What picture comes to your mind when you think about someone who is battling with alcohol? When it comes to alcohol addiction, most people associate it with men since frequent media clichés present a masculine archetype. In actuality, alcoholism among women is fast rising.
Historically, males were more likely to drink alcoholic drinks than women. However, the binge drinking alcohol ratio between men and women has narrowed. Studies have found that women aged 12 to 17 are 61.5 percent more likely than males to develop an alcohol use problem.
The use of alcohol affects women differently from males, and the increase in alcohol abuse raises several health problems in women. The growth of drinking among women did not occur immediately. It’s actually the result of growing alcohol acceptance, including focused marketing initiatives, as well as women’s need to cope with worry and stress.
Drinking was mostly regarded as a masculine hobby in the early twentieth century, with women largely excluded from the public domain of alcoholism. Women were mainly limited to their homes. With the emergence of feminism, women accessed previously inaccessible venues. Female empowerment called into question previously held gender-based attitudes regarding drinking. Women might also consume wine in social settings.
Marketers saw an opportunity to attract women to alcoholic drinks. Nowadays, women are bombarded with feminine alcohol commercials. In reality, women have become the primary target of alcohol promotion, with beverage makers launching an increasing number of sweet, low-calorie drinks. Alcoholic drinks are frequently promoted as a must-have for a refined lifestyle through social media marketing.
Alcohol culture is merely an appeal to vanity. Women frequently believe they must be of a specific status while juggling numerous conflicting identities like employee, mother, and caregiver.
While alcohol addiction is harmful to anybody, biological variations imply that excessive alcohol usage can manifest earlier in women. For example, women often have a smaller body mass and, on average, have less water. Since alcohol mostly settles in water, females have greater blood alcohol levels. Women suffer greater short-term bodily injury than males as a result of alcohol consumption. Long-term dangers increase with time.
Symptoms of Alcoholism in Women
Alcoholic Hepatitis
Women who overuse alcohol have a higher risk of developing liver disease. It’s a kind of liver inflammation caused by prolonged drinking, so it can develop over time.
Brain Damage
Binge drinkers are more likely to suffer long-term brain damage. The most common cause of brain injury throughout adolescence is binge drinking. Research reports that girls who indulged in binge drinking scored worse on memory tests and had greater difficulty making decisions.
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
If a woman drinks less compared to men her size, she still might be more susceptible to heart disease. Heavy drinking can strain the heart and raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of a stroke. This cardiac issue, induced by excessive alcohol intake, develops gradually. Those afflicted might not always show signs. If signs do appear, they often resemble those of heart failure.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol use disorder refers to dependence on alcohol. An AUD person has a limited capacity to manage their alcohol consumption, notwithstanding the implications to their lives. This addiction varies from moderate to severe. While a woman can misuse alcohol, some characteristics increase the likelihood of having an alcohol use problem, which includes genetics and mental health issues.
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