Women, addiction and rehabilitation: Reflections from the northwestern border of Mexico.

Since the recognition of addiction as a mental illness, studies concerning treatment and therapeutic models have tended to focus on its psychiatric and psychological dimensions. The aim of this article is to highlight the centrality of the social dimension, not only as potential trigger of addictive behaviors and of stigma regarding these behaviors, but also as a variable that permeates diagnosis and treatment. The reflections are based on fieldwork carried out in rehabilitation centers for drug-consuming women in the border city of Tijuana, northwestern Mexico. The results show that the predominant therapeutic models in the city are based in and reproduce the traditional role of women. The social implications of this finding are analyzed, and it is suggested that these centers could be better utilized in the process of building a society with greater gender equality.