Recent facts show the unique impact of alcohol on women and why some may be helped by alcohol treatment. Not only have recent health surveys revealed that the number of female drinkers is higher now than at any point in recent history, but the number of drunk driving arrests for women and the number of young women ending up in emergency rooms due to dangerous levels of intoxication also rose significantly between 1998 and 2007, and 1999 and 2008, respectively, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal on women and alcohol abuse.
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Reasons Women Use Alcohol
While the reasons women abuse alcohol are varied and complex, a few issues that are characteristic of women include coping with a history of physical or sexual abuse (women are more likely to experience domestic violence than men); coping with stress from balancing roles as primary income earners and primary caretakers of children; and coping with anxiety and depression (women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression as men). Women in their 40s and 50s may slip into harmful drinking habits to cope with one or more of the following: fluctuating hormones, empty nest syndrome, the death or failing health of their parents, and drastic mid-career changes, according to a doctor quoted in the article.
In addition, a newer development for women and addiction may include a preference for wine, which is heavily marketed to women and painted as affluent and sexy by television and movies, the article notes. While moderate wine drinking is harmless for many women, even social wine drinking may evolve into addiction for others.
Alcohol Affects Women Differently
Alcohol education for women is also vital as part of a comprehensive treatment program, because alcohol affects women differently than men. Women succumb to alcohol toxicity more quickly than men because their bodies are composed of more fat and less water — a combination that leads to greater absorption and less dilution of alcohol in the body. In addition, the effect of brain shrinkage linked to alcohol consumption is more pronounced in women than in men, according to a study in the Archives of Neurology reported by CNN Health.
Women who are alcohol addicts can benefit from treatment that gives them a sense of empowerment, includes intensive personal counseling, and determines of the triggers of their drinking habits, the article indicates.
About Residence XII
Residence XII offers alcohol treatment that helps to empower women while leading them on their journey toward recovery. At Residence XII, we welcome all women (+18) and aim to provide the highest quality inpatient alcohol treatment available. We provide free assessments and references for women seeking more information about alcohol dependency. Residence XII also offers outpatient alcohol treatment programs and family treatment programs. Residence XII is State Licensed by CARF (commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) and a member of the NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers).