“You have to stop saying that.” Dare to ask doctor Laurent Karila, psychiatrist and author of the book Female alcoholism, if women consume less alcohol than men and this is the answer you will get. Guest of Without an appointment Thursday, on Europe 1, the specialist in addictions underlined the peculiarities of alcohol addiction among women, in the first rank of which he cites “more possible complications” with “more severe” consequences.
“Younger people consume more”
Under the impact of marketing, notably materialized by colors and symbols intended to target female customers, women today drink as much alcohol as men. Their consumption remains “extremely variable”, according to Laurent Karila. “Younger people consume more,” he said only while stressing that “it affects everyone”.
According to a study cited by the doctor, “middle and senior managers [seraient] a little more affected than the others “.” This is a bit of a new fact, “reports Laurent Karila, who notes” a worldly alcoholism which can be a risk for some. “However, professionals are not yet used to this reality : “A very very precarious woman, we will spontaneously ask her the question of alcohol. a woman who is a senior manager or even a company manager, we are not going to ask her too much. “
“More risks on the liver”
The consequences of this consumption, however, are not the same depending on gender. “There are physiological and pharmacological differences which are clear between women and men”, underlines the doctor who also quotes “morphological differences”. “At the same age, a woman who will drink the same thing as a man will store faster and therefore the blood alcohol level will be higher. There may be more risks for the liver, other organs and brains also “, he explains.
Another less mentioned consequence: “Excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor for breast cancer.”
“Their reflection time is much longer”
For women, the risks are all the more important as their treatment is delayed, according to the specialist. In case of need for hospitalization, “the period of reflection is much longer in women regardless of age,” he said. “Because they say: ‘I cannot be hospitalized, I have the children and I have my husband, how will I do?'”
Because of these late consultations, “more complications” and “more severe” would occur in women according to him, for example “high blood pressure problems”.
A relative healing
To help people, women and men, not to fall into alcohol, the doctor insists on the importance of the entourage at first. “We have to go find information,” he said.
As for a possible cure, it would never be fully acquired. “A healed addict brain always remains a vulnerable addict brain,” he concludes.
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