An acquaintance of mine recently made a pretty generalizing statement that sparked some dissonance in me. My friend and I were chatting about a celebrity entering another stint in rehab and he said to me, “Drugs really kill a woman’s face. Us men are lucky.” As I ingested some chunks of this comment, a river of thoughts came crashing in.
I have had the experience of seeing both men and women fresh off the beaten path of addiction and I can honestly say that at the end of the road, both sexes look equally destroyed. I am certain that this comment was driven more by social constructs than a biological and sex-linked inability to metabolize illicit drugs.
The initial thought that crossed my mind was, “Of course, women are expected to look perfect at all times”. It wasn’t so much that women generally look worse than men after a binge, but most people are more aware of a woman’s imperfections.
It also crossed my mind that maybe it wasn’t so much how a woman looks, but what those looks say about her. Presenting oneself to the world in an acceptable manner is the dilemma that most in our society today struggle with.
I can image that the gender and social constructs of society aren’t entirely geared towards the acceptance of the “damaged” or “destructed” body of a woman.
Unruly Bodies 
When you think about this topic, the other thing that also comes up is race. A white man goes to rehab and leaves after overcoming his addiction and he is a hero. A black man goes to rehab and leaves after overcoming his addiction and it’s assumed he’ll be high again within a week. A white man could just as easily be overcome by his addiction again, but the way race and gender work, we figure black men are weaker and more susceptible to relapse. It’s not that we see that black men are at disadvantages, and those disadvantages play a part in drug addiction. We see black men as people who aren’t strong enough to fight. We’ll always notice the struggles a white person goes through with any addiction, but the struggles a black person with any addiction faces are ignored in favor of believing they’re just weak.
A white man goes to rehab for cocaine addiction and people feel bad because he just got in with the wrong crowd. A black man goes to rehab for cocaine addiction and people think he’s just a thug who’ll be back within the year.
I am glad you brought this up! The second I read it my brain started to think and scream as well. I do agree with you and your arguments. I believe that what your friend said is what he has learned and heard, is what he( and the society) thinks is socially normal. Social construction of society and social construction of gender expects that women always look pretty and have prefect faces and bodies, and that they are more fragile. If a male face is not looking truly good is fine, but the story about the woman is different. ( Also when you add drug in to the conversation its even worst when a women uses it and goes true rehabilitation because of that).
I would like to add one other component to the comment above me. I do agree that race can make this topic different, but I think, age, culture and economic status can make a big difference as well. And when you add all the higher and lower component together you can see this topic in a much different way.
I think that gender definitely plays a roll in how a person’s addiction and illness may be interpreted by society. I feel like women are harshly criticized in general (especially mothers), and one cannot argue that our looks and appearances are overvalued, more than our intelligence or character. I completely agree with your statement that a woman’s outer appearance is interpreted as a statement about who she is.
The first thing that comes to mind is the vast difference in reactions I have personally noticed in response to different women who struggle with drug addictions. The life of the supermodel who is addicted to drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, heroine, cocaine, etc is not only accepted but even glamorized. A super model’s addiction may go ignored and accepted; maybe her drug use is even expected to stay in the “it” crowd or maintain her figure. I believe that society’s reaction to a supermodel or even a female celebrity is very different from the reaction that many women in the United States receive, especially if the women is of lower class status and has not “maintained” her appearance. There is nothing glamorous or exciting about the everyday citizen on drugs; her morals and character are often harshly criticized and her resources for getting clean are usually much more limited.