NCJ Number
53914
Journal
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1967) Pages: 493-504
Date Published
1967
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE UTILITY OF AN OUTPATIENT APPROACH TO PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR ALCOHOLIC WOMEN EX-OFFENDERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE WAKE OF A GROUP THERAPY INITIATIVE BY THE ALCOHOLISM CLINIC OF BOSTON'S PETER BENT BRIGHAM HOSPITAL.
Abstract
FEMALE ALCOHOLIC EX-PRISONERS ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TREAT IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC; THEY DISPLAY VOLATILITY, ORAL-NARCISSISTIC DEMANDINGNESS, INTENSE PHOBIC BEHAVIOR, AND DIFFUSE PSYCHOTIC THINKING, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRINKING. AFTER SOME SUCCESS IN AIDING THESE WOMEN WITHIN THE PRISON AND INDIVIDUALLY ON AN OUTPATIENT BASIS, AN OUTPATIENT GROUP WAS FORMED TO TREAT RELEASED PRISONERS COLLECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP ROSTER INCLUDED 10 WOMEN, AVERAGE ATTENDANCE DURING THE 24 WEEKS CONSISTED OF 2 OR 3 MEMBERS. THE WOMEN WERE IN THEIR 30'S AND 40'S; SIX CAME FROM DISRUPTED HOME BACKGROUNDS, AND ANOTHER TWO HAD AT LEAST ONE ALCOHOLIC PARENT. OF THE EIGHT WHO HAD MARRIED, ALL EXPERIENCED MARITAL DIFFICULTIES. THE GROUP MEETINGS WERE MARKED BY UNCONTROLLED BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF SOME MEMBERS, INABILITY TO SET RULES FOR THEMSELVES, INTENSE FEELINGS FOR THE GROUP LEADER, RIVALRY FOR THE LEADER'S ATTENTION AND EMOTIONAL EXCLUSION OF ALL NEW MEMBERS. THE LEADER'S ATTEMPTS TO HELP THE MEMBERS SET LIMITS, TO FIND COMMON ISSUES, OR TO DISCUSS FEELINGS WERE MET WITH HOSTILE REJECTION AND WITHDRAWAL. THERE WAS NO GROUP COHESION, AND DEMANDS FOR IMMEDIATE ORAL GRATIFICATION WERE CONSTANT. IN SPITE OF THESE DIFFICULTIES, 7 OF THE 10 WOMEN WERE ABLE TO USE THE HOSPITAL AND CLINIC FACILITIES FOLLOWING THE TERMINATION OF THE GROUP PROJECT. DIFFICULTIES IN AIDING THESE WOMEN ON AN OUTPATIENT BASIS ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES ARE SUGGESTED: THE POSSIBLE USE OF FEMALE LEADER OR RECORDER; USE OF COTHERAPISTS, POSSIBLY A MAN AND WOMAN TEAM; AND STARTING GROUPS WITHIN PRISON, ARRANGING FOR SIMULTANEOUS DISCHARGE OF MEMBERS, AND CONTINUING THE GROUPS IN AN OUTPATIENT SETTING. ESTABLISHING CLUBS FOR THESE WOMEN IS ALSO SUGGESTED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.