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The
Negative Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Women
Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Women:
 The
effects of alcohol abuse on women are much less predictable than with
men. While women are much more likely to abstain from alcohol and
drink less than men, when they do drink, the effects of alcohol abuse
are known to be very different. Problem drinking among women is much
more likely to lead to or be associated with mood disorders such as
depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms. Alcoholic women are much
more likely to point to negative emotions and interpersonal conflicts
to be antecedents to their problem drinking then do men. These
findings are consistent with epidemiological studies which indicate
that women are much more likely than men to have concurrent mood
disorders along with their alcohol abuse. Also, it is more common for
their mood disorders to precede their problem drinking. The effects of
alcohol abuse on women are also very different in terms of the context
of their problem drinking.
Effects of alcohol abuse on women: Negative versus positive profiles
Alcoholic behavior
among women is much more likely to result in a negative drinking
profile than with men, who seem to drink within more of a positive
context. Women seem to exhibit a much more negative drinking profile
than men, frequently characterized by solitary drinking resulting in a
greater severity of alcohol dependence. Men frequently seem to have a
more positive profile in that they drink socially and more in the
context of positive emotions. Studies on alcoholic women have also
found that they are usually significantly older than men when a
variety of alcoholic markers begin to emerge such as regular
drunkenness, loss of control over drinking, to relieve withdrawal
symptoms, first attempt to stop drinking, and the realization that
they are abusing alcohol. Women also seem to exhibit a more rapid
progression than men between the time of first regular intoxication
and the need for alcohol treatment.
Effects of alcohol abuse and metabolism in women:
Another
significant effect of alcohol abuse on women is that their smaller
average body mass results in higher blood alcohol levels in response
to a specific consumption level. It is also believed, that
additionally, less first-pass metabolism due to less gastric oxidation
of ethanol may also contribute to the higher blood levels obtained by
women following the same equivalent dosage of ethanol. Women
alcoholics, when compared to men, are also at greater risk of comorbid
drug abuse and dependence. Probably due to these factors, women also
have a tendency to seek alcohol treatment earlier in the course of the
disorder than do men.
Pregnancy, childbearing, and the effects of alcohol abuse:
Alcohol abuse
appears to be most prevalent during the childbearing years, resulting
in important public health concerns related to prenatal alcohol
exposure and possible fetal alcohol effects. While all the effects of
alcohol abuse on women have not been identified, there does appear to
be a variety of adverse outcomes related to heavy drinking in pregnant
women. Heavy drinking over a period of time has been known to produce
malnutrition in both the mother and fetus, as well as sometimes
resulting in spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery and intrauterine
growth retardation. The birth defects related to alcohol are
estimated to be as high as 1 in 100 live births. The most severe
manifestation of alcohol-related birth defects is fetal alcohol
syndrome, resulting in a constellation of morphological and
developmental defects resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure of high
dosage. Fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated to occur in 1 in 1000 to
1 in 300 live births. Prenatal or postnatal growth retardation,
central nervous system involvement and characteristic facial
dysmorphology are necessary for diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Assessment of the effects of alcohol abuse:
The effects of
alcohol abuse should be evaluated among alcoholic pregnant women and
should routinely include questions about alcohol and other substances
used. Screening with an instrument such as the AUDIT or the T-ACE in
addition to questions related to drug use may be extremely useful in
understanding the effects of alcohol abuse on pregnant alcoholic
women. Women who are known to drink heavily and use drugs should be
designated as "high-risk" and should be given specialized,
comprehensive perinatal care, including rehabilitation and appropriate
attention to related psychosocial disabilities to limit the effects of
alcohol abuse on themselves and their babies.
From DSM-IV-TR Mental
Disorders: Diagnosis, Etiology and Treatment by Michael B. First and
Allan Tasman
Additional
Information and webpage by
Paul Susic
MA
Licensed Psychologist Ph.D. Candidate
(Health and Geriatric Psychologist)
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