Women: reduce your stress to deal with alcohol, cocaine use

If you’re a woman, your use of alcohol and cocaine impacts your brain differently than it does for the guys in your life.

This has been conventional wisdom in addiction treatment circles for as long as I’ve been working in the field, but now science is backing it up.  A new study that focused on the effects of alcohol and cocaine on the brain is showing that women’s brains respond differently to these substances.

With cocaine use, particularly, the indicators are that stress-reduction practices will go further in helping women deal with their desire for the drug.  For men, cognitive approaches are more likely to be effective. The study, which is reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined brain activation in cocaine-dependent people as well as recreational drinkers.

What kinds of stress-reducing habits might help you — or someone you love — deal more effectively with alcohol and drugs?