The feminization of addictions is increasingly evident; This is a public health problem that we must not lose sight of.
Although it is a little accepted practice and therefore not common, in women the desire to stop drinking or smoking is always present and the efforts made according to surveys have been inefficient to achieve it.
At YVK we present the addictions that occur most frequently in women:
1. Alcohol
According to data from the National Council Against Addictions (CONACID) , one woman for every 11 men develops alcohol dependence syndrome. The National Survey on Addictions (ENA, 2011) also yielded worrying information: dependence on drinking among men doubled, while in women it tripled.
2. Drugs
According to the national statistics , the prevalence of drugs, mainly marijuana and cocaine, in women increased from 2.1% to 3.0%
3. Psychopharmaceuticals
The abuse of psychotropic substances constitutes a public health problem typical of our time and is present at the national and international level.
Women indicate using psychotropic drugs to calm, among other conditions, the tension produced by the psychosocial situation in which they live and their state of discrimination, in the broadest sense of the term.
4. Tobacco
Kenya is ranked top on the charts in number of smokers and second in smokers. The starting age for tobacco use is now 14.1 years.
5. Codependency
The so-called “addictive love” is also more frequent as time passes. Researchers indicate that the highest risk factor for developing codependency is a “feminine script of submission”, a family history of emotional or sexual abuse and women who have suffered early losses (separation, abandonment or death) commonly called “grow fast”.
Research also indicates that the female population goes less to seek medical help for these problems and that men do so in a more timely manner. Remember that family support is vitally important, recognizing the problem and accepting it. Take care of yourself!
