Evening star., 1961-04-07

AndWonnen
Discussed
BY FRANCES LIDE
Star Staff Writer

Star Staff Writer
The So-called double stand
ard for women also applies to
alcoholics.
But women who suffer
from a double stigma" when
they are afflicted with alco-
holism, have just as good a
chance as a man to recover,
according to Mrs. Marty
Mann, internationally known
pioneer in the fight to have
alcoholism treated as a health
problem.
And more and more are
seeking help, she reports.
Although it is estimated
they comprise only one out
of five alcoholics in this
country, the proportion of
women in Alcoholics Anony-
nous is about two in five,
she said. And, in many
clinics about one in every
three patients is a woman.
Founder
Mrs. Mann, who is the
founder and executive direc-
tor of the National Council
on Alcoholism, Inc, discussed
two Of the signs a woman
should watch for to detect
alcoholism in its early stages.
One is an increasing de-
pendence on alcohol at social
affairs. A woman should be
on the alert, she elaborated,
if she finds she isn't in
terested in attending party
that doesn't involve drink
ing; if she doesn't want to
go to a luncheon or to play
bridge where drinks won't be
served.
Inclpient alcoholism also
may be indicated if she dis
covers that alcohol picks her
up" when the maid quits. the
children keep screaming and.
all in all, she has one of
those distracting days.
Altogether, she says, there
are 26 early symptoms not
visible to anyone except the
person who has them. They
are all listed, she added, in
her book, New Primer on Al
coholism," which came out
in 1858.
Mrs. Mann, who defines al
coholism as loss of control
over drinking" warns that
people in all walks of life
are victims.
Too many think of the
I alcoholic as a homeless va
grant, a skid row bum," she
declared. Actually, this type
makes up only 3 per cent of
the alcoholics in this coun-
try"
. Major efforts of the coun-
Gil are to gain acceptance of
alcoholism as a disease, to re-
move the stigma" attached
. to alcoholics, and to recog-
nize it in its early stages.
To try to cover up" for
the alcoholic, she asserted,
. is actually to prevent him
from getting help.
. Since drinking is perfectly
legal and socially acceptable
in this country, most alco-
. holics become victims simply
.. by following accepted social
customs, Mrs. Mann pointed
out.
; Her group, however, works
for recovery" rather than
reform"
The council is neither
wet" nor dry" she de-
clared. 1t is concerned solely
with the control and preven-
tion of alcoholism as a dis
ease.
Research Needed
Mrs. Mannn believes there
has not been nearly enough
research on the causes of
alcoholism.
1t is attributed variously
to physical susceptibility, psy-
Geological vulnerability, a So
cial and cultural climate that
encourages drinking, or to a
combination of all three.
She, herself, tends to the
combination theory.
Heavy drinking doesn't
necessarily lead to alcohol
ism, she also pointed out.
Bearing this out, she added.
is the fact that Washington,
D. c.. is not in the top S
cities, in respect to alcohol
ism, although it has the
highest per capita consump-
tion of alcohol of any city
in the country.
The Washington, D. c.,
Area Council on Alcoholism,
which is host to the National
Councils convention main
tains an Alcoholic Informa-
ton Center at 1400 @ street
NV.
The Alcoholic Rehabilita-
tion Program of the District
and Alcoholics Anonymous
are other local organizations
concerned with the problem.