Alcoholism, third cause of death in women

• April 27, 2024

In recent years the index of alcoholism in Mexican women it has surpassed that of men; In addition, the family and social consequences of this addiction are greater for the ladies.

According to information from the Centers for Youth Integration and the 24-hour International Movement of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), in Mexico, the alcoholism it is the third cause of death among women, between 35 and 45 years of age.

Some studies indicate that almost 90% of alcoholic ladies are married and 78% have children; however, the data does not reveal the number of young people who ingest alcohol addictively.

Effects of alcohol consumption on women

The consequences of this health problem in people's lives are:

1. Abandonment of responsibilities in the home; especially, the care of the children
2. Bad example, mistreatment and abandonment of children
3. If the woman is pregnant , the baby can develop genetic malformations
4. Menopause early and menstruations irregular
5. Higher chance of developing liver cirrhosis
6. Dementia and frequent thoughts of suicide

Although women ingest less alcohol than men, the effects are greater and faster in their organism , which puts them at greater risk of being raped or abused.

This is due to the fact that the female organism has a higher fat content and a lower proportion of water. Further, "what will they say" causes the woman to drink sneakily and follow an intermittent drinking pattern, consuming large amounts of alcohol in brief periods of time, and favoring faster the onset of the disease.

Alcohol as an escape route

Life Stressful today causes many women (single, married or mothers) feel deeply dissatisfied and unhappy. That means that they use the drink as an escape route, instead of seeking professional help. In addition, addiction to alcohol It has special characteristics in the female population:

1. They deny their pathology, which hinders their detection and delays the application of the treatment.
2. Present depression and with a lot of guilt, which is usually accompanied by psychosomatic pictures.
3. There is a greater appearance of paintings hysterical that are reflected in a more frequent presence of attempts to suicide . 

On the other hand, at the level of family relations, women worsen their relationship with household members, which is why there is a higher rate of separations and divorces.

Regarding the personal history, it has been shown that the alcoholism feminine is more related to a family history of abuse of this type of drinks than in men.

There are a series of mechanisms genetic that influence the transmission of addiction. Some studies describe mothers of alcoholic women as harsh and quite distant, with absent or insufficient parents of character.

Other research indicates that the key in the alcoholism of the woman is a greater affective infantile deprivation for the loss of a parent, for separation, divorce or death. We must also highlight the high impact of the sexual abuse in the childhood, presented by many of the women who develop problems related to alcohol consumption.

In Mexico there are currently 22.5 million homes, of which 4.5 are headed by a woman, hence the importance of treating and treating addictions such as alcoholism .

If you want to know more about this topic, visit our special alcoholism