Women for Sobriety

Women for Sobriety (WFS), a nonprofit self-help network for women in recovery, was developed by Jean Kirkpatrick, a Ph.D. in sociology. This program espouses the belief that there is no reason for any woman to die from alcoholism. After years of drinking and attempts at recovery through participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Kirkpatrick realized that the program did not address the things that were important to her as a woman. She realized that by changing her thinking she could make the changes in her life that she had been pursuing. Major emotional problems for alcoholic women, from her experience, include an excessive feeling of guilt, poor self-esteem, depression, and loneliness. Kirkpatrick was keenly aware that alcoholism is harder on women both physically and emotionally than it is on men. Physically, alcohol is metabolized by women more slowly, is more destructive to the system of the body, and leads to earlier dependence among women as compared with men. She drew upon her own experiences, her work with other women alcoholics in AA, and her extensive reading to create WFS in 1975 as the first self-help group designed specifically for women. She devoted her life to helping women alcoholics until her death in 2000. Important influences on her efforts include the feminist movement begun by Betty Friedan in the 1960s and the strong emphasis, made popular by the widely read book Our Bodies, Ourselves, placed on women to take charge of themselves.

In 1978, Kirkpatrick published her first book, Turnabout: New Help for the Woman Alcoholic, which offers guidelines for recovery for women through WFS. WFS can be used as either an alternative or concurrent self-help system with AA. Kirkpatrick developed a set of 13 affirmations that are the core of WFS. In addition to absolute sobriety, the affirmations emphasize positive thinking in line with the best interests of the person, an important emphasis on self-acceptance, and a belief in personal competence and a commitment to emotional and spiritual growth. This emphasis on self-efficacy and assertiveness and an active pursuit of life goals is in contrast to AA's emphasis on humility. WFS provided a program and a self-help organization for alcoholic women in recovery to replace sources of drinking—including emotional pain, depression, boredom, and lack of self-esteem—with self-efficacy and activities that provide satisfaction and purpose in life. WFS believes that many [Page 1008]women are able to maintain basic functioning and manage their alcoholism for many years. These coping skills also cause women to increase their dependence on alcohol and to reduce their ability to achieve recovery without the assistance of others.

WFS also suggests that women in recovery begin the day with 15 minutes of contemplation on the 13 affirmations and plan to implement these throughout the day. It is suggested that 15 minutes before bed also be spent to review the efforts to operationalize the affirmations. A record or diary of use of program affirmations during the day is used in the program. In addition to individual efforts to achieve and maintain sober living, WFS meetings provide an important resource to support ongoing sobriety. As in AA, confidentiality related to issues discussed in WFS meetings is a major rule. The ideal size of a group is seen as 6 to 10 participants, and groups are led by an individual who has a history of maintaining sobriety and is familiar with the WFS program and process. Groups generally meet once a week and follow a structured format. Rather than starting the meeting as in AA with "I am Jane, and I am an alcoholic," WFS groups begin with participants introducing themselves with the statement "I am a competent woman," followed by a brief statement of a positive personal characteristic. WFS emphasizes peer assistance outside of groups, and the organization has audiovisual materials, books, pamphlets, and workbooks on the program of WFS and common problems such as guilty feelings, depression, and self-image.

...