WHO is sounding the alarm: the problem of female alcoholism is becoming widespread. The boundaries of this disease are blurring: drunkenness affects women of all ages: from teenagers to the elderly. In our article we will talk about how alcoholism develops in women, how to identify this disease, and also study ways to treat it.
- Read in the article:
- Female alcoholism: what is it?
- Causes of female alcoholism
- Signs of female alcoholism: how it manifests itself
- Stages of female alcoholism
- First stage
- Second stage
- Third stage
- Consequences of alcoholism in women
- Consequences of beer alcoholism in women
- Why is female alcoholism worse than male alcoholism?
- Photo of an alcoholic woman
- Diagnosis of female alcoholism
- What to do if a woman drinks
- The effect of alcohol on the female body
- How alcohol affects a woman's brain
- The effect of alcohol on reproductive function
- How does alcohol affect a woman's appearance?
- Hidden alcoholism in women
- Women's binge
- Female alcoholism at 40 years old: danger
- How long do women alcoholics live?
- How long does it take for women to become drunkards?
- Methods and prices for treating female alcoholism in
Treatment prices:
Sign up for a free and anonymous consultation with a narcologist | 0 ₽ |
Initial consultation with a narcologist | for free |
Consultation with a psychologist in person or Skype | 3 000 ₽ |
Psychiatrist consultation | 5 000 ₽ |
Psychodiagnostics / pathological diagnostics | 7 500 ₽ |
Narcopsychotherapy | 50 000 ₽ |
Consultation with a psychologist and selection of a treatment and rehabilitation program for an addict | for free |
Intervention session | 12 000 ₽ |
Social rehabilitation of alcohol addicts | for free |
Outpatient rehabilitation in Moscow | 33 000 ₽ |
Standard rehabilitation program | 40 000 ₽ |
Intensive rehabilitation program | 80 000 ₽ |
Premium rehabilitation program | 120 000 ₽ |
Medical and social rehabilitation (21 days) | 150 000 ₽ |
Rehabilitation Spain, Bulgaria | 200 000 ₽ |
VIP rehabilitation program | 350 000 ₽ |
Online addiction rehabilitation course | 28 000 ₽ |
Rehabilitation of age-related alcohol addicts | 50 000 ₽ |
Rehabilitation of drug addicts | 60 000 ₽ |
Adolescent social-psychological-pedagogical rehabilitation | 70 000 ₽ |
Psychotherapy | 5 000 ₽ |
Family psychotherapy | 6 000 ₽ |
Support groups for loved ones of addicts | for free |
Webinars for relatives of addicts | for free |
School for codependents | 3 000 ₽ |
Transfer support | negotiable |
Motivation for treatment | 6 000 ₽ |
Escort to the clinic | 6 000 ₽ |
Testing (urine/blood/hair) | specify |
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Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is recommended to consolidate the main treatment. For addicts at stages 2 and 3, inpatient therapy is necessary. Staying in a rehabilitation center prevents relapse. The possibility of access to alcohol is excluded, and specialists are ready to provide any assistance to patients around the clock.
The conditions of stay in a rehabilitation center are similar to those in a sanatorium. There is a certain daily routine with three meals a day, walks in the fresh air, medical procedures and physical education. During art therapy sessions, women can choose a hobby for their leisure time. During group therapy, many patients make new acquaintances and share their experiences of struggling with addiction, which promotes recovery. A busy daily routine, the emergence of new interests and activities do not leave time even to think about alcohol.
After completing a rehabilitation course, physical and mental health is restored. A woman adapts more easily to society and establishes social relationships. The center's specialists and volunteers provide ongoing post-treatment support to patients and help with finding a job or study.
Female alcoholism is a severe addiction. Many people believe that the disease is incurable, but this is not true. Women agree to undergo treatment more quickly and respond well to therapy if sufficiently motivated. The help of an experienced narcologist, long-term rehabilitation and support from loved ones will help you get rid of your bad habit forever and start a new life in which there is no place for alcohol.
Causes of female alcoholism
Alcohol addiction does not affect happy people. Female binge drinking occurs for the following reasons:
- Alcohol addicted husband
. The wife becomes a participant in regular feasts. Often women try to “share the interests” of their spouse, becoming their main drinking companion. A man prone to drunkenness “infects” his wife with his own illnesses and may even encourage her drunkenness; - Psychological problems
. Constant stress and traumatic situations can provoke the fair sex to drink alcohol. Often, girls who have become victims of violence (psychological, physical, sexual) grab a bottle as a lifeline to avoid traumatic experiences; - Staying in unfavorable companies
. A poor environment that encourages alcohol use can lead to addiction. In this case, female alcoholism is formed in the same way as male alcoholism: under pressure from society or due to the inability to have fun without psychoactive substances, a girl begins to drink alcohol.
Only after identifying the causes of alcohol addiction can you decide how to overcome the addiction.
Literature
- Medical and social aspects of female alcoholism / N. N. Kuryanova, A. G. Serdyukov; Astrakh. state honey. acad. – Astrakhan: Publishing House Astrakh. state honey. acad., 2002. – 214 p.
- Female and marital alcoholism. Current problems of addiction / Shaidukova L.K. - Kazan: World without borders, 2006 (Kazan: PIK Idel-Press). – 175 p.
- Woman and alcohol: features, consequences, overcoming female alcoholism / T. V. Ataulina et al.; edited by L. P. Simbirtseva. – St. Petersburg: Ostrovityanin, 2009. – 269 p.
Article verified by an expert
Terekhova Anna Vladimirovna
psychologist-consultant on socio-psychological work with addicted clients and their families. More than 10 years of experience.
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Signs of female alcoholism: how it manifests itself
Alcohol addiction develops differently for each person. We are not always talking about binge drinking in women, which is accompanied by strong changes in appearance. A girl can drink regularly, finding an excuse for another feast. In this case we are talking about latent alcohol addiction. In other situations, the disease develops at lightning speed: binge drinking can last for months. In the end, the woman’s body cannot stand it and she dies.
Reviews from doctors
What is the opinion of doctors about such a procedure? This is what Vitaly Mikhailovich, a narcologist, said:
“This is a good option for loved ones if they cannot take a drunk person to the hospital and do not want publicity. All manipulations (except for very severe cases) can be performed at home with professional help.”
Addictologist Alexander Viktorovich also speaks positively:
“Women are more likely to worry about public opinion, so home visits are a good solution. In this case, the stress that is typical for people in the hospital is eliminated, and psychological comfort is a step towards getting rid of addiction.”
Stages of female alcoholism
There are several stages in the development of alcohol addiction. Each stage of addiction occurs individually: in the presence of burdened heredity and psychological problems, the disease develops very quickly.
First stage
The first stage involves the development of a psychological craving for alcohol. At this stage, a person is looking for reasons to drink. Alcohol is seen as a “safe haven” that helps relieve stress and escape from the problems of the real world.
Second stage
At the second stage, symptoms of physical dependence develop: during the period of sobriety, abstinence is noted. In order to avoid a hangover and severe withdrawal symptoms, a woman has to maintain a constant presence of ethanol in her blood.
Third stage
The personality begins to degrade. Physiological changes occur and tolerance to ethanol develops. You have to drink more and more, periods of sobriety practically do not occur. Severe damage to the brain, liver, kidneys and other organs develops.
Maybe it's a predisposition
Alcohol addiction can be caused by heredity. For example, if parents abused alcohol before conceiving a baby, then children may be born who are predisposed to drunkenness. The risk of developing alcoholism in these children increases 4 times than in adolescents whose mothers and fathers practically do not drink alcohol. Many teenagers often develop an interest in low-alcohol products. Getting used to them happens very quickly, which can lead to major health problems in the future.
The main reasons leading women to alcohol addiction:
- Feeling Useless
- Loneliness
- Stress
- Not mutual love
- Adultery
- Lack of hobbies, work and life interests
Women try to cover up the above problems with alcohol, not realizing that this only complicates the situation. A woman's environment also plays a vital role. If loved ones abuse, it is possible that the girl will follow the same path.
Consequences of alcoholism in women
Female alcoholism entails a lot of serious consequences. Regardless of the type of drinks consumed, alcohol addiction leads to the following results:
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system : heart attack, heart failure, stroke;
- Liver dysfunction : cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatitis, etc.;
- Dysfunction of the central nervous system and brain;
- Mental disorders : development of schizophrenia, acquired mental retardation, delusional disorders, etc.;
- Diseases of the reproductive system . Alcohol consumption leads to infertility, increases the risk of premature birth, inflammatory diseases (endometritis, adnexitis, etc.). Alcoholism in a pregnant woman is a terrible phenomenon that leads to the appearance of fetal alcohol syndrome and other mutations in the fetus. In addition, pregnant women who drink alcohol often experience miscarriage and stillbirth;
- General decrease in immunity . Frequent infectious diseases occur that develop into a chronic form;
- Unprotected sexual intercourse while intoxicated contributes to the transmission of HIV, hepatitis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, candidiasis and other diseases. Their presence also causes irreparable harm to the reproductive system.
It is necessary to know how to recognize alcohol addiction in a girl in order to provide urgent drug treatment in the early stages of addiction. Regardless of financial situation and social status, alcoholism leads to personality degradation and lowers a person to the social bottom.
Consequences of beer alcoholism in women
The formation of beer alcoholism in a man takes about 10 years, in a woman - about 3. Dependence on low-alcohol drinks negatively affects a girl’s body and causes physiological and hormonal changes. During a consultation with a narcologist, it will become clear how to overcome beer alcoholism in women. You should refrain from self-medication and seek the help of professionals.
Why is female alcoholism worse than male alcoholism?
There is an opinion that the peculiarity of female alcoholism is that it is incurable. In order to confirm or refute this fact, it is important to understand how alcoholism affects women. Representatives of the fair sex who are dependent on alcohol are more often hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals with mental and neurotic disorders. This occurs due to destructive changes in the girl’s brain and central nervous system. Because of these changes and psychological characteristics, quick treatment of alcohol addiction is impossible: therapy takes many months, or even years.
Statistics
The statistics are also inexorable. The critical risk for developing alcoholism for a woman is 200-300 ml of beer or 80-90 ml of wine daily or more than 5 times a week.
If in men chronic alcoholism (first-second stage) develops after 6-12 months of daily drinking, then for women 3-6 months are enough. Women are more likely to develop binge drinking - among men, about 60% of drinkers are prone to it, and among women - 82%.
According to rough estimates, more than 15% of women in Russia suffer from chronic alcoholism - but their loved ones are unlikely to know about it.
It is easier for a woman to sleep due to a neurophysiological property - the response to emotions, for example, sadness, sadness, low mood, is provided by neurons, the area of which is 8 times larger than in men. Naturally, it is very, very easy to fall into depression with so many active neurons. And it is precisely this property of women’s brain tissue that causes the early transition of alcoholism to the chronic stage. Moral decline in women alcoholics develops 3-5 times faster than in men.
Photo of an alcoholic woman
Alcohol addiction divides a woman’s life into “before” and “after”. The girl's appearance, intelligence and psyche undergoes severe changes. In the following photographs you can notice changes in the appearance of women suffering from alcoholism.
Photo 1 - Women often become the main drinking buddies of alcohol-dependent husbands. Alcoholism must be treated comprehensively.
Photo 2 - A woman suffering from alcoholism. Falls and drunken brawls lead to numerous bruises, and the face becomes puffy.
Photo 3 - Women of different ages are susceptible to alcoholism, regardless of social status.
Photo 4 - Latent alcoholism involves a constant search for excuses for a new dose of alcohol. The woman claims that a bottle of wine helps her “relax” and “relieve stress.” In fact, frequent drinking may conceal a serious psychological dependence.
Photo 5 - Fetal alcohol syndrome in a child. Changes in the fetal body are provoked not by genetic diseases, but by parental alcoholism.
Coding
At the initial stage of development of female alcoholism, you can get by with coding. The NarMed clinic practices drug and psychotherapeutic blockade of cravings for ethyl alcohol. Both methods are highly effective and simple for the patient.
Medication coding
In this case, medications that are incompatible with alcohol are introduced into the body of a sick person. The most commonly used are Disulfiram, Esperal, Teturam, Antabuse. These medications are made in the form of tablets, injection solutions, and capsules for implantation under the skin.
Once in the body, coding drugs block the liver’s function to process ethyl and break it down into safe components. As a result, even a minimal dose of alcohol will cause symptoms of severe poisoning in a coded person. This is how negative conditioned and unconditioned reflexes of the body to the taste, smell and even appearance of alcoholic beverages are formed.
You can be encoded for a period from several months to 5 years. If necessary, the encoding can be repeated.
Psychotherapeutic coding
You can also block the need for alcohol using psychotherapy methods, which are based on hypnosis and suggestion . For successful coding, you will need to conduct one or more sessions with a psychotherapist who will change attitudes in the patient’s mind, create a psychological rejection of alcohol and motivate him to a healthy lifestyle. In complex cases of female alcoholism, it can be recommended to do a comprehensive coding, consisting of a medicinal and psychotherapeutic part.
The effect of alcohol on the female body
Alcoholism causes the development of severe pathologies for the entire human body. It is important to start treatment in the early stages of this disease.
How alcohol affects a woman's brain
Long-term alcohol consumption negatively affects a person's mental abilities. The memory, concentration, and logical abilities of an alcohol addict are impaired. The development of acquired mental retardation and severe mental pathologies is possible: paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, mental retardation, etc.
The effect of alcohol on reproductive function
Alcohol contributes to a decrease in immunity and susceptibility to the development of infectious diseases. Unprotected sexual intercourse aggravates the situation: inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, as well as infertility, develop.
How does alcohol affect a woman's appearance?
Alcohol addiction leads to changes in a woman’s appearance:
- The face becomes puffy, the areas around the eyes swell;
- “Spider veins” appear on the nose, the connective tissues of the nose grow;
- The skin becomes rough, numerous rashes appear;
- Hair becomes brittle, dry, and may fall out;
- The woman's figure changes. Often, long-term alcohol addicts have disproportionately thin legs combined with a dense abdomen;
- A woman stops taking care of herself: she ignores hygiene measures, and as a result of drunken brawls she becomes covered with bruises and hematomas.
Alcoholism does not always lead to serious changes in appearance. There is also latent alcoholism, which cannot be recognized visually.
If you want, you can always tell yourself “stop”
Unfortunately, patients themselves turn to me extremely rarely. In most cases, they are brought by relatives and friends. There is a thin, invisible line between the stage when a person can still understand that he has problems and turn to a psychotherapist, change his lifestyle, learn to relieve stress and lift his spirits in other ways. And the stage when this is no longer possible, because a person, no matter what gender, is dependent and does not recognize it. This is where family or a reliable partner comes in.
In the process of treating alcohol addiction, we always work with relatives. There may be codependency and provocations - but this is a separate big topic.