Female Alcoholism — Gender Differences
Alcohol disease once primarily affected men. Today, alcoholism in women is nothing surprising. Many differences between the sexes have been blurred. Women have been trying for centuries to equal men in many respects, and in the case of alcohol disease, it is no different. Do alcoholic beverages affect women in a similar way? It turns out that they do not. Women, due to different physiology and hormonal changes, usually get drunk faster, and the body experiences the effects significantly earlier than in men. Research proves that four times more women die from alcohol abuse than men. Differences also stem from the causes of alcohol disease. Alcoholism in women often has an emotional basis. This is mainly related to the stereotype of mother, wife, housewife, etc. Women are considered much more emotional. They often experience stress, anxiety, irritation, loneliness, or weakness due to the multitude of daily responsibilities that should be performed in accordance with the gender role. Alcohol then becomes an escape, a solution to problems. Over time, however, this develops into a strong addiction. Alcoholism in women also occurs much more frequently in women who live with an addict, grew up with an adult alcoholic, or were sexually abused. Alcohol abuse in women begins at a later age than in men, but definitely has worse consequences.Which Women Most Often Suffer From Alcoholism?
What surprises many people, research has repeatedly found that the more educated and affluent a woman is, the greater the probability that an alcohol problem will affect her. White women are more likely to drink than women of other skin colors, but over the past few decades, the percentage of women classified as drinking within normal limits has increased among all respondents.Where Does the Increase in Alcohol Consumption Among Women Come From?
Some sociologists link the increase in alcohol consumption among women with the changing role of women in society. Women are mastering previously inaccessible and male-dominated industries. They increasingly appear in politics, perform public functions, are directors and managers. The problem lies in combining the responsible positions they occupy with fulfilling the role of mother. Modern times require a woman to fulfill each of the social roles (often contradictory to each other) perfectly. Of course, this is achievable, but the external pressure to strive for perfection in every field causes frustration, disappointment, and anxiety in women. Many women turn to alcohol to suppress the emotions they feel.Female Alcoholism — Symptoms
Alcoholism in women manifests in many ways similarly to men. The drinking style is very similar. Alcoholism in women often begins when some drink becomes a response to a problem, stress, or trauma from the past. Sporadic drinking turns into a habit that becomes a necessity. Eventually, alcohol tolerance increases, and functioning, even without one glass of wine in the evening, becomes impossible. Quantities cease to be controlled, as does the time of constant intoxication. Unlike men, alcoholism in women is more often hidden. Women are afraid to admit to alcohol disease and more often drink in solitude. The reason for this is their assigned life roles. A sense of shame, fear of other people's opinions, and depressive states after alcohol prevent women from asking for help. The symptoms of alcoholism in women are therefore very similar to those in men, but have a more negative impact on health and psyche. Because of this, they may live up to 15 years less.The Impact of Alcohol on the Female Body
Women are more susceptible to the toxic effects of alcohol than men. Their bodies have more fat, which stores alcohol, and less water, which could dilute alcohol and weaken its effects. For this reason, a woman who drinks as much alcohol as a man of her height and weight will experience the effects of consumption faster and more severely.Alcoholism in Women — How to Treat It?
In the case of both sexes, the same treatment methods are used, but some of them are more or less adapted. Alcohol detoxification as well as Esperal have the same effect. Both pharmacological methods lead to constant and uninterrupted sobriety. In the case of alcoholism in women, therapy with a psychologist looks different. It can take a group or individual form. Conversations focus more on the emotional sphere and experiences from the past that determine current behavior. It is important to verify the problem and find a solution that will help cope with it, but without the help of alcohol. First and foremost, one must admit to the disease. Women know that they may be poorly perceived because of this, and the performance of their assigned roles may be negatively evaluated. Therefore, they can hide this for many years or do it with the consent of household members without drawing attention to themselves.What to Do After Diagnosing an Alcohol Problem?
Recognize and accept the feelings that appear in you. The emotions you feel are facts, do not deny them and find a way to express them. In this way, you can prevent reaching for alcohol one day. The pleasure derived from alcohol consumption is fleeting, and one of the consequences of repeating such behaviors is alcohol disease.Why Is Alcohol Consumed During Pregnancy Particularly Dangerous?
Alcohol acts definitely more toxically on the female body than on the male body. A woman whose body weight is the same as a man's, when drinking the same amount of alcohol as a man, will receive about 40% more of it. Why? The different proportion between the amount of adipose tissue and water in the female and male body is responsible for everything. In addition, the higher level of estrogen in women affects the stronger absorption of alcohol by the body. FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) is a disease complex that is the result of alcohol's effect on the fetus in prenatal life, i.e., before birth. It is incurable, causing a range of developmental disorders both physical and psychological. It can only be avoided by maintaining complete abstinence during pregnancy because, despite the tremendous development of medicine, to this day doctors have not been able to determine a safe dose of alcohol that a pregnant woman could consume so that the child would not be affected by fetal alcohol syndrome. Any, even the smallest amount of alcohol carries the risk of developmental disorders. Full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome can be divided into three characteristic categories:- Slowed physical development in the prenatal and postnatal period. Growth delay, low birth weight, small head, low height relative to age
- Facial structure disorders such as: drooping eyelids, narrow upper lip or lack of vermilion border, nail underdevelopment, small jaw, upturned and very short nose, low-set ears, widely spaced eyes with drooping eyelids and/or short palpebral fissures
- Disorders resulting from damage to the central nervous system such as problems with balance, memory, sense of space, lack of visual-motor coordination, attention and stimulus perception disorders, problems with learning, information accumulation
How Does Alcohol Affect the Fetus and Brain Development?
Alcohol belongs to teratogens, i.e., factors causing permanent damage to the body during embryonic or fetal life. In addition, it belongs to a narrow group of neurobehavioral teratogens that can cause permanent brain damage. In each trimester of pregnancy, alcohol causes different harm. Thus:- In the first trimester, alcohol damages the proper development and migration of cells responsible for organ development, damages the brain. Facial deformations, disorders in the development of the heart, eyes, ears, reproductive organs, teeth, CNS occur
- In the second trimester, alcohol damages muscle, skin, bone cells and weakens brain development
- In the third trimester, alcohol leads to premature birth, adversely affects the formation of cognitive abilities, concentration, thinking.
- Cerebellum, which is responsible for motor coordination
- Hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning processes
- Frontal lobes, which are responsible for executive processes and control impulses entering the body
- Corpus callosum, which is responsible for transmitting information between brain hemispheres
- Basal ganglia, which are responsible for cognitive processes and memory.
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