Women and Alcohol: Use, Misuse and How to Get Help
A Wake-Up Call
“At 16, I lost a close friend in an alcohol-related car accident. Complete sobriety while driving was an absolute non-negotiable for me. The last night I ever drank, I went out with friends to a comedy show where we shared several pitchers. I drove home. In my mind, I was sober enough to drive. Reality came crashing down on me the next morning when I woke up. I was almost 100% sure that I was still under the influence. That meant that there was a high likelihood that I was impaired when I drove home. The thought that I may have dishonored my friend’s memory in that way was enough for me to say, ‘This has gotten out of hand.’” Holly Paulsen, SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) recovery program participant.
Most of us drink alcohol. According to a 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 87% of adults reported that they drank alcohol at some point in the past year and 70% in the past month. While there are some reported benefits to occasional and light alcohol consumption, there are very real risks to overconsumption.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns that for women in particular, excessive drinking disproportionately increases their risk of liver disease, cognitive decline, heart muscle damage, cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and breast, and even the likelihood of becoming a victim of sexual violence.
Why Alcohol Affects Women’s Bodies Differently
Gabrielle Glaser, author of “Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink—And How They Can Regain Control” (Simon & Schuster, 2014), explains, “Women are more vulnerable than men to the toxic effects of alcohol. Their bodies have more fat and less water than men’s. Fat retains alcohol and water dilutes it, so women drinking the same amount as men who are evenly matched in size and weight become drunk more quickly and stay intoxicated longer. Women also make less of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol before it hits the bloodstream.”
Read the rest of this article in the full digital issue below.
