Whereas women and addictions were once a taboo subject, it is becoming increasingly apparent that women are quickly catching up with men in terms of numbers and, unfortunately, frequently exceed the men in terms of physiological consequences. This applies to all addictions. The only addictive type disease where this trend apparently is reversed is in terms of eating disorders.

Between 1/3 and ½ of all alcoholics are women. One out of every three newcomers to A.A. is a women. However, up until 10 years ago, NO research or studies were conducted on female alcoholics. Up until that point, it was assumed that all the research applied equally to women even though all studies done were on men or rodents. The research now being conducted demonstrates clearly that women's biology and experiences are so different from that of men that it's not surprising that some traditional treatment techniques have few successes with women and actually has been shown to do harm. So how are women different?

The most profound difference is the social stigma applied to women. Due to societies double standards, the male drunk is often seen as macho (a real hard drinker), a clowns (as in the movie Arthur), or a sympathetic figures (such as the country and western singer). Similar standards are not set for women. Do you ever hear of a women who is admired for being able to drink someone under the table? Usually, a women who drinks heavily is seen as masculine or unnatural. This, incidently, is not a new concept. Moslem women caught drinking have been killed on the spot by her male relatives (the same rules do not apply to males caught drinking). In ancient Rome, it was appropriate to starve or stone a woman caught drinking. These rules really haven't changed that much. As a result, women often either hide their drinking to a much larger extent than men or face severe labelling. This provides for a double whammy of guilt.

Another big difference, usually ignored, is biology. Guess what! Women are made differently from men! As a result, not only does the impact on women differ from men, but also the patterns. Here are some examples:

• women become more intoxicated than men when drinking the same amount even when they weigh the same. It also takes her longer to clear the alcohol from her system. eg. it takes a 120lb. women 2.5 hours to clear one standard drink.
  
• when research was being done into food addictions, it was discovered that food addicts often begin their addiction in childhood, according to some experts, as early as the first year. It now appears that food addicts process food differently from "normal" eaters. They tend to binge on simple carbohydrates (sweet or starchy food) which boosts the level of the brain chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter which effects mood and emotions. People with eating disorders are 2 to 5 times more likely to be addicted to alcohol or other drugs.
  
• women drink more and use more at specific points in their menstrual cycle and are more sensitive to chemicals at these times. It is speculated this too has much to do with your bodies difficulty coping with the changes experienced by your body during the menstrual cycle. This is important to look at when planning a recovery program- not a huge issue for men (although men could likely benefit by this knowledge).
  
• women develop cirrhosis at lower consumption levels and at an earlier age.
  
• women drinkers suffer duodenal ulcers, anaemia and malnutrition at far higher rates than men.
  
• women develop liver damage and pneumonia 3 times more often than men.
  
• the leading cancer killer of women prior to 1986 was breast cancer. It is now lung cancer.
  
• the faster growth in smokers is teenage girls.
  
  

A third primary difference is cross addiction. Although men are now also presenting as cross addicted, women have historically been cross addicted. 1988 research demonstrated that 2 to 4 million women in the U.S. were addicted to prescription drugs. It has been well documented in research that when women and men present to their family physician with identical symptoms, men were sent for lab tests and X-rays and women were sent home with prescriptions.

A fourth primary difficulty is the effectiveness of the "ego busters" in terms of programming. Contrary to the experience of men, women do not tend to experience the same increase in self esteem while addicted. Most women are socialized to accept dependency as normal and to be less powerful. The tactics used to convince the men to relinquish power are usually unnecessary and often diminish what little sense of self women have. This in combination with the added issue that women are frequently also struggling with abuse issues and eating disorders further undermines women's "ego". Further busting seems pointless in most case (remember, there are exceptions). Basically, the problems unique to women addicts are enormous.

Quick Facts

• -alcohol and drug abuse are listed as precipitating factors in:
  70% of all sexual abuse including rape and incest
  50% of spousal abuse
  20% of child abuse
  
  
• about 70% of all prescriptions for tranquillizer, sedatives and stimulants are written for women
  
  
• First Nations women have cirrhosis of the liver 36 time the rate of Caucasian women .
  
• the number of young female drinkers is increasing more rapidly than the number of young males.
  
  
• lesbians have higher rates of addictions than heterosexual women
  
• women planning treatment programs identify child care issues as a primary barrier; men seldom list child care as an issue at all.
  
  

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