There are a number of things that women become addicted to, but some are more commonly observed than others. Women turn to addictive substances and activities in an attempt to cope and to escape with life circumstances they cannot deal with. Addiction in women varies from men in motivation and in expression. Some of the most common female addictions are listed below:
- Alcohol. A large number of women consume alcohol as a means of escaping from their problems. Alcohol is a dangerous addiction for women to succumb to because they lack an enzyme that men have that enables their bodies to break down alcohol more efficiently. Alcohol consumption increases the disease rate in women by a significant percentage.
- Drugs. Be it prescription drugs or street drugs, women may become addicted as a way of escaping or as a form of comfort. Prescription drugs in particular become a security blanket for many women who are afraid to feel physical discomfort and become dependent on substances that mask it.
- Food. Food is another comfort / security blanket addiction for women. Consuming comfort food creates endorphins and dopamine within women that trigger many desirable pleasure responses. It can be very difficult for women to control their impulse to moderate what and how much they eat.
- Sex. Sex becomes a compulsive, addictive behavior for many women. A sex addiction in women is commonly a way of trying to numb one’s self to past abandonment and is often an indication of running from pain.
- Shopping. Like sex, shopping is a process addiction, meaning the high comes from repeating a pleasurable process. Purchasing items makes many women feel a sense of richness in obtaining their desires and can become compulsive, even to the detriment of their finances and personal space.
- Internet. The internet is addictive to men and women alike, but women are likely to lose themselves to the internet because it makes for a great distraction from problems.
Women and men both struggle with addiction in their own right. It used to be believed that men were far more prone to addiction, but the gender gap on the subject of addiction has largely been closed, revealing that men and women struggle in equal measure with the condition of affliction. Women’s addictions look different than men’s. They respond differently to addiction and go about recovery in ways that vary from men. In order for women to recover from addiction, they can seek help in various forms, depending on the severity of their addiction.
When women are addicted, it is very important that they receive help. Women and men respond to and recover from addiction in different ways, just like they do other things in life differently. Women tend to be more organized about their emotions while men tend to be more out of touch with their emotions. Women respond more strongly in many ways to cognitive behavioral reasoning because many women naturally think about their emotions, thought patterns and behaviors. This is why women tend to benefit enormously from 
Statistically, men are more likely to struggle with addiction than women. This fact is frequently misinterpreted to mean that women seldom struggle with addiction. The truth is, women struggle with addiction at a rate comparable to men, but slightly lesser. Addiction is universally human, and women are very much in need of support and treatment when they are struggling with addiction. There is a great deal of light that needs to be shed on how addiction affects women in particular, but psychologists are aware of some facets of addiction that are unique to women.