Addiction in Women - Causes, Warning Signs and Treatment with Erin Goodhart LCSW

Addiction in Women - Causes, Warning Signs and Treatment with Erin Goodhart LCSW

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Ellen Stewart and clinician Erin Goodhart LCSW focuses on exactly that, with a sharp eye on how addiction affects women differently. You’ll hear Erin explain why women’s addiction issues can be harder to spot: many drink or use alone, keep it secret, and carry heavy guilt and shame.

She notes that women often first appear in mental health treatment for anxiety or depression while an underlying substance use problem goes unnoticed. As she puts it, some women see their drinking as “a reward for a very tough day,” after ticking off the motherhood, career, and household checklists. The episode looks at fears that stop women seeking help, such as worrying they’ll be judged as a “bad” mother or partner, or that going to treatment means abandoning their children.

Erin counters this with a hopeful message: women who receive substance use treatment tend to do very well and relapse less often than men. She highlights the power of female community in treatment, saying, “Communities get well together,” describing women arriving fearful and leaving with strong bonds and renewed confidence. There’s frank discussion of co-occurring issues like trauma, chronic pain, eating disorders, and process addictions such as overexercising, shopping, or relationship obsession.

Erin stresses the importance of building a relationship with oneself—learning likes, dislikes, and developing self-esteem—so women can set boundaries, handle difficult emotions, and avoid swapping one addiction for another. Later on, they talk about early recovery and the pressure to return home as “wonder woman,” fixing everything at once. Instead, the advice is progress, not perfection, plus prioritising meetings, support networks, and self-care, especially around high-stress holiday periods.

If you’re a woman questioning your relationship with substances—or you care about one—could this honest, practical chat be the nudge you’ve been waiting for?