Emotional Rescue

A group of healthy social drinkers, 27
males and 27 females, were subjected to a series of stressful stories
over a period of several days; then they were interviewed about their
reactions. As part of the questioning, they were asked if they craved
alcohol.

The women reported feelings of sadness
and anxiety more frequently than the men. The males were less likely to
talk about emotions but were more likely to crave alcohol after
exposure to these scenarios.

The authors suggest it is possible that
women verbalize their emotions more often than men during upsetting
situations, because it is socially acceptable for them to do so. It may
also be probable that brain chemistry or hormones account for this
gender difference. The authors note that even though most women
verbalize their feelings quite freely, this does not protect them from
emotional problems. In fact, the incidence of depression and anxiety is
higher in women than men.

The men in this study appeared to want
to drown their sorrows with alcohol rather than fully experience the
distress aroused by these stories. Chaplin states, “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. And this
tendency may contribute to risk for alcohol-use disorders.”

Chaplin further explains, “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. Men, in
contrast, are more likely to distract themselves, to try not to think
about these emotions.”

While it is clear that men and women
differ in their response to negative emotions, it is not obvious which
path is superior. This study implies that the choice has, to a great
extent, been made for many of us when our gender was established.
Although changing this pattern later in life is certainly possible, it
would require a dedicated effort.