By Kathy Palka, CMA, MA, FLE, SPADA, MA, TLLP

Cultures that have permitted the use of alcohol and other drugs have prescribed different rules for use by men and women. These "double standards" have been based on culturally transmitted theories of how women react to the substance. The theories, in turn, have led to deeply ingrained stereotypes about the nature and behavior of chemically dependent women. Negative stereotypes underlie the intense stigma suffered by these women in contemporary society. They act as barriers to treatment and encourage the victimization of chemically dependent women.

Alcohol abuse among women has been known since antiquity (Goldberg, 1995, p. 793). Research statistics by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), estimate that "…about 5% of American women abuse or depend on alcohol, and 1.5% abuse or depend on nonalcoholic, illicit psychoactive drugs." (SAMHSA, 1994, p. 2) The research estimates also state some 5 million women of childrearing age used drugs. (SAMHSA, 1994, p. 17) The American Academy of Family Physicians (1991) researched the fear of being a female alcohol abuser and found, "Alcoholism is the third leading cause of death among American women age 35 to 55. Suicide, alcohol-related accidents, and liver disease are more common in female alcoholics than in male alcoholics." (p. 1-2) The etiologies of substance abusing women encompass several factors that are directly related to their current lifestyles. A woman often finds herself caught in the web of uncertainty due to daily life stressors. The present culture of our society requires women to assume multiple roles. This may also be compounded by the objections of her family and society. These stressors may cause a woman to seek solace by utilizing mood-altering substances, leading to abuse or dependence. (SAMHSA, 1995; Gomberg, 1994) According to the periodical, Social Work (November 1995), author Margaret Goldberg stated, "Substance-abusing women are a diverse group, but some of them are among the most disadvantaged individuals in the United States. Contrary to popular stereotypes, alcohol and drug abuse among women occurs at similar rates among poor and non-poor people and among white people and people of color. Major risk factors include childhood sexual or physical abuse, adult victimization by domestic violence, and a spouse or partner who abuses substances." (p. 10) The indicators of a woman's propensity to abuse psychoactive substances are family history of child abuse and/or neglect, family violence, concurrent mental health (co-occurring disorders), and gender-specific familial and cultural demands.