Reflections on the Past, Present and Possible Future of Women's Alcoholism Treatment

Summary

The past twenty years have produced both good news and bad news in the treatment of alcoholic women. The impact of important strides in our clinical knowledge and skills is limited by the fact that women's access to effective alcoholism treatment peaked in the 1980s and is in decline. In 2002 we face the reality that providing excellent treatment for alcoholic women is as much a political and societal challenge as a clinical one; the treatment field must take on the challenge of opening our doors to all women in need of treatment. We must do this both by creating new, more accessible treatment models and through activism to push for increased access to current treatment resources.

Key Words:

• Women
• alcoholism
• treatment