In the past, men reported higher rates of addiction and substance use disorder than women, but in the past few decades, women have swiftly closed the gender gap. Today, men and women experience roughly equal rates of these issues. However, women’s rates of progression, experiences, reasons for use, and stigmas can vary greatly from their male counterparts.
Addiction Progression in Women
Scientific studies have found that women progress in addiction faster than men due to their physiology. This is particularly true with alcohol, which female bodies process differently. Because women have less of a particular stomach enzyme that helps break down alcohol, it remains in their system longer and leads to higher blood alcohol levels. One drink for a woman can have twice the physical impact of one drink for a man. When a woman is drinking often, this higher saturation of alcohol leads to dependence more quickly. It also leads to brain and organ damage more quickly than for men.
Co-occurring Disorders in Women
Studies show that women are two times as likely to suffer from depression and anxiety as men. Self-medicating is a common theme with co-occurring disorders to manage uncomfortable feelings and often leads to abuse, dependence, and addiction. Women are also more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and attempts than men.
Furthermore, domestic and sexual trauma in women can lead to co-occurring disorders. Roughly one in three women will experience a sexual assault in their lifetime, a stat which is higher for women than it is for men. Women are more vulnerable to physical attacks and are more likely to experience child sexual abuse, incest, neglect in childhood, and domestic violence. A history of violent trauma is more common among women with drug addiction, often as a result of PTSD. In fact, one study found that as many as 6 in 10 women with addiction also have PTSD.
Women’s Pain and Addiction
Women’s pain is less likely to be taken seriously by medical professionals than men’s pain, called Pain Bias. According to Harvard Health, women’s pain is more likely to be considered psychological rather than physical. One study found that women in emergency rooms in acute pain were less likely to receive painkillers than males in similar conditions.
Conversely, women are found to suffer more frequently and more intensely from pain and often require more medication to mitigate the effects. One study found that women needed twice the amount of morphine as males to receive comparable pain relief. Women are also more likely to have chronic and painful inflammatory and/or auto-immune conditions than men. Further, women’s reproductive health conditions can lead to significant pain such as Endometriosis which affects 1 in 10 women worldwide.
The lack of adequate pain management can lead women to seek pain relief elsewhere in the form of illicit substances or illegally sold prescription medications on the street.
Social Stigmas and Pressures for Addiction in Women
Women with children in particular experience social stigmas around addiction. They have been found to be less likely to admit they have a problem, to analyze their own alcohol or substance use habits. They are also less likely to speak to a friend or professional about their problem for fear of judgment.
Further, women with addiction who are pregnant are less likely to seek support. One study found that 25% of opioid-addicted pregnant women went untreated. Researchers believe that shame and stigma play a role in their barrier to receiving help.
Getting Help
Women need and deserve proper support in the treatment of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Addiction. Seeking help in a supportive, nurturing environment that also specializes in treating Co-occurring Disorders can help to make the changes needed to overcome addiction.
If you or a loved one are struggling with drugs or alcohol, contact us today. We are here to listen and we are here to help.
Sources
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/37/12/3202
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845507/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9398925/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3688835/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/addiction-in-women
https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20047725