Women And Alcoholism: What Do You Need To Know?

Alcoholism has traditionally been linked to men in the past, but studies show that the gap between men and women who drink excessively has narrowed. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), national surveys show that about half of all women ages 18 to 44 years use alcohol, and 15 percent of those who drink engage in binge drinking. Recent estimates show that about 14 million US women binge drink about three times within a month. This means that they have at least four drinks in one period, the average of which was found to be at six drinks.

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that involves dependency on alcoholic drinks. Symptoms include having strong cravings for alcohol, not being able to limit drinking, and continued use in spite of experiencing chronic physical, psychological, or relationship problems. Binge drinking is typical of alcoholism, and it often results in alcohol intoxication or drunkenness.

Why Women Drink

National surveys show that the rate of regular alcohol drinking has risen in the past decades, from 37 percent to 47 percent among white women, from 21 percent to 30 percent among blacks women and from 24 percent to 32 percent in Hispanic women. Furthermore, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that the latest surveys show that more than five percent of women in the US have alcohol use disorders. More than 60 percent of women between the ages 21 and 34 say that they binge on alcohol. However, binge drinking is rampant not just among young women. According to the CDC, 10 percent of women between the ages of 45 and 64, and up to three percent of those older than 65 say they binge drink.

Some of the reasons women cite for their drinking include:

• The most common reason for drinking in women is to relieve stress, whether it is from college work, taking care of young children, or a corporate job.
• Some women drink before or during romantic dates to make them feel more relaxed and self-confident. Other women drink with their partners or husbands to relax, relieve stress from the day’s work and promote intimacy.
• Some women believe that men are more attracted to women who could drink and beat them at drinking games.
• Some believe that drinking gives them a sense of entitlement that makes them feel that they can do anything a man can do.
• Some women binge drink with friends as a way to socialize, especially after a stressful day.

See Also: 10 Warning Signs of Alcoholism

Although alcohol has become a favorite medicine or form of escape to some women, experts warn that the dangerous effects of alcoholism in women have dramatically risen in recent years. Traffic reports show that there has been an increase in emergency room visits due to accidents related to alcohol drinking, as well as drunken driving arrests among women. Worst of all, is that studies reveal that there are numerous serious long-term health effects of excessive alcohol intake in women.

Alcoholism: A Serious Female Problem

Alcohol abuse is not just a male problem – it is an under-recognized problem among many women of all ages. In fact, the effects of alcoholism are more serious in females than in males because of the way their bodies handle the drug. Yes, alcohol is just like any chemical that is considered a drug, a substance that affects the way the body and mind work.

Some studies suggest that consuming some alcoholic beverages, particularly red wine, may have some health benefits. Red wine, which is made from the fermented grapes, contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that can help prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases. However, experts warn that for women who drink, consuming just one five-ounce glass of wine per day is enough to obtain these benefits.  Furthermore, health experts do not encourage women who do not drink to start drinking alcohol, since there are other ways to prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases. On the other hand, consuming more than what experts consider moderate drinking may have serious health risks. These include:

• Changes in menstrual cycle and increased risk of infertility, miscarriage, premature delivery, and stillbirth.
• Increased likelihood of risky behaviors which may lead to having unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, unintended pregnancies, and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).  They are also more likely to be victims of sexual assault and rape.
• In pregnant women, they may have babies who may suffer from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is associated with birth defects and mental retardation. Their babies may also die from SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Compared to men, women are also more likely to develop alcohol-related diseases, even with comparatively lower consumption and shorter periods of alcohol abuse.  Compared to non-alcohol addicted women, alcoholic women are four times more likely to die prematurely, while alcoholic men are only twice as likely to die. Why are women more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol compared to men? Women tend to absorb more alcohol, because they have more body fat and less water. Their bodies also take longer to break down alcohol and eliminate it.

Therefore, they have an increased risk of:

• Developing chronic liver disease such as fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.
• Brain shrinkage and memory loss
• Heart disease
• Developing breast cancer and other cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat, and colon.

Recommendations

To lower your risk for alcohol-related disease, health experts recommend limiting your intake of alcohol to just one drink per day (or up to two drinks per day for men), which is defined by the USDA as moderate drinking. A standard drink, which contains 14 grams of alcohol, is found in 12 ounces (oz) beer, 5 oz wine, or 1.5 oz distilled spirits. The NIAAA defines low-risk drinking limits as no more than three drinks on a single day and no more than seven drinks per week for women. Men may take up to four drinks per day but no more than 14 drinks per week. However, these recommendations do not guaranteethat there is no risk in drinking any amount of alcohol.

See Also: Overcoming Alcoholism: What To Expect

Some health professionals would even recommend not drinking at all.