What should you really know about female alcoholism in order to help yourself and your loved ones? Dr. Vasily Shurov, one of the most famous psychiatrists and narcologists in Russia, author of the book “Over the Abyss, Don’t Rhyme. Notes of a Narcologist,” tells us.
There is no such thing as female alcoholism, just as there is no such thing as female appendicitis, heart attack or schizophrenia.
Whatever anyone says, alcohol has no gender. The root causes of alcoholism are psychological trauma, parenting mistakes, social problems, stressful living conditions, and genetic predisposition. All these factors have a decisive impact on everyone equally – men and women.
There are only two areas of medicine for which gender differences are fundamental: andrology – the science of treating male diseases and gynecology – female. And alcoholism – it is the same for both sexes.
The myth of a more severe and dangerous “female alcoholism” is rooted in established social stereotypes
Even if the head of the family is regularly seen drunk and beaten, he will be treated more gently than a woman with the same behavior. The degree of indignation in the environment will be off the scale, she will definitely be written off and accused of all sins. Although she simply repeated the behavior pattern of her husband or father. It would seem that such social standards are rather positive, because they are designed to protect a woman from alcohol from a young age. But in fact, such an attitude leads to the stigmatization of female alcoholism and only exacerbates the problem.
Women DO NOT become alcoholics faster
The fact that alcoholism develops faster in women and that they digest alcohol worse is a myth. This is an individual indicator that depends on many factors: the characteristics of the body, health, build, etc. It is important to understand: addiction develops in the same way in men and women.
or women, alcohol often acts as an antidepressant or sedative
Girls are more prone to emotional behavior. They are more likely to have depression. Alcohol allows them to come to terms with the surrounding reality, which does not suit them. At first, alcohol is consumed to relax, then it turns into a goal that begins to dominate the mind. She no longer cares about appearance, family, or reputation. It’s a vicious circle: a woman sees what is left of her appearance, depression intensifies, and she leans on alcohol.
Alcoholism in women is curable
It is a big mistake to say that a woman with alcoholism should be written off. Women go into remission very well, their families are restored, their lives are getting better. You can help anyone: as long as they are alive, there is hope. No one should be written off.