Picture by Mohit Joshi from topnews.in
It is not surprising that men and women deal with stress differently. In this blog, I try to describe why women are more inclined to depression and anxiety while men tend develop alcohol-use disorders, when in a high level of stress.
At Yale University School of Medicine, a study was done on emotional and alcohol related responses to stress. The researchers exposed 27 women and 27 men to three types of imagery situations- alcohol-related, stressful and relaxing. The participant’s behavioural responses, heart rate and blood pressure as well as self-reported emotions and alcohol cravings were recorded.
After women listened to a stressful story, they experienced a greater increase in behavioral arousal, as well as sadness and anxiety when compared to men. On the other hand, men experienced an increase in alcohol craving and blood pressure.
Why do men want alcohol when upset?
Picture from metro news reporter at metro.co.uk
According to Tara M. Chaplin, one of the researchers involved in a study, the fact that men experienced higher blood pressure but did not self-report increase in anxiety and sadness, shows that men are somehow able to suppress their emotions and distract themselves from them. Alcohol, being an inhibitor, is a possible distraction.
On average, men drink more than women. I believe the explanation lies in social factors. Society tends to ascribe the role of drinking as a male characteristic. For example, men are typically more emotionally reserved and when in stress, they tend to use self-reliant mechanisms such as drinking and exercising to cope with stressful situations. They don’t tend to rely on social network, such as friends, family and co-workers for emotional support.
Women, on the other hand, like to branch out to friends and family in order to express their feelings to them. They seem to have an easier time using cooperative coping by seeking emotional support from other people.
Turns out, men’s “stressed out” brains differ from women’s biologically as well. When stressed, men experience increased blood flow in right pre-frontal cortex, which is responsible for Fight or Flight response. Women experienced increased blood flow to the limbic system, associated with friendly and nurturing emotions. Watch this youtube video for details of the study done by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported by Jaclyn Landon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgv1lH4fg1E
Men use alcohol as a coping mechanism used to deal with anxiety and stress. It seems to be easier for women to express themselves and not be in need of alcohol to inhibit their anxiety or sadness. Could this be due to the fact that it is more socially acceptable for women to be more emotional than men? Or it could be due to biological factors ? The answer seems to be both.
By drinking away their problems, men tend to develop alcohol-related disorders, which is a main concern of this study.
References:
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (2008, May 11). Men Are More Likely Than Women To Crave Alcohol When They Feel Negative Emotions. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080511190834.htm
Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgv1lH4fg1E
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