Laura Hicky battled alcohol for much of her adult life.
"It ruled my life for quite sometime. It would be everything I would think about," said Hicky.
She hid bottles of booze in her closet and thought no one knew about her problem. It had a profound impact on her daily life.
"I would start in the morning and drink and pass out, not be able to make dinner, not be able to do anything, not be able to be a wife; mother," Hicky said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is a leading cause of preventable death. One in 10 deaths among working-aged people is due to excessive alcohol use.
"We're seeing more and more female outpatients who are drinking heavily and drinking at a young age," said Dr. Clara Alvarez-Villalba.
Alvarez-Villalba is the medical director of outpatient behavioral health for the Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida.
Behavior experts said a big part of the problem is that it's more culturally accepted that women drink, and it can be harder for them to quit.
"One of the factors is that they're busy. They're busy with their children, so it's very difficult to attend a program, to go a clinic, to see a doctor, detox and all these things," Alvarez-Villalba said.
Due to differences in body composition, women who abuse alcohol can have a greater risk of heart disease, liver disease, and hypertension than men.
Hicky no longer drinks and is on the path to recovery.
"I'm clean. I'm sober. I'm learning a lot of skills. I'm learning how to cope with my life. I'm living again and that's exactly what the goal is," said Hicky.
The CDC said binge drinking is the most common form of drinking. For women that's four or more drinks during a single occasion. For men it's five or more drinks.
For more information on women and alcohol effects, click here.