In recent years media reports have indicated that there is a growing demographic among people struggling with addiction: women with alcohol disorders. Whereas historical data shows alcoholism to be more prevalent in men, the gap between males and females in alcohol treatment centers is shrinking at an alarming rate.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol use among women more than doubled in the decade leading up to 2013. This was the first indication of an emerging problem that has gotten much worse in the years since the study was carried out.
The Rise in Drinking Among Women
The data that has already been collected on female alcohol use and abuse is staggering. Whereas in the past men have been more prevalent in alcohol rehab centers, they are no longer in the majority. Women’s relationship with alcohol has changed on a number of levels with them being linked more with alcohol-related behaviors such as driving under the influence, binge drinking, and casual sexual encounters. Although studies vary in the percentage increase of women with alcohol issues, they all support the fact that there is a clear trend for higher alcohol intake among women.
Female Drinking Is Starting Earlier, Too.
According to a study carried out by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2017, females are engaging in alcohol use from as early as high school and middle school. In the past, statistics have shown that males were the dominant users of alcohol, which has dramatically changed over the past 20 years.
This research confirms the worrying fact that for the first time in history girls are more likely to consume alcohol in the 10th grade than their male counterparts.
This is not a problem that only exists in the US. A 2016 publication which gathered information from 68 studies in 36 countries by Australian researchers showed similar increases in female alcohol consumption across more than 4 million men and women in the survey’s sample.
Is This a Cultural Shift?
It is difficult to determine the exact reasons why more women are using alcohol than ever before. Some feel that changing cultural attitudes towards women’s drinking have created a landscape where it is somehow more “acceptable” for females to drink. Whereas in the past it was more frowned upon to witness a woman drinking alcohol in a social setting, it is now considered the norm.
Research suggests that women are far more likely to turn to substances in the first place in response to emotional triggers such as low self-esteem, relationship issues, weight problems, grief or infertility. There is also evidence to suggest that high rates of depression and anxiety and women are driving the increase in alcohol consumption.
Pushing for Change
The issue of women’s drinking has gathered pace in recent years, garnering more media attention which is spreading awareness. The NIAAA reported that in 2016, around 5.4 million women over the age of 18 were believed to have some degree of alcohol use disorder and needed addiction treatment. Despite this startling number, less than 7% of women actually followed-through and attend an alcoholism treatment program.
Many people with addiction issues are worried about what life will be like without substances, which sometimes makes them continue their abusive behavior. Whether male or female, an individual battling addiction illness often feels that they have no future without alcohol, whereas attending rehab and starting afresh in recovery is always the best thing that happens to people.
According to addiction experts, women are more successfully treated for alcohol use disorder if the program is tailored to their specific needs. Many women with alcoholism are concerned about entering an alcohol treatment center, particularly if they have young children to care for and so it is essential that an alcoholism treatment program allows them to continue in their care giving roles.
Although many people assume all alcohol rehab centers are residential and that a significant time commitment is required, there are actually numerous and very flexible options available. For instance, an intensive outpatient program or IOP offers accelerated alcohol abuse treatment for women unable to commit to a residential alcohol rehab center.
Finding the Right Alcohol Abuse Treatment Program for Women with AUD
There are around 15,000 alcohol treatment centers available to individuals in America who are struggling with alcohol use and abuse. However, due to the nature of female addiction, it is especially important that a chosen program contains components that meet the emotional needs of the patient. Many women have a considerable role of responsibility in the family and the expectation is often that they should be able to cope with any degree of stress.
Women who remain at home to care for babies and pre-school children are particularly prone to feeling isolated in their daily lives as they try to juggle their tasks with their own personal needs. It is not unusual for women to place themselves further down the priority list than their loved ones as they feel it is their role to put other people first, particularly children. This inevitably places extra pressure on them to meet the expectations of those close to them, which is often not possible to achieve.
Combine this daily stress with a lack of support and it is not surprising that many more women are turning to drink as a means of escape from their daily lives. There is now much more pressure on women to be great mothers, a forceful presence in the office and a perfectly presented romantic partner. This can lead to women hiding their issues with alcohol from others for fear of being judged harshly.
Regardless of the gender of a person who has problems with alcohol, there is a route to recovery that fits their lifestyle choices and personal beliefs. Through spreading awareness of an increasing drinking problem among women, it may eventually be possible to break down the barriers that often prevent them from seeking the alcohol abuse treatment they need.