Group helps women alcoholics

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 8

Group helps women alcoholics

A new group has been formed in Christchurch to ■ ■ help women with alcohol problems. Women for Sobriety started its weekly meettags in December last ■ t year and so far has six regular members. A spokeswoman for the group, who preferred not to be named, said there i were many more women who could benefit from : the group but did not know it existed. The group uses a programme established in the United States 11 years ago by a recovering alcoholic, Dr Jean Kirkpa- , trick. The self-help programme focuses on posi- -. tiveness and is written specially for women. Groups of up to 10 1 women meet weekly to : discuss statements out- ■ lined in the programme such as "negative emo- ■ tions destroy only / myself,” “the past is gone for ever,” and “I am a competent woman and ■'have much to give others.” The programme has ■ been accepted in many countries as a successful alternative to other maleoriented alcohol-treat-drug-treatment

programmes. The spokeswoman said the group was not a replacement for Alcoholics Anonymous. "But there are some things a woman wants to discuss that they may not feel comfortable talking about at A.A. meetings because those meetings are so much bigger. Ours is a very intimate group.” The programme advocates total abstinence. However, a woman who slipped and had a drink was still welcome in the group, she said. “The programme allows

no drinking at all because that is the only way an alcoholic can survive. Drinking socially does not work.” ,• It was easier today for a recovering alcoholic to socialise with friends because of the many nonalcoholic drinks available, the spokeswoman said. Any woman who had ah alcohol problem or felt she was drinking too heavily was welcome to attend the meetings, she said. Meetings were held at the Alcohol and Drug Centre in Armagh Street each Wednesday, at 7.30