There are several studies that indicate men fall prey to substance abuse at higher rates than women. Research at Columbia and Yale found that a bigger surge of dopamine in men who drink makes them almost twice as likely to develop alcoholism as women who drink. According to a report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, men are also more apt to experiment with all types of illicit drugs; however, it also states that women are just as likely as men to become addicted and more susceptible to craving and relapse.
The full picture is complicated, and one set of findings can’t be viewed in isolation. Research also points to the fact that women are actually more vulnerable to addiction than their male counterparts. The following five reasons women are more prone to drug abuse are a good indication that the debate over addiction’s discrimination between the genders is by no means resolved.
Higher rates of mental disorders in women. One in 3 Americans suffers from a mental illness — but women suffer from disorders like depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than men.
Research at Oxford found women are approximately 75 percent more likely than men to report a recent episode of depression and 60 percent more likely to report an anxiety disorder. The same study concluded that cumulatively, women are up to 40 percent more likely than men to develop a mental health condition.
Such findings are relevant because anxiety, depression and/or other mental illnesses often co-occur with substance abuse (as a form of self-medicating symptoms of an underlying disorder) — so much so that treating “co-occurring disorders” is now an established norm in substance abuse treatment. In theory, women’s greater vulnerability to mental illness also makes them more vulnerable to substance abuse.
[See: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Counseling.]
Greater susceptibility to the gateway drug marijuana. A 2014 study at Washington State University found that higher estrogen levels in female rats make them more responsive to the pain-relieving qualities of THC, the active ingredient in the gateway drug, cannabis, which in turn raises their susceptibility to the drug’s negative effects. These include higher tolerance, anxiety, paranoia and addiction.
Marijuana is already one of three leading “gateway drugs” known to open the door to other forms of drug use. Moreover, a continuing deregulation trend will only increase women’s exposure to the drug’s negative effects, leaving them at greater risk of drug addiction than men who experiment with pot.
More incidents of trauma, discrimination and stressful life experiences. Women experience trauma, discrimination and stressful life experiences (key risk factors for drug abuse) at higher rates than men. For instance, roughly half of all women will reportedly experience some form of trauma during their lifetime, which correlates with a higher proclivity for drug abuse. Women are also more likely to experience gender discrimination, which is linked to higher stress levels, and stress is also a significant predictor of substance abuse.
[See: 7 Health Risks of Binge Drinking You Can’t Ignore.]
Higher levels of pain than men. Women report higher levels of pain than men, and higher levels of pain accord with greater susceptibility to opiate and prescription drug abuse in an addiction epidemic that is the worst yet on record. Scientists examining gender differences in pain discovered that women report more pain than men throughout their lifetime, and they also experience pain in more areas of the body, more often and for longer periods.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine reported that women are “more likely to have chronic pain, be prescribed prescription pain relievers, be given higher doses and use them for longer time periods than men.” ASAM also adds that: “Women may become dependent on prescription pain relievers more quickly than men.”
More severe drug dependence. According to researcher Lauren C. Balmert, lead author of a University of Pittsburgh study that traced an alarming climb in overdose rates among females in Pennsylvania, “women are more prone to having accelerated progression from first drug use to substance abuse and often enter into treatment programs with more severe dependence than men.”
Nationally, a similar trend holds true: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that between the years 1999 and 2010, prescription drug-related overdoses among women skyrocketed by 400 percent, compared to an increase of 265 percent in men.
[See: 14 Ways Alcohol Affects the Aging Process.]
As research continues to evolve, it will hopefully arm us with the information we need to effectively address these sobering statistics and help women work toward a fulfilling life in recovery.
More from U.S. News
7 Health Risks of Binge Drinking You Can’t Ignore
The Eating Disorder Spectrum — From Pregorexia to Drunkorexia
4 Opioid Drugs Parents Should Have on Their Radar
5 Reasons Women Are More Prone to Drug Abuse originally appeared on usnews.com
