Alcohol
- An estimated 5.3 million women in the United States drink in a way that threatens their health, safety, and general well-being.
- Alcohol appears to have different physiological effects on women and men. Females generally experience higher levels of intoxication with the same amounts of alcohol, and have variations in response to alcohol during the course of their menstrual cycle.
- Women appear more susceptible to alcohol-related illness than men and can develop alcohol-related illnesses from exposure to lower levels of alcohol and from shorter periods of heavy drinking than men.
- Females with problematic alcohol use may report significantly greater depression, anxiety, neuroticism, and health-related stressful events compared to their male counterparts.
- Women who drink excessively appear more likely to be a target of violence and sexual assault. On college campuses, assaults, unwanted sexual advances, and unplanned and unsafe sex appear more likely among females who drink 4 or more drinks in a row.
- Women who drink alcohol may also pose a serious risk for their children. Drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which is characterized by growth and mental impairment. Drinking while taking care of children can also expose children to injuries and/or neglect.
What is Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence?
A pattern of alcohol use that is unhealthy or dangerous.
Excessive use of alcohol can also lead to alcohol dependence, often referred to as alcoholism. Alcohol dependence can make it difficult to quit drinking or control how much drinking is involved. Physical problems such as tolerance (needing to drink more to obtain the same effect), withdrawal, and alcohol-related health complications (e.g. cirrhosis) may develop. A person with alcohol dependence may spend a significant amount of time in activities necessary to obtain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or recovering from its effects.
Some behaviors associated with alcohol abuse include drinking too much, drinking when it is dangerous to do so (e.g. while driving or taking care of children), missing work, school or other obligations due to drinking or being hung over, getting in trouble with the law, recurrent social or interpersonal problems (e.g. arguments about alcohol use, physical fights while intoxicated), and continued alcohol consumption despite the problems it has caused or made worse.
Not everyone who drinks regularly has a drinking problem, and not all problem drinkers drink every day. The following links contain alcohol use self-assessment tools which may provide some insight into your alcohol consumption.
For more information: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Publications
