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Friday, May 7, 2010

SISTERHOUSE:The Long-Term Effects of Alcoholism and Abuse

By Glenance Green

    The long-term effect of alcohol on women can be extremely detrimental to a woman’s physical health and wellness. According the Marin Institute, an agency and research center seeking to prevent alcoholism and abuse, chronic heavy alcohol consumption takes a greater physical toll on women than on men.

    Did you know that female alcoholics have death rates 50 to 100 percent higher than male alcoholics? In fact, the Marin Institute found that a greater percentage of female alcoholics will die from suicides, alcohol-related injuries, circulatory disorders and cirrhosis of the liver.
   
    Studies have shown that the long-term effects of alcohol on the liver are significantly more severe for women than for men. As a result of alcoholism and abuse, liver disease has become more prominent among women even during a short span of heavy alcoholic consumption than present in men. Another detrimental effect of alcoholism for women is an increased risk of breast cancer. In one scientific study, women who drank two to five alcoholic drinks each day were 41 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than nondrinkers (Marin Institute).

    One of the most significant effects of heavy consumption is the consequences for unborn children. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the United States of America. Diseases such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome negatively affect the health and wellness of the fetus prohibiting a healthy, natural and safe environment for an unborn child.

    One important step towards wellness for women suffering from addiction, dependence and/or abuse is to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy and aware. SISTERHOUSE prides itself on establishing a wholesome approach to recovery which includes personal and physical health awareness which is why we developed a 5k Fun Walk/Run for everyone in the Chicagoland area and abroad willing and ready to walk for prevention. The 5k will take place on Sunday, May 16, 2010, and we greatly encourage all of our readers to contact SISTERHOUSE for more information on how to register and participate.

To receive more information on SISTERHOUSE’s services for women, volunteer opportunities and/or our 5k Fun Walk/Run Event, please call 773/626-0525.

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