Is it true that female alcoholism is incurable?

There is a common opinion that female alcoholism cannot be completely defeated. We decided to check if this myth has a scientific rationale.

Despite the fact that the statement of interest to us is quite popular, MKB-10 (International classification of diseases) does not distinguish female alcoholism in a separate disease. Accordingly, he should not seriously differ from the male. So where did this myth come from?

One of the most important factors affecting the success of treatment for alcoholism is the timeliness of contacting doctors. The sooner the patient begins treatment, the faster and easier the disease can be defeated. Women Turn Behind medical help, less often men do this at later, launched stages, since they are shy about their painful addiction and, if they have children, they are afraid of problems with the guardianship authority. Society is more critical of female alcoholics than to men. In addition, women often do not have time to visit regular sessions with a doctor or in therapeutic groups due to work and households. 

Besides, research They showed that alcoholism in women is more often accompanied by mental and psychological problems, which means that for a successful cure, they often need concomitant therapy. Exists opinionthat the treatment of alcoholism in women is more effective if it passes in purely female groups, since, being with people of their gender, women feel more comfortable and more willing to share personal experiences, which, among other things, led to alcohol dependence. Scientists converge In the opinion that in many cases of treatment of alcoholism in women a gender-oriented approach is necessary. First of all, this applies to pregnant women, those who were subjected to sexual violence, as well as women with eating disorders.

At the same time, women as a whole become alcoholics less often than men. According to statistics WHO, men suffering from alcoholism, several times more than women. The same proportion is maintained in relation to those for whom alcoholism has become fatal: in 2018, about 3 million people around the world died of excessive alcohol consumption, and three quarters of them are men. It is logical to assume that if alcoholism in women, unlike men, had not been cured, the distribution would be somewhat different.

Some time ago, even in scientific circles, existed opinionthat women, although they begin to drink at a later age, gain addiction faster than men. This was called the telescopic effect. However, such conclusions were based on a relatively small sample. Later, two studies were conducted in the United States with a difference of ten years. The age of the beginning of alcohol consumption, time on the first use to dependence and time from the formation of dependence to the start of treatment were analyzed. Patients of five different age groups took part in the study. As a result, scientists Summarized The results of these two studies did not find sufficient evidence of the existence of the telescopic effect in women.

However, alcohol really affects female and male organisms differently. So, for example, women Drinking Faster than men, and this is due not only to the difference in weight. The fact is that the female body contains less water and more fat than in the male. In water, alcohol dissolves and, accordingly, faster loses concentration. In adipose tissue, on the contrary, it accumulates. In addition, women produce less alcohol dehydrogenase - an enzyme that breaks down alcohol. Therefore, one dose of alcohol for a man is equivalent to two doses for women (with the same growth and weight).

In addition, some researchers They saythat the susceptibility of the female body to alcohol changes depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. After ovulation and before the onset of menstruation due to fluctuations in the level of hormones of estrogen and progesterone in the female body, alcohol is processed more slowly, which means that its concentration in the blood is higher with the same amount of drunk. However, on this occasion, scientists have not yet come to consensus.

For female health, alcohol is more dangerous than for male. In women alcoholics Problems With the heart, vessels and the nervous system can appear earlier than in men. The same applies to cirrhosis of the liver. In addition, some researchers talk about Dependencies Between regular use of even one dose of alcohol per day and an increase in the likelihood of breast cancer. Moreover, the larger the dose, the higher the probability. Do not forget that alcohol is extremely negative influences On the female reproductive system, and not only during pregnancy. Regular drinking of alcohol disrupts the hormonal balance, knocks down the menstrual cycle and negatively affects the ability to conception.

Thus, alcohol really has a stronger negative effect on the female body than on male. In addition, women often need specialized gender-oriented treatment and related psychotherapy. However, there is no evidence or more or less serious arguments in favor of the fact that female alcoholism is incurable.

Not true

What do our verdicts mean?

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