We have all heard that alcohol affects men and women in different ways, but do we actually know how? Many times women become very emotional and lose their inhibitions and men can become reckless or angry, but some people are very happy drunks. It affects everyone differently.
Valerie S. Harder conducted a study to see how alcohol affects each gender. There were 246 participants in the study and all of them were said to have a possible drinking problem by their doctor. There were 166 men and 80 women. The participants started an alcohol treatment program and reported their emotions every day, once a day.
Stress was a key factor. Those who reported being very stressed indulged in more drinking the next day, and the day after that their stress levels were reported to be lower. The differences between how alcohol affected genders differently were too minor to make an assessment. The researchers thought that participants’ levels of happiness would go up after a day of drinking, but they found that was not true. “People report less happiness as they use more alcohol” (Cox). This was true in both men and women, but more so in women.
Many people drink alcohol to improve their mood, but this study had results that showed that is not how it works. The study also found that men who were angry were more likely to drink the next day. This study is not big enough to be 100% convincing, and with an observational study there is always third variables, reverse causation, and chance. This study could not conclude huge differences in the way alcohol affected men and women. I think it depends on the individual’s personality to determine how alcohol will affect them.
In the United States, men drink more than women. According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey, “57.6 percent of males aged 12 and older and 46.5 percent of females aged 12 and older reported having consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days” (Rufus). Also, alcohol use increases with levels of education. Those who have a college degree are more likely to consume alcohol than those who did not graduate from high school (Rufus). This sounds surprising at first, but alcohol is used to socialize especially in business settings.
All of these people are affected in different ways by alcohol. Men have a higher tolerance for alcohol than women do, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect them psychologically. According to the book Substance Abuse Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women women are more susceptible to long term effects of drugs and alcohol. Women have a harder time dealing with the effects of these substances and are more likely to get alcohol and drug related diseases, organ failure, and psychological disorders (Center For Substance Abuse Treatment).
In conclusion, every individual who decides to consume alcohol has to be aware of the way it affects them. The consequences can be very dangerous if the substance is abused. Men and women are both affected in similar and different ways.
Sources:
Cox, Lauren. “Moods and Booze: Alcohol’s Effects Different in Men and Women.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 26 July 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
Rufus, Anneli. The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
Center For Substance Abuse Treatment. Chapter 3: Physiological Effects of Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco on Women. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Sept. 0000. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.
There are many things that can be taken into effect when you are trying to figure how drinking affects someone. Too many to pin point on one that sticks out more than another. I agree with your statement saying that things can’t be concluded when the study was observational. In another article I read on https://www.oapublishinglondon.com/article/598 it also stated the current trend to start alcohol use at increasingly early age and the evidence of more and more females consuming alcohol, enhance the alcohol related risk in public health. I wonder if a study could be done to prove why women are more of a risk than men. I also found it surprising that 12-year-olds have taken an alcoholic drink according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study. Very interesting article.
Interesting post! I agree with you when you say that everyone is different, but similar at the same time when it comes to drinking alcohol. I liked how you stated some stats on males and females about alcohol consumption. This to me is a very important topic because, drinking can become a very serious thing if a person does not know what they are doing. Alcohol can affect a person in so many different ways and I thought the study you talked about was really interesting. I think depending on the individuals weight also shows how they could possibly be affect by the alcohol. Overall great post.