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By Sherry Gaba, LCSW and Whitney Ashton
A recent study by Schlauch et al., confirmed previous research that “women tended to use moderate self-referral terms for intoxication, whereas men used heavy terms” and determined that the different ways of communicating various levels of intoxication may be used to “inform tailored measures for prevention and intervention.”
Analyzing natural language terms for college students’ drinking is important because these terms (i.e., wasted, hammered, buzzed, tipsy, etc.) can help us pinpoint if an individual is correctly estimating their intoxication levels.
Studies done in social psychology over the years affirm that the way an individual labels their behavior can influence their perceptions and subsequent behaviors. Men tend to describe their drinking with words such as “wasted” or “hammered” while women prefer to downplay theiralcohol consumption by using terms such as “buzzed” or “tipsy.” The gender differences in natural language usage impact the way “drinking men and women” are differentially perceived.
Clinicians can utilize this research when working with clients on alcoholism prevention and interventions. They can discuss with men that excessive alcohol consumption is neither typical nor acceptable, and with women, the various risk factors that accompany “their own or others’ degree of intoxication.” Real world dangers could include drunk driving and sexual victimization. The descriptive and injunctive norms held by men have been proven to influence alcohol dependence.
As depicted in my book, “The Law of Sobriety,” I have written that the first step to achieving sobriety is for the addict to alter the way they think about their addiction. If the behavior (in this case, drinking) an individual is engaging in is harmful or distracting to their life goal, it must be eliminated from their life. The desire to change and attract positive rather than negative energy is a big step toward recovering from addiction.
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Sherry Gaba Psychotherapist and Life Coach 