Addiction is a disease that affects the patient’s ability to function. Drug addiction is when a person gravitates towards excessive amounts of use. They will also prioritize their drug intake over any other activity and alternate between abstinences or relapses. It doesn’t matter if you are young, religious, have a high level of socialization or not – additional info.
There is a possibility that the gender difference plays a major role in the rapid rise of drug abuse. Contrary what many men think, studies show that women are more likely to become addicted to drugs. This is true especially for cocaine. Cocaine can increase energy and alertness among women. They use this drug to do their work, while remaining awake. This drug is also a great way to deal with problems of mental and emotional health.
Most of the research on addictions and other areas has been conducted by men. Researchers and clinics resisted including women because of their beliefs that hormones could make it hard to get conclusive findings. Due to the reasons above, scientists do not encourage women to participate in the study because they think that the hormonal cycle of women will hinder them from obtaining conclusive findings.
The idea is a little novel. This has resulted in better drugs, improved intervention strategies, as well as a deeper understanding about addiction progression, both for men and women. Over the past few years, addiction research has advanced.
A study highlights the importance of one such reason. Nature Communications published a detailed sex analysis of women’s cocaine usage.
The relationship between sexual activity and drug addiction in women
Erin Calipari headed the Mount Sinai Hospital group that carried out the research. The research team found that women are more likely to abuse cocaine and consume it in higher quantities than their male counterparts due to hormonal fluctuations. This study shows women begin using cocaine sooner and in greater quantities than their male counterparts. The study reveals that women have a harder time abstaining from cocaine.
In order to understand the difference between men and women, they used mice. They examined these mice at all stages of their reproduction cycle. Their dopamine response and pathways were similar to human’s.
Scientists have discovered that the menstrual cycle in mice can influence cocaine intake. The mice tend to be more male-like when their hormone levels are low. The female mice who have high estrogen levels are more receptive to cocaine.
These effects persisted for longer on female brains than in male brains. The researchers also found that female and male mice are affected by environmental factors. Scientists noted that places close to cocaine tend to attract female mice more. It’s not the same for male mice.