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 Women's Issues with Alcohol Abuse Problems and Treatment

There are, however, significant differences that cannot be ignored under the mistaken belief that alcohol is a gender neutral disease subject to only one cure - one that doesn't even work well for men, much less women.

Differences between women and men begin with the first drink. At the most basic level, men and women differ physiologically in alcohol absorption, Iris Storage Containers shoe storage container and retention. Put simply, women are more susceptible to alcohol. They are not, however, more apt to become alcohol abusers, dependents, or addicts. When they do the reasons are different and so are the cures.

Once again, differences matter. Most men tend to drink actively, semi-socially, and to avoid problems. Women are more inclined to reclusive drinking and excessive dwelling on difficulties, hurts, slights, and anger. Programs like AA work Iris Storage Containers metal storage containers men to slow down and process more and act out less. That's good for some male alcoholics. It’s exactly the opposite of what most women drinkers need.

Women are better served by replacing endless contemplation with self-enhancing activities that also reduce isolation, without fixating on alcohol. Underlying anger and large storage containers need to be addressed actively and creatively. Where men need permission to stop running, women need encouragement to learn to quit waiting for solutions and resolutions to appear at their doors.

Traditional treatment programs start with a gender bias that is counterproductive for intelligent women. Few counselors recognize, metal storage containers example, that groups of women will tend to "process" forever and implement never, the format of endless recovery meetings, and exactly what many women drink to get away from. But that's the model that gets crammed down a woman’s throat as "the way."

Programs dedicated to helping women find personal solutions to the particular situations in which they find themselves, rather than promoting ineffective and inappropriate programs, are rare. Look for them in alternative listings and away from AA, 12 Step, and other traditional catchwords.

Changing alcohol-fueled behaviors is about changing the way a woman manages her life. For many women, more processing, contemplation, and delayed action are exactly what they don't need. Look for therapists who use anti-craving medications to reduce alcohol involvement, Iris Storage Containers large storage containers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to promote action based life changes. Avoid those who wish to dig through the past, once again exploiting women's tendency to "process" to no avail and at considerable expense.

One old slogan suggests that whatever the problem, "living well is the best revenge." For women it could be added that living well is living actively and purposefully. That, in and of itself, will go a long way towards fixing alcohol related problems.