We sometimes call this the telescope effect. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WOMEN BECOME ALCOHOL-DEPENDENT FASTER THAN MEN AND ON LOWER AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL - ALCOHOLISM: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH JOURNAL, 2012 DR SALLY MARLOW: We do know that women become addicted faster than men and they become addicted whilst using smaller amounts of a drug or alcohol. We know that for women, that as their hormones fluctuate, and that might be during the menstrual cycle or it might be over their life course, pre- and post-menopausally, that the different levels of hormones can magnify the perceived effect of certain types of drugs. But we have found differences in sex hormones. THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE THAT WOMEN'S METABOLISM AND HORMONAL MAKE-UP PLAY A ROLE IN HOW THEY GET ADDICTED DR SALLY MARLOW: We haven't found any significant genetic differences between men who develop addiction problems and women who develop addiction problems. But also there was nothing stopping me from drinking anyhow I wanted. You know, I remember I was in a hostel, first of all, and then I was given a flat, and I was lonely. I got pregnant at 16, had her at 17, and that was really hard. I'm a full-time carer for my severely disabled daughter and it almost seemed like an escape to me, going to casinos and bingo halls. TRAUMA, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND OTHER PRESSURES PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN WOMEN BECOMING ADDICTED WOMEN WITH PTSD ARE 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BECOME SUBSTANCE USERS THAN WOMEN WHO HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED TRAUMA - NATIONAL CENTER FOR PTSD, USA LISA WALKER: By the time I was 25, I had two children. I dropped out of school and spent my days just drinking. LAVINIA BLACK: I would say that I was an alcoholic probably from. That day.was probably one of the worst days of my life, because that was the day that everything changed and my addiction really took hold of me. LIKE MEN, WOMEN GET ADDICTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND FOR DIFFERENT REASONS LISA WALKER: I unfortunately got into, er, gambling addiction through winning a huge amount of money. And I think we need to understand those differences if we're going to be able to support women and support men with their addiction problems. It's not that women get more addicted than men get, it's not that it's a bigger problem for women, but it's a different problem. DR SALLY MARLOW ADDICTION SPECIALIST AT KING'S COLLEGE LONDON I think it's really important to look at women and their addiction problems separately and differently to men's. FIVE THINGS ABOUT WOMEN AND ADDICTION DR SALLY MARLOW: If you're watching this right now, you've probably got a picture in your mind of an addicted person, and I'm willing to bet that person is male. I didn't have to think about any of that. I didn't have to think about, you know, the things that I was failing at, the things that I wanted. I didn't have to think about any of the terrible things. I would drink and drink and drink until I literally passed out. LAVINIA BLACK: Alcohol was like a friend to me. It consumed me and took everything away from me. I felt that I was going to have my kids taken off me.
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