Alcoholism and Women: Damaging the Brain
The human brain is perhaps the most complex and resilient organ in the human body. But even the strong human brain can’t overcome the long-term damage caused by alcoholism. Though both men and women are susceptible to brain damage from excessive alcohol consumption, there are a number of ways in which women are more vulnerable.
Brain Atrophy – Women With Alcoholism
Brain atrophy refers to the loss of brain tissue and neural connections. According to studies, women with alcoholism are likely to experience this earlier in the course of their addiction than men. That means if a man and a woman are both engaged in the same level of alcoholism, the woman will lose more brain tissue over the course of her addiction.
Depending on the amount and pattern of atrophy, a range of cognitive and neurological problems may emerge. Many researchers believe that brain atrophy can be at least partly reversed after the first several months of sobriety. The flip side of this is that if heavy drinking has continued unabated for years, some damage may be difficult if not impossible to undo.
Impairment With Thinking and Memory
Several studies have shown the difference in cognitive functioning between healthy non-drinkers, female alcoholics, and male alcoholics. Subjects in these groups are asked to perform basic skills requiring memory and problem solving. Of these groups, the alcoholic women generally performed the worst – even in those cases where the female drinker had been an alcoholic for less time than the average male drinker in the study.
Think about the impact this could have on a young professional woman with a serious alcohol problem. Perhaps in her early twenties she is able to function properly despite her drinking. She can hide the problem effectively from family, friends and colleagues. As she reaches her early thirties, however, she might be trying to ramp up her career, buy a home, or maybe even have children.
Imagine how much of her cognitive maturity and functioning is needed for all of those things to progress properly. But right during the prime of her life, her brain is being hindered by alcohol. Her decision making skills and motivation suffer as a result. Making matters worse, as she sees these things not working out well, she might be even more inclined to drown her sorrows with more drinking — falling deeper and deeper into the cycle of addiction. Unless she gets sober, she will only find life more stressful and complicated.
Brain Damage In Women With Alcoholism
The message is clear – early intervention is essential for preventing alcohol-related brain damage in women. Precious time ticks away for women with alcoholism. Call us today for more information about helping a woman you know get started with an alcohol rehab specially designed to meet her needs.
