Women And Substance AbuseWomen and substance abuse have totally different statistics than men with substance abuse issues. With the added pressure of being a bread winner, mother, chief cook and bottle washer, lover and friend, women are facing more and more substance abuse issues. When it comes to women and alcohol, it has been shown that women, in general, drink less than men do. Only 1/3 of all alcoholics by statistic are women, but the number of women that abuse alcohol is on the rise. Women and substance abuse of alcohol have a much higher rate of liver dysfunction than men and it takes a much shorter time for women to develop problems with the liver. Marital status influences women and abuse of alcohol. Single, divorced, or separated women are more likely to develop substance abuse problems with alcohol than women who are married or widowed. Unmarried women who are living with a significant other the highest risk group for develop drinking problems. Alcohol abuse has been shown to increase the rates of breast cancer and osteoporosis. Menstrual disorders and the ability to bear children are also associated with both alcohol and drugs. These include heavy, irregular, painful periods and PMS as well as complications for both mother and baby during pregnancy if alcohol or drugs are being used or abused. Studies relating to women and substance abuse report that the use of illicit drugs is also rising to an alarming rate. Although women are still less likely to use illicit drugs than men, the reported numbers of women and substance abuse of illicit drugs has risen to 5% compared to men at 8%. Women have a higher rate of emergency room visits due to tranquillizer overdoses than do men. Women and abuse of prescribed medications such as valium were reported a 4.1% compared to men at only 2.5%. Women are far more likely than men to become addicted and abuse prescription medications than men. This is partly due to the fact that more women will seek prescription medication for stress related problems than men will. Women and substance abuse of stimulants, however is about the same as it is for men but the motivation for the use of stimulants is far different in women than men. A woman’s motivation for the abuse of stimulants is usually weight loss (society imposes that you must be thin to be noticed) or to counter depression. Stimulant use in men is usually performance driven. Women and substance abuse of drugs have a much higher rate of sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS. This is due to having unprotected sex with high risk partners while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A man transmitting the virus to women is always higher than the other way around. Also, women who are substance abusers and drug addicted will trade sex for drugs. The price for anyone addicted to or abusing any substance is great no matter if you are male or female. Women and substance abuse however, seems to have some issues that are not present for men or hold greater consequences. So ladies, if you find yourself having difficulties in these areas seek professional assistance. |