Women
Women with addiction issues are often better at hiding their symptoms because of social pressures. A mother who stays home with her children may hide daytime drinking or the use of anxiolytics to protect her marriage. Heavy drinking among men is often more socially acceptable, so women tend to be more secretive about their drinking, particularly if they have families or careers to protect. Addiction makes women more vulnerable to sexual assault and domestic abuse.
Posted under Alcoholism
Hiding Alcoholism: The High-Functioning Alcoholic
By Leslie Thompson
Alcoholism is a debilitating disease that affects almost 18 million Americans. Unlike other types of addictions where symptoms are obvious because of physical signs or ailments, alcoholism is an illness that can go undetected. Recently Diane Schuler—the Long Island mother who drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway, killing herself along with seven other people—was found to be under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
Her family insists she wasn’t a drinker, but she had a large amount of undigested alcohol in her stomach at the time of the accident, along with traces of the active ingredient of marijuana. Was she harboring a secret addiction? We may never know the truth of what happened that day, but it has become apparent that more and more men and women are successfully hiding their addiction from family and friends.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Eating Disorders Later in Life
By Leslie Thompson
Let’s be honest—most of us have had one of those days when we were disappointed or even disgusted by the image of ourselves in a mirror. For most, this feeling doesn’t linger very long and we are able to regain confidence in our appearance. But for some, seeing an unfit, unattractive reflection staring back through the glass is a skewed perception that occurs daily—one that reveals the hidden secret of an eating disorder. What’s more shocking is that the person looking in the mirror often isn’t an adolescent girl—it’s a woman in her forties or fifties.
Posted under Club Drugs
20 Steps to Protect Yourself From Date Rape Drugs
By Suzanne Kane
Since Rohypnol and other so-called “date rape drugs” and club drugs like GHB and ketamine were first introduced into the U.S. in the early 1990s, young women and girls (and young men as well) have increasingly fallen victim to date rape. Don’t be a victim! Protect yourself by following these tips. Continue Reading
Posted under Women
Research Shows Gender Differences in Addiction
The argument that there is no difference between the sexes holds little weight when it comes to drug abuse and addiction. According to a piece in the Psychiatric Times, studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) show that the molecular events that accompany drug abuse and addiction for men and women are different. Continue Reading
The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
