Despite the risks, alcohol consumption has grown in the population and especially among women; See analysis

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Alcohol abuse is the cause of 3 million deaths worldwide, being the main risk factor for premature death and disability among people aged 15 to 49, according to the WHO (World Health Organization). Despite this, consumption of the drink has grown substantially in some groups of the population, especially among women.

This is what experts invited from “CNN Vital Signs – Dr. Kalil Interview” this Saturday (27). In the episode, Dr. Roberto Kalil talks with Arthur Guerra, a psychiatrist specializing in chemical dependency, and Maria Alice Fontes, a neuropsychologist also specialized in chemical dependency. Professionals will explain the characteristics of alcoholism, the limits between “healthy” consumption and abuse and what treatments are possible.

“We have seen a major increase in women’s abuse and even women’s dependency over the last ten years. How much women, more in the job market, with all the burden of children, home, work, find alcohol a moment of relaxation. There is data that indicates that by 2033 there will be an equalization of the number of women and men in relation to alcoholism”, explains Fontes.

The neuropsychologist also warns about consumption among young people. “There is this idea that, at many 15th birthday parties, for example, alcohol is allowed, and that it is okay to drink. It’s not okay to drink, because young people are in the process of maturing their brains. The beginning of alcohol use is directly related to an increased risk of dependence in the future”, she says, emphasizing the importance of making parents aware of this.

Alcohol, despite being legal in most countries, including Brazil, is related to the development of more than 200 different diseases. Furthermore, people who suffer from alcoholism are more prone to episodes of violence and getting involved in accidents.

“It is a very serious illness. There is one chance for a person to get better: stop drinking”, says Arthur Guerra, emphatically. The expert also comments that many people use alcohol to relax and “numb” themselves from everyday problems, which can be dangerous. “The use of alcohol as medicine is terrible,” he says.

Guerra explains that the substance, when it enters the body, acts like a cloud of vapor that spreads throughout the body and quickly reaches all organs. “Although when we talk about alcoholism, we are talking more about dependence on alcohol when it reaches the brain, in fact it acts on the muscles, the bones, the heart, the lungs, the kidneys, the skin… It acts everywhere the body,” he says.

Support network is essential for treatment

Finally, both experts reinforce that having a support network, such as family, friends and appropriate professionals, is essential for treating alcoholism.

“There is a stigma about this issue that needs to be talked about. The family often has this moral judgment. But that person is sick. And the expression of psychiatric symptoms is behavioral. So this family needs to understand that the person needs treatment and needs to support that person to stay in treatment. Because all studies show that the best results happen when the person stays on treatment”, adds Maria Alice.

Credits: CNN.