Alcoholism growing problem
with modern American women
As the modern woman has
become more independent, her
problems have become more visi
ble, and alcoholisih is a growing
problem among women, including
both the working women and those
who remain at home.
Phyllis Grubb, a counselor at
the Alcoholic Rehabilitation
\ Center at Butner, says that of the
4S,000 people with drinking pro
blems who were treated by the
state last year, 18-20ft were
women.
"Before alcoholism was only
associated with men - the idea that
a woman could be an alcoholic was
unheard of," she pointed out.
"Now that women have become
more autonomous they are under
| more pressure and have many
more conflicts that might cause
them to abuse alcohol."
Because female alcoholics were
considered social outcasts, many
women never sought help for their
addictions, Grubb said. However,
during the movement for in
dependence more women have
realized the need for treatment of
diseases and problems, including
| alcoholism.
She said that the difficulty of
obtaining treatment for female
alcoholics is increased by the dif
ferences in treating men and
women. Until recently, most of the
research and treatment has been
centered around men.
Alcoholism in women is also
harder to recognize due to varied
drinking patterns, social attitudes,
^ and consumption rates, Grubb
' noted. Women have difficulty
seeking treatment because they
often have families to care for,
whereas men have a greater degree
of independence.
Health Hints
She added that today's profile of
a female alcoholic is of a young,
divorced parent with two to three
children, no skills, and little educa
tion. "These women have more to
lose than their male counterparts,"
Orubb emphasized. "If a woman
needs help for a long period of
time she will need child care, but
she probably can't afford it.
However, if the problem becomes
too serious she risks losing her
family altogether."
Orubb said that as women have
become independent, society's at
titudes towards women and drink
ing have changed. Now alcohol is
much more accessible. Bars have
happy hours for female customers,
and professional women might
have a martini lunch along with
their male counterparts.
"Alcohol is no longer a man's
drink and therefore the problems
that is causes are no longer just
men's problems," she said.
"However, most of the treatment
has been centered around men."
North Carolina is attempting to
help alcoholic women by providing
space at the state alcohol
rehabilitation centers and by pro
viding treatment through its net
work of 150 alcohol and drug pro
grams across the state.
In addition, more programs are
being formed that are geared
towards women's needs, including
support groups and halfway
houses. For example, the
Orange/Person/Chatham
Residential Treatment Center in
Chapel Hill is a halfway house that
serves as a transitory facility for
women returning from the ARC to
the community. It is a six-month
program that is designed to ease
the transition of each woman back
into society. Dot Sparks is director
of the center.
The 56-year-old Sparks is a
recovered alcoholic *ho was
treated several times at the ARC in
Butner. She took her last drink ten
years ago and has remained sober
since then. She holds a masters
degree in education, swims every
day and plays tennis several times a
week.
"I started drinking when I was
twenty years old and it got pro
gressively worse," she said. "My
job involved a lot of traveling and
it was then that 1 started abusing
alcohol."
Sparks said that her friends urg
ed her to get help, but as many
other alcoholics would agree, one
can only be helped when he or she
is ready to admit that there is a
problem. "I finally realized that
the problem did not lie in external
factors, but that I was unhappy
with myself," she stated. "I realiz
ed that I was hooked and I wanted
to change. The ARC provided
counseling and understanding, and
helped me change my old habits.
Sparks said she decided to
become involved in the treatment
of women alcoholics because she
realized the special problems that
they faced. "Women have always
been the mothers and wives ? the
protecting elements ? no one
wants to believe that they, too, can
be alcoholics," she said. "Because
this attitude is changing, more
women are coming out of the
closets with their problems, but
there aren't enough treatment
facilities. That's why I got involv
ed."
Big and old
This white oak, located in the Wayside area has
stood proudly while the world changed perhaps for
centuries. The tree has grown while a county named
Hoke was formed. The land on which the oak lives
is now owned by Katie Stevens, but it stands on the
homeplace of Gilbert Monroe, grandfather of
Rae ford's W.M. Monroe.
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