You can quit drinking (or cut back, if you prefer) without defining yourself as "diseased," without taking on the burden--and the excuse--of powerlessness, and without being brainwashed by well-meaning 12-steppers.

The first step on the road to recovery is not copping to powerlessness, but rather reclaiming your own power to be the agent of positive change in your life. "Self-will run riot" is not usually a problem faced by women; "self-will long dormant" is more the norm. If you have given up your power, why not just take it back?

If you are a woman with a drinking problem, you might like to know (but not many people will tell you) that there are now a number of effective alternatives to traditional 12-Step programs. Many of these alternatives are much better suited to the needs of women, in that they do not focus on patriarchal religion/spirituality, do not dwell on degrading recitations of past crimes, and do not insist that the person with an addiction is "diseased" and can never get well.

In case you're wondering how I can presume to write these heretical words, let me say that I am a former drinker/former AAer/former CD counselor -- and a current researcher into the addictions treatment industry. Please feel free to write to me if you have questions about my background or suggestions for additional program links, but be aware that I reserve the right to ignore messages from 12-step proselytizers. (I'm just not as open-minded as I used to be.)

Below I have listed links which will take you to various recovery alternatives, my addiction recovery reading list, and other interesting sites for women. Please email me with your comments, criticisms, and suggestions. You have the POWER to change your life. Claim it!

Recovery Program Links
Recovery Reading List
My Research
Crone Links
Women's Health Issues
My Library

It is my belief, based on many years of observation and experience, that AA is not just benignly ineffective for many women, but in fact can be quite harmful. If you have any thoughts on this, or if you have experience with AA, or if you are interested in participating in a newly forming Women for Sobriety group in the metropolitan Louisville, KY area, please contact Technocrone.
I completed a paper on my own experiences as a CD counselor last spring; click here for the complete text, with notes and bibliography. It got me a lot of spam from rabid 12-steppers. No surprise there -- AA has recently been declared a religion by the Supreme Court. True believers of any variety don't take kindly to having their beliefs questioned, and 12-steppers are no exception.

If you know of other programs, treatment options, or websites that I've overlooked, please let me know! I will endeavor to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, but I need your help. Please let me know if you encounter a bad link or if there are any problems or if you just have questions.