Excessive Alcohol Use And Risks To Women’s Health

As harmful as excessive drinking is for the average person, women are at even greater risk. Research has shown that the problems associated with drinking, especially the health impacts, are especially pronounced for women. Women who drink heavily are more likely than women who do not drink to become victims of interpersonal violence or sexual assault (Foran & O’Leary, 2008). For these reasons, it is extremely important for people to be aware of the risks of excessive alcohol use among women. Alcohol poses various health risks to women and alcoholism only exacerbates this situation.

In comparison to men, women had a higher risk for a number of conditions related to alcohol, such as alcoholic hepatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, and heart disease. Newman also cited a study of 1.2 million women in the U.K. , and followed for about 7 years, who experienced a 12% increase in relative risk of breast cancer per 10 g of alcohol per day . This study also found that moderate amounts of alcohol consumption in middle-aged women can also contribute to higher risks of larynx, oral cavity, liver, esophagus, and rectum cancers, she said. Anybody can get a DUI so it isn’t necessarily an alcoholic trait in women.

Why Alcoholism In Women Is On The Rise

Women are also more prone to suffering from liver diseases, heart complication and shrinking of the brain. As the primary caregivers of the community, the impact alcohol has on women is far-reaching. This externalizes the effects of alcohol abuse on children. Problems with alcohol increased by nearly 50 percent. Among women, alcohol abuse and dependence increased by 83.7 percent. Among the poor (earning less than $20,000) it rose by 65.9 percent.

These findings as a whole reflect the stigma around having an alcohol problem, and research indicates this stigma is alive and well. Lang & Rosenberg found that people self-reported not wanting to affiliate with people with an alcohol problem, including as a colleague at work and as a neighbor. In another study, women with alcohol addiction who attended treatment stated they were undeserving of support/help (Gunn & Canada, 2015). Though speculative, it is possible that stigma may be a reason that nearly one-third of women who took the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation survey did not answer the alcohol questions. It’s not unusual for many alcoholics to disappear days at a time because they were drinking.

Health & Wellnessmen Should Limit Alcohol To 1 Drink A Day, Experts Say

In order to overcome their addiction, women need top-quality alcohol addiction treatment. At New Bridge Foundation, this is precisely what we offer. Worried that your habit is slowly becoming an addiction?

It may be if the individual is only focused on that, and if it happens often. If you or a loved one exhibits any of the common warning signs of alcoholism, contact us to learn about your options at . Depending on the severity, you or your loved one may only need an outpatient program.

Compassionate Addiction

Historically, women were not assumed to engage in alcohol abuse as much as men. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 46% of women drink and 2.5% of them are alcoholics.

In addition, the 2016 SAMHSA survey reported that only 4% of women age 12 and older engaged in heavy drinking. These results are much lower than those found in the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation survey. However, the National Health Interview survey found that 33% of Caucasian women women and alcoholism ages binge drink . Notably, most women who completed the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation survey were of this race and age range. It’s often harder for women to hide their addiction to alcohol. There are fewer female functioning alcoholics than male functioning alcoholics.

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Our admissions coordinators are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions. If you’ve exceeded that number throughout your life, you’re not the only one. A study from last year found that Americans, particularly women, are consuming more and more alcohol throughout the years. The study looked at both alcohol abuse, which is women and alcoholism drinking to the point where it causes recurrent and significant problems in your life, or alcohol dependence, which is in part the inability to stop drinking. Also, genetics can play a vital role in the chances of developing an alcohol substance use disorder in women. When you drink alcohol, enzymes break it down in your body.

In these situations, an Intensive Outpatient Program is always an option. It is unclear why men are more likely to become alcoholic drinkers than women. However; one study suggests that the release of dopamine may be a huge factor. This research revealed that men produce more dopamine (one of the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitters) while drinking, which reinforces continued women and alcoholism drinking because it feels so good. It also showed that men are more likely to develop a tolerance to alcohol than women are, making them more likely to drink larger quantities of alcohol. About 5.3 million women in the United States drink alcohol in a way that threatens their health and safety, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism .

Women And Alcoholism: The Effects

We recognize the need for mental and spiritual recovery and strive to treat our residents’ entire well-being. We also understand that men and women face unique hurdles in treatment and will tailor a treatment program to your specific needs. Our focus on individualized alcohol treatment helps make Casa Palmera a valuable, rare and life changing experience. Women are more at risk for developing a drinking problem later in life. They are also at greater risk for alcohol-related health problems as they get older due their physiology. Younger women (aged 18-34) have higher rates of drinking-related problems than older women do, but the rates of alcohol dependence are greater among middle-aged women (aged 35-49).

• “Most women are not drinking to excess because they feel ‘powerful’ in the first place,” she says.
• Studies show, however, that the risk factors that lead to alcoholism and the consequences of alcohol abuse differ among men and women.
• If women go to treatment that tells them to embrace being powerless and diseased, how is that going to help?
• ” Barnes uses cognitive behavioral therapy and assertiveness training, a skill she thinks is crucial for women who are problem drinkers.

If you or any woman you know is an alcoholic, help them get alcohol addiction treatment. When you understand the relationship between women and alcoholism, you know there is a real risk to those who struggle with this type of addiction. Most of the time, the best treatment is in a specialized program designed to meet your unique needs. At Viewpoint Dual Recovery Center, our team can offer the support you need.