How Does Addiction Affect Men and Women Differently?

Addiction is a severe mental health condition that can have devastating consequences for those affected by it. Men and women experience addiction differently, yet the impact on their lives can be equally profound. While addiction causes many similar effects in men and women, there are some key differences between the sexes regarding how they develop a dependency, their likelihood of seeking help, and what sort of medically assisted help they need.

This article will provide an overview of how addiction affects men and women differently. In addition, it will explore the unique challenges that each gender faces in seeking treatment, overcoming substance abuse issues, and finding a path to recovery. By understanding the differences between men and women, we can better empathize with those affected by addiction and work to ensure that all people have access to the resources they need to combat addiction and move forward with their lives.

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How Men and Women Become Addicted Differently

While anyone can develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol, certain factors may increase the risk of dependency. One of these factors is gender. Men and women typically develop addiction differently for various reasons, including biological differences, societal pressures, and other environmental factors.

According to the National Institute on Drugs Abuse, men are likely to use all kinds of illicit drugs, and these drugs can lead to ER visits or overdose deaths. Illegal drug use refers to using drugs like cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and prescription drugs illegally.

In addition, NIDA points out that men, in most age groups, have higher rates of use and dependence on alcohol and drugs than women. Studies have found that men are 2.2 times more likely to abuse substances and 1.9 times likelier to develop a drug dependence than women.

Historically, most substance use disorders (SUD) were seen in men. However, there's evidence that this has been shifting over the years. A study analyzed the rates of substance abuse by gender over many decades. It discovered that the gap between men and women was closing, as women and men are now developing SUD at near-equal rates.

Despite this, women may be more susceptible to craving substances and relapse, vital phases of the addiction cycle.

Notably, age significantly impacts addiction in both men and women. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that the use of illegal drugs was almost the same in youth ages 12 to 17 years.

The distinction between how men and women suffer from addiction stems from biological and sociological differences. Researchers believe this distinction is due to societal impact (like relationship dynamics, addiction stigma, childcare responsibilities, etc.). Men and women also have biological differences, primarily revolving around estrogen and testosterone production, along with body composition and size that can cause the drugs to affect the body differently.

Harvard notes that the main difference in addiction between the two genders revolves around susceptibility, recovery, and risk of relapse.

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Susceptibility

Men are more likely to become dependent on substances. They also tend to develop drug addiction due to stress or peer pressure. On the other hand, women are more likely to develop addiction due to underlying mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, or trauma history. For example, a woman who experiences sexual assault is more likely to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to cope.

Women also experience accelerated progression from initial drug use to the onset of addiction and first admission to treatment. This phenomenon, called telescoping, has been observed in studies focusing on women addicted to alcohol or drugs like cannabis and opioids. It has been shown that women who enter addiction treatment often present with a more severe clinical profile than men despite having used fewer substances within a shorter timeframe than men.

Recovery

Men tend to stabilize substance abuse at lower doses compared to women. They are also likely to experience more intense symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. On the other hand, women may experience more severe drug withdrawal symptoms, including liver damage and overdose. In addition, men may be more likely to experience heart problems due to drug use.

Risk of Relapse

Women have a much higher risk of experiencing intense cravings and relapse than men. This is due to various factors, including the biological differences mentioned earlier, but also due to societal pressures and other environmental factors.

Specific Substances

Alcohol

Women have less water in their bodies than men. This means they do not need as much alcohol to get drunk. Women also don't break down alcohol as fast because their body has lower levels of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. Besides, men and women abuse alcohol for different reasons.

Men tend to drink for social reasons or to enhance positive emotions, while women sometimes use alcohol to alleviate mental health problems like stress or anxiety. This explains why more women have co-occurring alcohol abuse and mental disorders. Sadly, women are less likely to seek treatment for their binge drinking issues than men.

Opioids

Some studies indicate that women may experience chronic pain more intensely than men. This may explain why women are more likely to use prescription and illicit opioids for chronic pain management and why they develop addiction faster. Women also tend to get heightened dopamine responses in the brain, accelerating the development of a dependence on drugs. Despite their heightened susceptibility, men are more likely to misuse opioids and fatally overdose.

Surveys have shown that women are more likely to overdose fatally in the first years of an opioid use disorder involving injection. This is partly because of polydrug use. But they tend to survive heroin abuse after a few years of use compared to men.

Most women who abuse opioids, especially heroin, are young and mostly do so because of pressure from sexual partners or social circles. But they mostly take smaller doses for a shorter time and don't inject.

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Stimulants

Women may be more likely to become addicted to stimulants, like drugs and alcohol, because their bodies are made differently. Women have hormones like estrogen, which can strengthen stimulants' effects. This means they need smaller amounts of drugs or alcohol to get drunk or high than men do.

Get Addiction Treatment for Both Men and Women

Men and women differ in their substance abuse behavior, how they experience addiction and its consequences, and how they respond to treatment. The differences between the genders should be considered when planning addiction treatment programs. Tailored interventions and gender-specific treatments are needed to help both men and women seek addiction treatment and successfully recover.

Group therapy, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and other forms of behavioral health support are also crucial for a successful recovery. Family members must also play an essential part in treatment to help the individual cope with cravings and maintain abstinence. With proper support and treatment, both men and women have a good chance of achieving long-term recovery.

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Alcoholism is Getting Bad Thanks to the Pandemic

Alcohol slows down the central nervous system, creating feelings of relaxation. It also lowers inhibitions, memory, and judgment. Because of these qualities, many people turn to alcohol to distance themselves from the challenges or stressors they’re facing due to COVID-19. The pandemic is associated with negative economic and health impacts, loss, grief, isolation, prolonged uncertainty and stress.

Recent studies show that people are binge drinking to cope with the negative impacts COVID-19 pandemic. One study found that American adults have sharply increased their alcohol consumption, drinking on more days per week.

The study released by RAND Corporation compared the drinking habits of adults between spring 2019 and spring 2020. Reviewing over 1500 adults across America, participants were asked about their change in alcohol use between 2019 and 2020 during the first peak of the virus.

The study found a 14% increase in alcohol use among adults, compared to the same time last year. This was a 19% increase among all adults ages 30-59. Women, in particular, showed a 41% increase in alcohol use.

Experts warn that the pandemic’s stress could be could be prodding some people to drink alcohol. In the previous years, surges in alcohol use were noted following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 2003 SARS, and September 11th terrorist attacks. Such traumatic events and their resulting stressors tend to lead to increased post-disaster alcohol use and abuse.

Why are people drinking during the pandemic?

People are consuming alcohol as a way to manage emotional stress. The pandemic has created collective grief and loss of security and safety with incredible uncertainty. Before the pandemic, alcohol use was already a significant public health concern. The pandemic seems to be fueling this even further with its vast effects, like:

Loss of a loved one to COVID-19
Loss of social and emotional support
Loss of financial resources
Working as a frontline worker, like in hospitals, etc.
Unemployment

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, people would go out and blow off some steam. They’d go to the gym for a workout or the movies to calm down. But with the lockdown and less social contact rules, that’s not an option anymore. People can’t hang out with their friends and loved ones as they used to. They can no longer engage in activities that help them reduce stress and enhance well-being. But they can access alcohol because liquor stores were deemed essential businesses and stayed open.

When you combine anxiety and stress with the ability to order alcohol through an app and have it delivered to your doorstep within an hour, you get a perfect pathway towards excessive drinking and abuse.

The effects of alcohol on the body

These studies show that many people could be turning to alcohol to cope with pressures created by COVID-19. Drinking alcohol to cope with life situations like boredom or stress can become a habit that leads to substance abuse disorder. When a person self-medicates with alcohol to cope with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues, they can develop co-occurring substance use disorder.

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Alcohol is a depressant and sedative that affects the central nervous system. At first, drinking alcohol can reduce fears and take the mind of troubles. It can help an individual feel less anxious, boost mood and make them generally relaxed.

In fact, the effects of alcohol can be the same as those of anti-anxiety medications. That’s because alcohol slows activity in the amygdala, a brain part that prepares the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress.

Repeated use decreases the amygdala’s dampening effect. It also causes tolerance and dependence. So a person has to drink more alcohol to achieve a similar level of high. At this point, they can’t stop drinking because of withdrawal symptoms, like tremors, nausea, anxiety, headache, confusion, and insomnia.

Mild alcohol withdrawal can be treated at home. But severe cases need supervised care in a hospital setting to avoid potentially dangerous complications like seizures.

Who is more vulnerable to increased alcohol use during the COVID-19 outbreak?

The measures to curb the spread of coronavirus have been hard on everyone. So, everyone is susceptible and may end up with problems with alcohol. However, studies show that some groups are more vulnerable than others.

Younger people

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol use has led to at least four deaths on college campuses since spring 2021. Young adults face unprecedented stressors: loss of income, the uncertainty of the future, and social isolation, resulting in conditions like loneliness, depression, and anxiety which can increase the risk of heavy drinking.

Women

The psychological stress associated with the pandemic was also linked to greater drinking for women. A study by RAND Corporation and supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism shows that heavy drinking among women has soared. In the survey, 1 in 5 women had heavily consumed alcohol at least one additional day per month compared with the previous year.

Physicians

A survey of 12,000 physicians found that over 40% of physicians experienced burnout, which was amplified mainly by COVID-19. Of these physicians, more than a quarter were drinking to cope with the burnout and resulting stress.

More studies point to the increase in alcohol use thanks to the pandemic

BlueCross BlueShield survey dubbed “Behavioral health by the numbers: a closer look at the impact of COVID-19” reveals a 23% increase in alcohol consumption since the outbreak began.

Another survey on 1,000 American adults 18 years and older by The Recovery Village found that 55% of the participant had an increase in past-month alcohol consumption, with 18% reporting a significant increase.

How to cope with the negative impacts of COVID-19 without alcohol

Healthy coping involves taking part in activities that directly reduce stress or improve wellbeing. This includes exercising, getting enough sleep, following creative pursuits, eating nutritious food, and staying hydrated. It is also a good idea for people to reach out for help and get support to make healthier life choices.

Those recovering from alcohol can take part in online Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Such support groups can serve as a pillar to help avoid relapse.