or to emotionally survive

These dynamics can become self-perpetuating:

“I need him to be okay.”
“I can’t leave, but I can’t stay like this either.”
“I just need something to feel calm.”

Codependence makes it harder to seek help, and easier to fall into secret substance use.

⚔️ Abuse, Trauma, and Substance Use: A Painful Link

Sadly, many women who misuse alcohol, tobacco, or medication are also survivors of violence—physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal.

In our clinics, we see:

• Women using alcohol to numb marital abuse

• Professionals using sleeping pills after workplace harassment

• Students vaping or using cannabis after emotional neglect or toxic relationships

• Mothers misusing painkillers to deal with postpartum depression, loneliness, or partner rejection

The substance is not the primary issue—it’s the pain underneath.

🔇 Why Women Suffer in Silence

• Fear of stigma: “What will people think?”

• Fear of losing children or custody

• Fear of being labelled unstable, immoral, or unfit

• Fear of not being believed—especially if the abuser is respected or influential

So they remain silent. High-functioning. Smiling on the outside. Breaking inside.

🧠 What True Recovery for Women Looks Like

Real healing isn’t just detox or quitting alcohol. It’s about reclaiming voice, safety, identity, and power.

At Apollo Clinic, Velachery & Tambaram, our recovery plans for women include:

• Safe, private psychiatric consultations

• Identifying and treating co-occurring anxiety, depression, or PTSD

• Trauma-informed therapy

• Relapse prevention tailored for women’s emotional rhythms

• Addressing relationship patterns and boundary issues

• Sleep and nutrition support

• Family therapy when appropriate

We don’t just “treat addiction.” We help women heal.

📞 You’re Not Alone. You’re Not Broken.

Substance use doesn’t make you a bad woman. It means you’ve been coping alone for too long.

Let us walk with you—toward relief, recovery, and rediscovery.

📍 Apollo Clinic, Velachery & Tambaram
📱 8595155808
🌐 www.srinivasaiims.com

✍️ About the Author

Dr. Srinivas Rajkumar T, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)
Consultant Psychiatrist | Apollo Clinic, Velachery & Tambaram

Dr. Srinivas specializes in women’s mental health, addiction, and trauma recovery. He is known for offering non-judgmental, structured, and compassionate care tailored to the unique emotional and social challenges women face. He regularly counsels women from all walks of life—homemakers, students, executives, survivors—helping them rebuild life, on their terms.