Women and Alcohol National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

From serious physical health issues to debilitating mental health issues, women are suffering from alcohol abuse more than ever. Despite being the most common substance of addiction, detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous if not supervised by a medical professional. Women who binge drink are disproportionately at risk for brain damage over time. Research suggests that brain damage occurs most frequently from binge drinking during adolescence. Girls who reported binge drinking performed worse on a memory test and had more issues with decision-making.

• In general, women are more prone to alcoholism compared to men based on their body compositions.
• More importantly, how can we address these barriers and overcome them?
• This is why they need professional help to get them moving toward a healthier, sober lifestyle.
• Reaching out to an addiction treatment specialist can shed light on your options and the best course of action to take.

Alcohol use disorder is typically categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many criteria are met. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives. Because women become addicted to alcohol more easily than men, drinking even moderately can be a slippery slope. In fact, about half of all cases of alcoholism in women begin after age 59. For women in particular, there is a very fine line between healthful and harmful drinking—one that is easy to cross.

Tobacco and alcohol use among urban Malaysians in 1980

In addition to the rise in alcoholism in women, research is also revealing that women are experiencing increases in depression, anxiety, and suicide—add alcohol to the mix and it can be deadly. Many women struggling with https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/women-and-alcoholism-how-to-recognize-an-addiction/ alcohol issues do not realize they have a problem. It’s also possible that they are in denial about how severe their alcohol dependency is. Women are half as likely to report excessive alcohol use when compared to men.

Ethanol (the alcoholic compound in beverages) is broken down in the body by alcohol dehydrogenase, a specific type of enzyme that helps to oxidize the alcohol. In the same study, women were discovered to produce less of these metabolizing enzymes. Women’s increasing economic power has encouraged the promotion of their drinking as fashionable. However, women are more vulnerable to the impact of alcohol, and the stigma attached to alcoholism is greater for them than it is for men. As a consequence, a woman — and those around her — will deny her alcoholism until she has lost much more than her male counterparts. When, or if, she seeks help for this devastating disease, she finds a lack of woman-specific programs and facilities.

Potentially modifiable deployment characteristics and new-onset alcohol abuse or dependence in the US National Guard

It has an effect on every part of life — from parenting to health care to the economy. In the past, men were three times as likely as women to engage in risky or problematic drinking. However, recent research shows that ratio is closer to 1-to-1 globally. And US data shows that rates of alcohol abuse in women have reached the same levels as men.

• Even if women remain reluctant to enter traditional alcohol-treatment programs, it’s important to seek
  medical and emotional support from other sources.
• « Because of what my picture of alcoholism was — old men who brown-bagged it in a parking lot — I thought I was fine, » says Cooper, now sober and living in Chapel Hill, N.C.
• There are many options available when it comes to alcohol addiction treatment, and your treatment plan should be individualized to your unique needs for maximum effectiveness.
• When women drink heavily, their fertility can be affected.
• Another found that from 2009 to 2015, the prevalence of women’s cirrhosis related to alcohol rose 50 percent, while men’s increased 30 percent.
• These damages can include brain shrinking, memory loss, or learning difficulties.

We often assume that men are more typically the ones with a drinking problem. And men do generally drink more — but the gender gap is narrowing. One study reported that from 2006 to 2014, alcohol-related visits to the emergency room increased by 70 percent for women and 58 percent for men. Another found that from 2009 to 2015, the prevalence of women’s cirrhosis related to alcohol rose 50 percent, while men’s increased 30 percent.

What Causes Alcoholism? The Link Between Mental Health and Alcohol Abuse

In Cooper’s case, drinking eventually led her to drop out of college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She moved back home and was soon taking a shot or two of vodka each morning before heading to the office for her finance job, followed by two more drinks at lunch. Victoria Cooper thought her drinking habits in college were just like everyone else’s. Sure, she got more refills than some and missed classes while nursing hangovers, but she couldn’t have a problem, she thought.

Getting treatment for alcohol addiction is vitally important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, and preventing long-term physical and mental health problems. In addition to causing the physical problems outlined above, it can also have an effect on mental health as well, including new or worsening depression, anxiety, or other emotional issues. Additionally, women face challenges when it comes to preventing alcoholism in the first place. Women are often more vulnerable than men to peer pressure and advertisements that encourage drinking. Furthermore, women may feel pressured by society to drink in order to fit in or be seen as more attractive or desirable.