How do lesbian women develop serenity?

This article considers how lesbian women recover from alcoholism and develop serenity in the context of a homophobic society. We review what is known about the incidence and lethality of alcoholism in lesbian women. We critique Finnegan and McNally's (1987) five‐stage conceptual framework of lesbian and alcoholic identity development, which is based on the disease model of recovery. We present our own model, based on our own recovery experiences. The Deevey‐Wall model describes factors that may determine how shaming social environments may affect drinking behavior and recovery in lesbian women. In conclusion, we explain Wall's theory of self‐hate as a survival mechanism in traumatically hostile environments.