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ABSTRACT
This qualitative analysis looks at women across a continuum of sobriety and affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The sample frame consists of 60 women’s stories as submitted to the Grapevine: The International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous and explores older women’s recovery experiences within the context of AA. An intersectional interpretive lens is offered in order to look at both gender and age as they relate to recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Findings suggest a comparative difference not only among older women as a group seeking recovery but between those who have late-onset AUD, those who sought help in middle-age, and those women with long-term sobriety affiliated with AA for 20 or more years.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. AA members often tell their story or lead a meeting by simply “telling what is was like, what happened, and what it is like now.” This captures what led to their excessive drinking, what turning point occurred, and how they have worked the 12 Step program of AA in sobriety.
2. The 11th Step reads “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him [italics in the original], praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
3. Marty Mann’s story, “Women Suffer Too,” appears on page 222 of the revised edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, published in 1955.
4. Alcoholics Anonymous, the Big Book, the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st – 4th editions (1939, ‘55, ‘76, Citation2018) and Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions (Citation1952, ‘53, ‘81) are the two primary sources for members of AA to learn about the program and the 12 Steps of the program.
5. The 5th Step reads” Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”
6. AA endorses 12 traditions to help safe guard the unity of the AA meeting and program. Please see The Twelve Steps and Twelves Traditions (AA, Citation1952) for a full discussion about the traditions.
7. In 2018, Pamphlet 5, “A.A. for the Woman” was updated and retitled “Women in A.A.”