 |
|
Men are more likely than women to crave alcohol when they feel negative emotions
May 12, 2008Women and men tend to have different types of stress-related psychological disorders. Women have greater rates of depression and some types of anxiety disorders than men, while men have greater rates of alcohol-use disorders than women. A new study of emotional and alcohol-craving responses to stress has found that when men become upset, they are more likely than women to want alcohol.
Results will be published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at OnlineEarly.
"We know that women and men respond to stress differently," said Tara M. Chaplin, associate research scientist at Yale University School of Medicine and first author of the study. "For example, following a stressful experience, women are more likely than men to say that they feel sad or anxious, which may lead to risk for depression and anxiety disorders. Some studies have found that men are more likely to drink alcohol following stress than women. If this becomes a pattern, it could lead to alcohol-use disorders."
As part of a larger study, the researchers exposed 54 healthy adult social drinkers (27 women, 27 men) to three types of imagery scripts - stressful, alcohol-related, and neutral/relaxing - in separate sessions, on separate days and in random order. Chaplin and her colleagues then assessed participants' subjective emotions, behavioral/bodily responses, cardiovascular arousal as indicated by heart rate and blood pressure, and self-reported alcohol craving.
"After listening to the stressful story, women reported more sadness and anxiety than men," said Chaplin, "as well as greater behavioral arousal. But, for the men - emotional arousal was linked to increases in alcohol craving. In other words, when men are upset, they are more likely to want alcohol."
These findings - in addition to the fact that the men drank more than the women on average - meant that the men had more experience with alcohol, perhaps leading them to turn to alcohol as a way of coping with distress, added Chaplin. "Men's tendency to crave alcohol when upset may be a learned behavior or may be related to known gender differences in reward pathways in the brain," she said. "And this tendency may contribute to risk for alcohol-use disorders."
There is a greater societal acceptance of "emotionality," particularly sadness and anxiety, in women than in men, noted Chaplin.
"Women are more likely than men to focus on negative emotional aspects of stressful circumstances, for example, they tend to 'ruminate' or think over and over again about their negative emotional state," she said. "Men, in contrast, are more likely to distract themselves from negative emotions, to try not to think about these emotions. Our finding that men had greater blood pressure response to stress, but did not report greater sadness and anxiety, may reflect that they are more likely to try to distract themselves from their physiological arousal, possibly through the use of alcohol."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
As part of a larger study, the researchers exposed 54 healthy adult social drinkers (27 women, 27 men) to three types of imagery scripts - stressful, alcohol-related, and neutral/relaxing - in separate sessions, on separate days and in random order. Chaplin and her colleagues then assessed participants' subjective emotions, behavioral/bodily responses, cardiovascular arousal as indicated by heart rate and blood pressure, and self-reported alcohol craving.
"After listening to the stressful story, women reported more sadness and anxiety than men," said Chaplin, "as well as greater behavioral arousal. But, for the men - emotional arousal was linked to increases in alcohol craving. In other words, when men are upset, they are more likely to want alcohol."
These findings - in addition to the fact that the men drank more than the women on average - meant that the men had more experience with alcohol, perhaps leading them to turn to alcohol as a way of coping with distress, added Chaplin. "Men's tendency to crave alcohol when upset may be a learned behavior or may be related to known gender differences in reward pathways in the brain," she said. "And this tendency may contribute to risk for alcohol-use disorders."
There is a greater societal acceptance of "emotionality," particularly sadness and anxiety, in women than in men, noted Chaplin.
"Women are more likely than men to focus on negative emotional aspects of stressful circumstances, for example, they tend to 'ruminate' or think over and over again about their negative emotional state," she said. "Men, in contrast, are more likely to distract themselves from negative emotions, to try not to think about these emotions. Our finding that men had greater blood pressure response to stress, but did not report greater sadness and anxiety, may reflect that they are more likely to try to distract themselves from their physiological arousal, possibly through the use of alcohol."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Anxiety Disorder Current Events and Anxiety Disorder News RSSFamily history predicts presence and course of psychiatric disorders
A family history of depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence or drug dependence is associated with the presence of each condition and also may predict its course and prognosis.
To predict the severity of mental disease, consider the family
We've all been asked at routine visits to the doctor to record our family's history with medical problems like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. But when it comes to mental disorders, usually mum's the word.
Postpartum anxiety delays puberty in offspring
Hormonal changes early in pregnancy cause maternal postpartum anxiety and behavior changes that can lead to a delayed onset of puberty in both birth and adoptive daughters, according to a new study conducted in mice.
Hopkins study: When adult patients have anxiety disorder, their children need help too
In what is believed to be the first U.S. study designed to prevent anxiety disorders in the children of anxious parents, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center have found that a family-based program reduced symptoms and the risk of developing an anxiety disorder among these children.
Medication may provide some benefit for older adults with anxiety disorder
Preliminary research suggests that use of the drug escitalopram provided some improvement in symptoms for older adults with generalized anxiety disorder, although the overall benefits were diminished because of nonadherence to the drug by some patients.
Anxious older adults may benefit from antidepressants
Many older adults worry - a lot. Almost one in 10 Americans over age 60 suffer from an anxiety disorder that causes them to worry excessively about normal things - like health, finances, disability and family.
Expectant brains help predict anxiety treatment success
A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment.
Childhood anxiety disorders can and should be treated, according to UT Southwestern national expert
Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents should be recognized and treated to prevent educational underachievement and adult substance abuse, anxiety disorders and depression, says a nationally recognized child psychiatrist from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Siblings of mentally disabled face own lifelong challenges, according to researchers
People who have a sibling with a mental illness are more likely to suffer episodes of depression at some point in their lives, say researchers who analyzed four decades of data.
Stress-related disorders affect brain's processing of memory
Researchers using functional MRI (fMRI) have determined that the circuitry in the area of the brain responsible for suppressing memory is dysfunctional in patients suffering from stress-related psychiatric disorders. Results of the study will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
More Anxiety Disorder Current Events and Anxiety Disorder News Articles
 |
Living Well with Anxiety: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need to Know by Carolyn Chambers Clark (Author) A Comprehensive, Holistic Guide to the Conventional Medical and Self-Care Treatments for Anxiety Disorders In a world that values excess, the pressure to succeed never ends. As a result of our fast-paced and high-stakes society, anxiety can take over our lives. For approximately 20 million American adults a year, anxiety symptoms such as dizziness, stammering, heart palpitations, trembling, and shaking can be extremely debilitating. Unlike other books on anxiety, this book offers a holistic program that includes not only conventional psychiatric and psychological treatments, but also provides nutrition, fitness, environmental, herbal, stress reduction/healing, and relationship self-care approaches. Living Well with Anxiety contains helpful advice for a... |
 |
The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques: Understanding How Your Brain Makes You Anxious and What You Can Do to Change It by Margaret Wehrenberg (Author) A strategy-filled handbook to understand, manage, and conquer your own stress. Anxiety disorders-grouped into three main categories: panic, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety-are among the most common and pervasive mental health complaints. From the subtlest effect of sweaty palms during a work presentation to the more severe symptom of reclusion, anxiety casts a wide net. Medication, once considered the treatment of choice, is losing favor as more and more sufferers complain of unpleasant side effects and its temporary, quick-fix nature. Now, thanks to a flood of fresh neurobiology research and insights... |
 |
Panic and Anxiety Disorder: 121 Tips, Real-life Advice, Resources & More, Second Edition by Linda Manassee Buell (Author) This second edition of "Panic and Anxiety Disorder, 121 Tips, Real-life Advice, Resources & More" features 40 more pages than the original. Some of them offer author Linda Manassee Buell's personal journal entries, in which she reflects on her years of suffering, learning and joy in her battle with panic disorder and agoraphobia. As one reads these stories, it becomes clear how this book's remarkably realistic approach and very practical tips came to be. Adding even more value are new chapter introductions that will help the reader use the tips more effectively, along with brief yet helpful insights from mental health professionals. The resource area has also been expanded considerably. Written from a panic sufferer's own special perspective, this unique book offers heartfelt... |
 |
When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life by David D. Burns M.D. (Author) Are you plagued by fears, phobias, or panic attacks? Do you toss and turn at night with a knot in your stomach, worrying about your job, your family, work, your health, or relationships? Do you suffer from crippling shyness, obsessive doubts, or feelings of insecurity? What you may not realize is that these fears are almost never based on reality. Anxiety is one of the world’s oldest cons. When you’re anxious, you’re actually fooling yourself. You are telling yourself things that simply aren’t true. See if you can recognize yourself in any of these distortions: All-or-Nothing Thinking: “My mind will go blank when I give my presentation at work, and everyone will think I’m an idiot.” Fortune Telling: “I just know I’ll freeze up and blow it when I take my... |
 |
ABC News 20/20 Panic Attacks. Don't Panic There is a kind of pain that is invisible and terrifying -- panic attacks. In their most extreme form, people are so paralyzed with fear that for years they are unable even to leave their own homes. Psychologist David Barlow and Director of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University says a number of factors, including heredity and stress can make a person vulnerable to panic attacks. But there is a pioneering therapy that, in many cases, could be an alternative to drugs or months, even years of therapy in treating panic attacks with agoraphobia. The idea behind this therapy is to have the patient confront their fear in a controlled setting. This "20/20" show contains the following additional story: A Touch of Madness This product is manufactured on demand... |
 |
The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition by Edmund J. Bourne (Author) Since its first edition in 1990, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has sold more than 600,000 copies. Its engaging exercises and worksheets have helped millions of readers make real progress in overcoming problems with anxiety and phobic disorders. The Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health (Norcross, et al., 2003) gave the book its highest rating and praised it as "a highly regarded and widely known resource." Thousands of mental health and medical professionals recommend this book to their clients and patients every year. Simply put, it is the single finest source of self-help information on its topic available anywhere. The text of this fourth edition has been fully revised and expanded and includes two new chapters: a discussion of physical conditions that can... |
 |
Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective by Aaron Beck (Author), Ph.D. Gary Emery (Author), Ruth Greenberg (Contributor) The widely acclaimed "father of cognitive psychotherapy" adds a new introduction to the gold-standard book on anxiety disorders and phobias At the forefront of the cognitive revolution, renowned psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck turned to information processing in order to understand the sources, consequences, and cures of anxiety disorders and phobias. In the first half of this classic text, Beck elaborates on the clinical picture of anxiety disorders and phobias and presents an explanatory model to account for the rich complexity of these phenomena. Cognitive psychologist Gary Emery then details the therapeutic principles, strategies, and tactics developed on the basis of the cognitive model of anxiety disorders and phobias. This fifteenth anniversary edition of the foundational work... |
 |
Indigo Dreams: Adult Relaxation-Guided Meditation/Relaxation Techniques decrease anxiety, stress, anger by Lori Lite (Author) Experience four research-based,stress management techniques that are accepted and used by both the traditional medical and holistic communities. You will not find any philosophies, theories or fluff presented here because frankly, we do not have time for that and chances are neither do you. Enjoy and learn four stress-management techniques; diaphragmatic breathing, affirmations, visualizations, and progressive muscular relaxation accompanied by soothing, uplifting music to further enhance your relaxation experience. Now you can watch your whole family manage stress and anxiety! As a psycholgist working with many adult patients dealing with anxiety disorders, I value Indigo Dreams:Adult Relaxation. With repeated use, my patients report an overall decrese of anxiety levels and improved... |
 |
Sprudio Subliminal Cd: End Anxiety- Anxiety Disorder, Panic, Fear, Nervousness, Stop Panic Attacks Anti-anxiety Attacks Mind Program with Nlp, Brainwave Entrainment Technology by Sprudio CD with Nature Sound: The affirmations and suggestions are "buried" in the Ocean Waves Sound; all you hear is The Ocean Waves and the Nature Sound. Final Track Silent, can be used anywhere. There is not sound to be heard by conscious mind. About this CD Worrying does no good. Think positively and make your plan, then work your plan from outside of yourself. Dont let anxiety rule your life! Fight back with this subliminal CD. Play it every day: Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), brainwave generators and ultrasonic technologies were used to ensure your success! Silent track included. |
 |
Native Remedies Triple Complex Nerve Tonic and MindSoothe ComboPack by Native Remedies The ComboPack of Nerve Tonic and MindSoothe consists of multiple remedies that work well together to provide increased support for your condition. This ComboPack assists with balanced mood and with added nerve tonic. The Nerve Tonic supports a naturally balanced mood and a care-free and calm attitude while the MindSoothe is used when short term common feelings of 'the blues' are experienced in adults and provide maximum effectiveness when used together. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |