Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h6HE4K708634; Thu, 17 Jul 2003 10:04:20 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 10:04:20 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <sf1673ca.002@langate.gsu.edu> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Daphne Greenberg" <ALCDGG@langate.gsu.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2644] women and alcoholism X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 6.0.4 Beta Status: O Content-Length: 2660 Lines: 31 Some of us who are female teachers may be struggling with alcoholism. Others of us have female learners in our classrooms who are struggling with this addiction. Some of us may have female loved ones who are strugglers. At times we may feel frustrated with ourselves, or with others who are having difficulty staying away from alcoholism. At the following website, you can learn more about why it may be difficult for yourself, your learner or your loved one: http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=1416 The article also talks about some of the difficulties many women have with AA. In the adult literacy field, research has indicated that the written materials provided at most addiction rehabilitative programs are written at too high a level for our learners. Some additional insights specific to women that are described in this article: - AA was developed by men in large part for men. The program's "Big Book" was written in 1939 and is a reflection of the times. It includes a chapter "To Wives," which presumes traditional gender roles, and though AA denies any religious leanings, the "Big Book" refers to God throughout and uses the pronoun He." - According to Kirkpatrick AA's First Step, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol," sends a destructive message to many women who turn to alcohol to overcome a sense of powerlessness. She also argues that the Fourth Step of taking a "fearless and moral inventory" compounds, for many women, the shame of the disease. Tracey Deschaine, a nurse anesthetist who has worked in recovery centers, agrees. "Women have known all along they're powerless, that's part of the reason they fall victim to drugs or alcohol. They need to be told they have power inside them to get well," she says. "And in the Fourth Step," she continues, "you have to go out and emotionally flog yourself. Nobody has to tell women to flog themselves. They do it all the time." - Additionally, about one-half of all sexual-assault victims report that they were drinking alcohol at the time of their attack. Women may be reluctant to discuss that trauma in gender-mixed AA meetings and require additional counseling to help cope misplaced guilt and shame. Alcoholism and women has long been a taboo topic. After all, as this article points out, alcoholism is considered to be "unladylike." I am wondering if any of you work with female alcoholic learners? Care to share with us your experiences? Daphne Greenberg Associate Director Center for the Study of Adult Literacy MSC 6A0360 Georgia State University 33 Gilmer Street SE Unit 6 Atlanta, GA 30303-3086 phone: 404-651-0127 fax:404-651-4901 dgreenberg@gsu.edu
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