Research Reveals Women Are Now Drinking Alcohol More than Men to Cope
Alissa Orozco
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Researchers are finding that for the first time in history, women are now drinking just as much as men, and younger women are engaging in binge drinking more than younger men.
A JAMA study published in April found women are closing the gap when is comes to heavy drinking levels, with only a -3.9 overall rate difference between men and women from 2021-2023. Women ages 18 through 25 years showed higher binge drinking levels than males in the same age group.
What the study did not show was: what changed?
Dr. Kavin Mistry, a neuroradiologist and author of Primal Health, says the shift could stem from biological changes and feelings of disconnect in women in particular.
Dr. Mistry says more women are stepping away from traditional roles, and stepping into stronger and more demanding roles usually occupied by men.
“I think we both have two parts within us. One is that sort of a hunter-taker within us, which wants to take control, take land, and very important for survival, and then there is that caretaker side of us, which wants to give love, get love and connect with people. Men tend to have more of the hunter and women tend to have a balance of both, and so what we’re seeing is women stepping into these more high power roles in military, in business, in medicine.”
Studies say people typically drink alcohol to induce endorphins and reduce stress and anxiety. As women begin to take over male-dominated roles, the male-dominated coping mechanisms follow. Women are now beginning to engage in binge drinking habits to cope with stress.
“That sets up interesting conflicts then anyway, so that senses. A conflict where women then use alcohol as an escape, you know, in these situations.”
These research results should act as a warning to women to analyze their drinking pattern. They also suffer a bigger risk as women are more prone to getting liver disease if they continue with a heavy drinking pattern.
Dr. Mistry says the best thing women can do is step back and look at the signs.
“If you monitor yourself over the past few weeks and you just monitor that are you hitting that heavy drinking pattern. Then you gotta control it.”
“As clinicians, as leaders in the society, we have to be kind of compassionate towards women and help them, guide in the proper direction and make those connections so that they’re not going down this trend and and using alcohol as an escape.”
The National Drug Helpline at (844) 289-0879 is a free, confidential, 24/7 drug and alcohol hotline.
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