A campaign launched by Addict Aide this Monday highlights female alcoholism from which at least 500,000 French women suffer and shows us these signs which can alert us.
“It’s easy to miss the addiction of a loved one.” This is the message of the new campaign launched this Monday by Addict Help, to alert on female alcoholism. It is estimated in France that between 500,000 and one million women are addicted to alcohol. Much more stigmatized by society than men, alcoholic women pass for irresponsible mothers, light, stupid, fragile women. But alcohol dependence is a serious disease, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1978.
“Laurence’s secret”
To raise public awareness of the situation of alcoholic women who often mature in silence out of shame, the association has reproduced the apartment occupied by Laurence Cottet between 2004 and 2010. Stain of wine on the carpet, empty fridge, broken mirrors , open perfume bottle… the apartment bears the story of this former alcoholic senior executive. 7000 people investigated the places, actually or virtually, to find out “Laurence’s secret“. Who is she? What happened to her? Theories are rife:” Laurence has been murdered “;” He is a vampire who fights against his natural state “…
But none of the 7000 people understood that Laurence was in fact an alcoholic. That her fridge was empty because she only ate alcohol. That his bottle of perfume served him as a reserve. That the mirrors were broken because she couldn’t look herself in the face anymore. “It’s easy to miss the addiction of a loved one.”
Recreational or excessive consumption?
How to recognize the signs? If someone you know continually needs to drink alcohol to relax, swallows greedily, in secret, or searches for situations where they have the opportunity to use it, this should alert you. If you see her unable to reduce her consumption, then the problem is. It happens that some people do not drink for a few days, but they abuse alcohol on weekends. Or, that they drink one or two aperitifs a day. On the surface, this consumption may seem trivial. But often, they would have a hard time going a day without their daily dose.
Also worry if a loved one neglects their work, activities, responsibilities or household chores because of alcohol. This is because the drink now occupies too important a place in his life. As time goes by, the alcohol consumption of an addicted person increases more and more. It must satisfy its organism which is used to it and which demands more and more. The frequency increases and harmless use precedes risky use. When the body cries out for alcohol, the addiction is installed.
Behavior change
Alcohol being a psychoactive product which acts on the functioning of the brain, it modifies the state of consciousness and the perception of things. In low doses, it provides a feeling of euphoria, excitement, helps some people to gain self-confidence, to uninhibit themselves. In the event of drunkenness, it can become destructive on the family, friendship, professional, sexual or even social levels.
An addict can withdraw, isolate himself at home to drink without being watched or judged. Conversely, drunkenness can uninhibit others and push them to commit the irreparable. An alcoholic will adopt new habits in order to be able to drink, will change their behavior, will adapt their lifestyle to their bottle. Do not close your eyes.
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