Delamere, a frontrunner in the provision of addiction rehabilitation services in the UK, has shed light on a significant trend within alcohol addiction services. Recent data highlights a marked increase in the number of women seeking assistance for addiction issues, particularly alcoholism.
Analysis over the past five years reveals a 16% rise in the number of women in the UK entering treatment for alcoholism. Delamere itself has witnessed a notable uptick in the proportion of female clients seeking help for addiction, with the figures escalating from 28% in 2020 to nearly 37% by 2023.
Martin Preston, the Founder & CEO of Delamere, offers insightful commentary on these findings, alongside guidance for women grappling with alcohol addiction issues.
Key findings:
- Alcohol addiction admissions for women has grown by 16% over five years
- Increase in women seeking rehabilitation over the last three years
- In 2023, 44% of women found alcohol ‘very addictive’ vs 2% who found it ‘not addictive at all’
Alcohol addiction admissions for treatment for women soar
Reports from 2018 compared to 2022 show that the number of women in treatment for addiction across the UK has grown by 12%, with those seeking alcohol addiction services increasing by 16%. In 2022-2023, the addiction census revealed women are mainly seeking rehabilitation services for opiate (27.4%) and alcohol (40.7%) related issues.
Treatment for alcoholism services in the UK from the Adult Substance Misuse Treatment statistics:
2018-2019 (women) – 30,345
2022-2023 (women) – 35,144
+16% increase
More women are seeking help for addiction
Whilst men continue to dominate the demographic seeking rehabilitation services, Delamere admissions data from 2020 to 2023 shows a steady rise in women entering into addiction treatment over the past three years, growing from 28% to 36.9%.
% of female guests in treatment at Delamere:
2020 – 28%
2021 – 28.5%
2022 – 34.5%
2023 – 36.9%
More women find alcohol ‘very addictive’ than not at all
Data from YouGov revealed that 44% of women surveyed in 2023 stated they find alcohol ‘very addictive’ with only 2% declaring they find it ‘not addictive at all’, contradicting historical beliefs that alcohol addiction is a relatively rare occurrence for women.
These findings underscore a powerful shift in perception for both women seeking rehabilitation services for addiction, in particular alcohol addiction, and for society as a whole.
Martin Preston, Founder & CEO at Delamere provided comment on the above trends, and the importance of seeking treatment:
“There are many reasons why women historically have been reluctant to seek treatment for addiction-related struggles, from childcare issues, and even fears that their children would be taken away, to shame around the fact they have become dependent on alcohol or suffered trauma or abuse. Women struggling with alcoholism has in the past perhaps been viewed by some in a more judgmental way, causing them to hide their drinking and avoid seeking help.
To see this continuous rise in women entering into treatment over the last five years is extremely promising. Anyone can be affected by addiction, no matter their gender, and so women have almost certainly always been affected. Fortunately, the societal stigmas surrounding women and alcohol or substance abuse are slowly dissipating as addiction has become rightly recognised as a healthcare issue and a mental health disorder. This has led to less shame associated with addiction and thankfully, more people, particularly women, are willing to reach out for help.
Stigmas and the issues associated with entering treatment for women do still very much exist however and so the number of women seeking treatment in comparison to the number of women who need or want to but feel they can’t, is most likely significantly different. If you, or someone you care for, require addiction treatment, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible.
At Delamere, we provide first-class addiction treatments within our discreet, luxury purpose-built facility where all guests, regardless of gender, age, or anything else are welcomed compassionately, without shame or judgement, to heal and grow from their addictions.”
About Delamere
Delamere is a private residential rehab clinic in rural Cheshire. Our approach to addiction treatment and rehabilitation is a holistic one, meaning that we consider all aspects of our guests’ physical and emotional well-being, avoiding the common practice of treating particular symptoms separately. Our addiction treatment models and holistic therapy methods are based on up-to-the-minute clinical evidence and advanced research and help take people out of the addictive cycle to overcome past trauma and other difficulties.
Our findings shed light on substance dependencies, prompting us to delve deeper into the dynamics of addiction. We believe that our data offers valuable insights for further investigation and discussion surrounding addiction treatment strategies and public health initiatives. Should you require additional information or wish to arrange an interview with our experts to discuss these findings in more detail, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sources: Guest statistics from Delamere, Adult substance misuse treatment statistics: Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2022 to 2023: report, Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2020 to 2021: report, Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2018 to 2019: report, YouGov How Addictive Is Alcohol?
