Women and Alcohol
"It is very easy to drink too much (alcohol). This is because the positive effects of alcohol are quick and the negative effects are delayed," says Teresa Herzog Mourad, a counselor for the University of Michigan's MHealthy Alcohol Management Program. Mourad and her co-workers help people with mild to moderate alcohol problems who want to eliminate the negative consequences of their alcohol use.
Whether you're a 50 year old who drinks wine at book club, a retiree with too much time on your hands or a 21 year old college student attending a fraternity party, Mourad says, "The social pressure to drink is part of our culture." She shares a number of suggestions that people should consider before they drink any alcohol such as:
- Keep track of how much alcohol you drink
- Measure
- Set a limit and stick to it
- Enjoy non-alcoholic beverages before and after an alcoholic one.
How much are you really drinking?
How much you are drinking is a very important question for everyone who consumes alcohol. How many drinks will you have? The amount is not always clear when you are consuming alcohol, because the concentrations of alcohol vary in different drinks and so many beverages are supersized making it even more difficult to tell what constitutes a drink. In fact, studies have shown that people tend to underestimate how much alcohol they have consumed and overestimate how much other people are drinking.
Binge Drinking
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking usually amounts to 5 or more drinks on a single occasion for men 4 or more drinks on a single occasion for women.
Women and Alcohol
Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men. Women have less water in their bodies which is a contributing factor for having higher blood alcohol content after consuming the same amount of alcohol as men. Mourad says the evidence is conclusive that the same amount of alcohol is more harmful to women than men. Women's brains and other organs are exposed to more alcohol and to more of the toxic byproducts that result when their bodies break down and eliminate alcohol.
Reality Check
Alcohol advertising provides continuous positive images that only tell one side of the alcohol story. In our society the media depicts alcohol use throughout the life span in strictly positive images. We do not see the tired, hung over, or depressed alcohol users. We only see beautiful people having fun. It is important to remember that people who drink alcohol in excess are more likely to be victims of crimes and/or participate in unplanned, unprotected sexual behavior.
Mourad says, "We don't give alcohol the respect it deserves . . . Too much alcohol too often impairs someone's ability to drive, and it can interact with other medications."
MHealthy Alcohol Management Program can help if you are concerned that drinking is negatively impacting you or someone in your family.
Get Help:
Take the self-evaluation and learn more about the MHealthy Alcohol Management Program by visiting http://hr.umich.edu/mhealthy/programs/alcohol/. Call 734-998-2017 or 800-222-5145 or e-mail mhealthyalcoholmgmt@med.umich.edu. The program fee is waived for U-M faculty and staff.
Additional Resources
MHealthy Alcohol Management is a brief, confidential educational program that helps you eliminate drinking problems by reducing your drinking or stopping altogether.
Web Sites With Information About Adults and Alcohol:
Visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's web site and view these helpful publications:
