Alcohol: Does It Effect A Woman Differently Than A Man?
David Richards
It is widely believed that women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than men, but few can actually back this claim with anything substantial. This article will look into exactly how alcohol affects us and interacts with the chemicals in the brain. We will look at alcohol scientifically, but also examine what leads us to do things under the influence that we would never do when we are sober. As a drug, it releases our inhibitions. This article is neither for or against alcohol; the aim is to be objective and study what happens when a woman drinks alcohol.
Booze affects testosterone levels. For men, it stimulates testosterone. Since men's bodies are used to dealing with testosterone on a daily basis, it is used to changes in testosterone levels. For women, however, testosterone is not a major hormone, and when those testosterone levels are stimulated, they are unable to control it. Drinking causes everyone to lose their inhibitions and do things they would never dream of sober, but this effect his heightened with women, who are unused to high levels of testosterone. Women's behavior under the influence may seem more boisterous, wild and out-of-control than men's behavior, and this has led many to conclude that women are weak drinkers. Women generally get this reputation for this very reason. That feeling of invincibiliy that you feel when intoxicated is heightened for women. This causes them to be louder and braver under the influence. So, all the behaviors we usually associate with being intoxicated are raised up a notch when women drink. Everyone knows the kind of danger this can lead to. Women must be extra careful when drinking.
When you are recovering from a night of drinking, or sobering up later during the night, you feel especially doubtful, regretful and maybe even paranoid. You think about the things you think maybe you did and it leads to self-hate and regret. Well, part of this regret is biological. Now, your testosterone levels are low, and that leads to the feeling of malaise and self-doubt. With women, these feelings may be more acute.
Biological reasons aside, another reason why we feel so terrible the next day is that we probably did do a lot of stupid things that everybody remembers but us. While your testosterone levels were flying high, you had a new, testosterone-fueled alter ego who took over. You wouldn't do half the things he or she did. So, it is only natural to feel terrible the next day. This is why it's best to drink among friends in a safe environment. It cuts down on the public embarrassment factor.
Your testosterone starts flying after the first sip. So, you can imagine what each sip afterwards is doing. The key is moderation. If you can drink sensibly, you can have a good time and not feel so terrible when you come down.
If you are a drinker, you probably know this, but booze depletes your body's water supply. A hangover is mostly caused by dehydration. One way to minimize this is to drink a quart of water between drinking and going to bed. You'll thank yourself in the morning!
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