The Star is running a series of articles on Women and Alcohol. I’ve been devouring them because the issue of alcohol abuse is something I think about all the time.
There is a genetic component to alcohol addiction and I know I have the genetic predisposition.
My dad died from alcohol abuse. So did one of my grandfathers.
This is your brain on alcohol (from ajohnston’s Star article):
- Alcoholic, like all addictive drugs, increases the brain’s production of the neurotransmitter dopamine which sends a message of pleasure and reward.
- Over time, the brain responds to the stimulation of alcohol by decreasing certain dopamine receptors.
- These receptors, called D2 receptors, are nerve cell proteins to which the dopamine must bind to send the pleasure signal.
- An alcoholic will experience a reward deficiency, and compensate by drinking more to try to recapture the pleasure.
Regular drinking will lower D2 levels. People may also be born with lower D2 levels. Or, there is a combination of both that contribute to addiction.
Regular drinking lowers women’s D2 levels quicker than a man’s level would decrease so women are more susceptible.
This information is not new to me. A few years ago I read “Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism”, by Katherine Ketcham and William F. Asbury.
So, has this knowledge changed my drinking habits? Not yet. But I’m planning to change that because I do not want to follow my dad’s path. Alcohol has not interfered with my life, yet. But it’s up to me to prevent it from doing so.
When my dad was in the last stages of his alcoholism, the last three or four years (my sister’s death accelerated his disease), I tried to get him help. At one point he was in the hospital and rehab for months because he had broken his hip. I told his doctors about his drinking and depression (which had never been treated). The medical system did not address the issue at all. We tried everything that we could think of. My uncle hired an addiction counsellor. We begged, pleaded, threatened, collected information on treatment and AA meetings. Watching someone you love kill themselves slowly is beyond heart wrenching.
It’s devastating.
If you read all the articles in the series they touch on so many aspects of alcoholism. How we do not have adequate screening (if you want to self screen there is a test on the Star’s website), adequate treatment, counselling, etc. How many women self-medicate to relieve anxiety (I’m sure the same of many men also). Young women drink to fit in and be popular and alcohol has an even largest effect on the developing teen/young adult brain.
The stigma of alcohol abuse prevents many people from seeking help or discussing it in public. Like all addictions and mental health we need to address the stigma. The stigma feeds our denial about the problem. If you read the articles you will see how much Canadians (and many other Western nations) over consume alcohol.
Our culture celebrates drinking but stigmatizes alcoholics. Go figure.
Here are some places for help. The more rural you are, the more difficult it is to find help, although AA is almost everywhere.
Booze Free Brigade – yahoo group
Nobody enjoys a nice glass of wine more then I do but who can tolerate the effects of having one too many!!! It amazes me that some people can indulge one night and get up the next day and carry on like they had sipped water the night before. I do not know if I am impressed or disgusted. I am not saying I have never had a “hard morning”, but so few and far between, it is way too much effort. I know Erin you are addressing a much bigger issue here, and I totally appreciate it as my father was an alcoholic and it took his life. If people were not so afraid (or embarrassed) to ask for help, many of these tragic situations could be managed. Good for you for reminding people that there is always somewhere to go for help where you will not be judged!!
Great post, Erin. Definitely something we should all be conscious of.
I have an alcoholic friend in my midst, and her disease it making me super worried for her, and nuts-crazy… the way women consume alcohol does tend to differ from the way men do (sometimes) and women are often “indoors” about their illness. Le sigh. I feel exhausted when I think about this issue… but it’s so important to think about, and to talk about.
Good post, Erin!
Such a great post Erin – we need to talk more about this. I know you and I have – since we both share this disease in our families. There has been a time in my life where I saw it getting out of hand and I cut way back. My big thing is never having a drink alone – I don’t come home from work and have a drink unless I’m socializing with someone. It’s so wise to be aware with this disease (just like depression) and be mindful of it. x
good to read, to to think about- and your losses make you an expert and for that I am sorry, Erin xoxoxo