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Professional Women Feel Pressure to Drink Heavily

alcohol and women

The status of women has improved greatly in many areas of the world, and women around the globe are entering senior management positions in greater numbers than ever before. As these women work hard to advance and perform at a high level in the business world, many feel the pressure to drink heavily in an effort to project the same sense of confidence as their male counterparts, according to a recent article in Quartz.

Women Say Hard Drinking Conveys Professional Strength

Quartz research showed that female management professionals in major international cities like Moscow, Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul and Sao Paulo were increasingly networking over cocktails to give off a sense of strength and toughness in their professional persona.

The women interviewed said drinking strong drinks — like cognac, whiskey and rum — in large quantities was a means of demonstrating their competitive edge and the grit of their business performance. Drinking like a man, so to speak, helped them appear experienced and sure of themselves in a male-dominated business world, many said. In some countries, the corporate culture is steeped in unspoken social codes that pressure women to keep pace with men in such ways, the article noted.

Women and Alcohol: The Risk

While the achievements of professional women around the world are to be commended, women in the U.S. and abroad put themselves at risk by drinking heavily to achieve business status, particularly because women’s bodies process alcohol differently than men.

Since women’s bodies tend to be smaller and have a higher fat-to-muscle ratio than men on average, alcohol tends to be absorbed more quickly into a woman’s bloodstream, increasing the potential of alcohol toxicity in women. While not all binge drinkers are alcohol dependent, repeated patterns of binge drinking could lead to a physical or psychological dependence on alcohol.

About Residence XII

If you suspect your drinking is getting out of control, seek help from Residence XII. We offer drug and alcohol treatment that empowers women while leading them toward recovery. At Residence XII, we welcome all women (+18) and aim to provide the highest quality inpatient and outpatient treatment for addiction available. Residence XII also offers a family program aimed at helping loved ones support the women in recovery. Contact us for a free drug and alcohol assessment or to learn more about how we treat women with drug or alcohol dependency. 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).

(Image by Damir Spanic via Stockvault.net)