Alcoholism in Women: Signs, Causes, and Consequences

Alcoholism in women is increasing as a growing number of young women turn to alcohol to cope with mental health issues. As rates of anxiety and depression rise among young adult women, alcohol misuse is also going up—along with related health risks.

Recent surveys show that levels of stress, anxiety, worry, sadness and anger among women worldwide are at a 10-year high. The report came from the analytics firm Gallup and medical tech company Hologic, Inc., who surveyed 66,000 women in 122 countries. Moreover, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that 29 percent of women received mental health treatment in 2021.

In conduction with these troubling statistics, more women are developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). For women, heavy drinking not only makes mental health issues worse, it also puts women at risk for a variety of physical health conditions.

Key Takeways

• Women appear to be more vulnerable than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
• Underlying trauma is one of the most common reasons women develop an alcohol use disorder.
• There are 11 criteria that indicate an individual may have an alcohol use disorder.
• To achieve sustainable recovery from alcoholism, individuals need to heal the underlying mental health issues that catalyze this destructive behavior.

New Research on Increasing Alcohol Abuse in Women

In the past, men were three times as likely as women to engage in risky or problematic drinking. However, recent research shows that ratio is closer to 1-to-1 globally. And US data shows that rates of alcohol abuse in women have reached the same levels as men.

Men still engage in binge drinking more frequently than women. However, women in their early 20s report drinking and getting drunk at higher rates than their male peers. And research shows that using drinking as a way to numb or distract from distressing emotions is more likely to result in dependence or alcohol use disorder.

Why Is Alcohol Worse for Women?

Why does alcohol affect women more than men? For one, women’s bodies can’t metabolize as much alcohol as men’s, so women become more impaired than men even when they drink the same amount, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). That’s due in part to the fact that women have a lower body water percentage than men of similar weight. Hence, when women drink, the same number of drinks results in higher blood alcohol content (concentration of alcohol in the blood).

Moreover, “women appear to be more vulnerable than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use,” NIAAA reports, including a higher risk for alcohol-related liver, brain, and heart damage. This may account for the increase in deaths over the past few years from alcoholic liver disease, specifically cirrhosis and liver cancer, which researchers attribute primarily to alcohol abuse in women.

What Does Alcoholism Do to a Woman’s Body?

In what ways does alcohol affect women differently? Researchers believe that gender-related differences in biology, brain chemistry, and genetics contribute to women’s higher risk for the following alcohol-related health risks:

• Alcoholic liver disease, which women develop more quickly than men and with less alcohol consumption
• Hepatitis and cirrhosis
• Alcohol-induced brain damage
• Heart disease
• Developing breast cancer
• Dating violence and sexual victimization
• Fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children of women who are pregnant while engaging in heavy drinking
• Fatal alcohol-related vehicle crashes; research suggests that alcohol may affect the performance of driving tasks differently in women vs. men.

What Causes Alcoholism? The Link Between Mental Health and Alcohol Abuse

Underlying trauma is one of the most common reasons for developing a substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder. Moreover, childhood trauma—typically relational trauma, a disruption in the bonding and trust between parent and child in early life—is a primary cause of mental health challenges in young adults. In addition to childhood trauma, acute trauma (such as a car accident) or sexual trauma can catalyze mental health and substance use disorders.

Furthermore, young women are particularly vulnerable to some of these forms of trauma. They are more likely than men to have experienced sexual trauma. In addition, they are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with PTSD following traumatic experiences. And they are four times as likely to develop chronic PTSD.

Alcohol Abuse as a Destructive Coping Mechanism

As mental health issues in women increase, young women are using alcohol to self-medicate the depression, anxiety, and other issues. And research has found that people who use alcohol in this way are more likely to develop alcohol dependence.

To further complicate the psychological framework of alcoholism in women, alcohol’s effects on mental health can exacerbate existing issues. Alcohol creates changes in brain function, impacting the neurotransmitters that help control mood. In addition, the negative impact of alcohol abuse on self-care and relationships further denigrates young adult well-being.

What Are the Signs of a Female Alcoholic?

The DSM-5, which classifies mental health disorders, lists a set of 11 criteria that help determine whether an individual has an alcohol use disorder or alcohol dependence. These criteria encompass how alcohol use impacts everyday functioning, mood, and ability to control drinking.

Therefore, the 11 warning signs of alcohol abuse in women include:

1. Drinking more than originally intended
2. Inability to cut back on drinking despite trying to do so
3. Spending a lot of time either consuming alcohol or recovering from the after-effects
4. Experiencing strong cravings to drink
5. Continuing to drink despite its negative impact on relationships
6. Problems with work, school, or other daily functioning
7. Prioritizing drinking over other activities that used to be enjoyable
8. Ending up in dangerous situations while drinking, such as driving while intoxicated or walking in an unsafe area
9. Not cutting back on drinking even though it makes depression, anxiety, or other mental or physical health issues worse
10. Increased tolerance; needing to drink more to have the same effect
11. Having withdrawal symptoms when not drinking, such as shakiness, irritability, trouble sleeping, restlessness, and nausea

Experiencing two or more of these criteria within one year indicates alcoholism in women. Alcohol use disorder is typically categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many criteria are met.  

Effective Treatment for Alcohol Dependence and Alcoholism in Women

Newport Institute’s mental health–primary approach treats alcohol abuse in women as a symptom of underlying trauma, whether relational, acute, or chronic. With the support of medical experts, our clinical professionals and experiential practitioners guide young women to address the root causes of alcohol abuse. Our women-only treatment groups use individualized treatment plans that incorporate a wide range of evidence-based modalities.

Through confronting and processing past trauma, learning healthy ways to navigate emotional pain, and building authentic connections with themselves, loved ones, and their larger community, young women at Newport Institute overcome alcohol dependence and find long-term, sustainable healing.

If you or a loved one is struggling, Newport Institute can help. Contact us today to learn more about our clinical model for treating young adult alcohol abuse.

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