Feminism and Addiction

Feminism is a beneficial force in addictions therapy as they have the same goals--mending imbalances of power. A variety of important topics related to addictions treatment are addressed in this timely volume, accompanied by concrete clinical solutions for therapists and counselors to use in their own practice. Feminism and Addiction demonstrates the positive impact feminism can have on addictions treatment. Addictions treatment methods that have been developed primarily based on research with men are examined and questioned to determine what changes need to be made to meet the needs of women. The applicability of twelve-step treatment programs, for example, is investigated as to whether its required adoption of belief in powerlessness is concurrent with feminism's battle with female subjugation. This thought-provoking volume contains the most current theoretical, social, and clinical issues enmeshed in the debates between men's experiences and women's experiences of addiction. Critical issues addressed include advice for how to deal with issues of codependency; how to treat clients faced with physical or sexual abuse in addition to addiction; how to integrate cultural differences into treatment; and how to face the particular difficulties of gay and lesbian clients in addictions treatment. This valuable book will help you apply constructivist approaches to build therapy methods which are collaborative, internal, and organic, thus more appropriate to treating women's experience with addiction. Feminism and Addiction helps family therapists who work with women and their families strike a unique balance between the principles of feminism and family therapy's goal of repairing and healing relationships between men and women.

Claudia Bepko

Contents - Introduction - I. Theory, Research, and Social Issues: Exploring Addiction in Context - A Descriptive Outline of a Program for Cocaine-Using Mothers and Their Babies - Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Gender Socialization and Women's Addiction: A Literature Review - Codependency: The Social Reconstruction of Female Experience - Powerlessness--Liberating or Enslaving?: Responding to the Feminist Critique of the Twelve Steps - II. Feminist Approaches to Training and Treatment of the Addictions - Challenging General Patton: A Feminist Stance in Substance Abuse Treatment and Training - Are We Keeping Up With Oprah?: A Treatment and Training Model for Addictions and Interpersonal Violence - Treating Women Drug Abusers Who Were Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse - Who's On Top?: Sexism, Alcoholism, and Systemic Therapy With Couples - Chemical Dependency Treatment for Lesbians and Their Families: The Feminist Challenge III. Special Issues in Treatment and Recovery: Reflection and Intervention - Women and Shame: Kin and Culture - Codependent or Empathically Responsive?: Two Views of Betty - Reflections of Male Codependency - Reference Notes Included