| Summary: | Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a paucity of research documenting women’s undisclosed drinking. This study
explored the discursive accounts of women’s alcohol dependence, treatment history and
barriers in accessing alcohol dependence treatment. The goals of this dissertation were to
explore women’s alcohol dependence history; explore women’s treatment history (or lack
thereof); identify barriers and nature of barriers that limit women’s access to alcohol
dependence treatment; identify the reasons for women not accessing treatment, and to
interpret women’s experiences of treatment per se. A Human Scientific Approach was
adopted to examine and interpret how women’s drinking is socially constructed. A social
constructionist approach was utilised to access and construct meaning from the
discourses emanating from the women’s narratives of their experience with alcohol and
their attempts at rehabilitation. Ten women were interviewed using the life story (narrative)
interview method. The findings illustrate two major discourses namely, secret drinking and
inaccessibility of appropriate treatment facilities for women alcohol dependents. This
means that participants feel forced to conceal their drinking and to drink secretively
because of the stigma associated with women drinking heavily. The stigma they
experience translates into barriers (mostly internal barriers) to seeking institutionalised
treatment. This makes it easier for them to seek alternative treatment such as an
anonymous fellowship, like Alcoholics Anonymous. Other discourses signify the
importance of problem identification and treatment readiness. This means that if the
alcohol dependent woman realises what the real problem is causing her to use alcohol as
an escape or as a coping strategy, she will be more willing to address the underlying
problem. Recommendations are made focusing on micro and macro-level intervention
strategies such as access to treatment, public health campaigns and policies to improve
the quality of life of women recovering from alcohol dependence. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is min inligting beskikbaar oor die dokumentering van vroue wat in-die-geheim
alkohol gebruik. Hierdie studie het die diskursiewe weergawe van vroue se alkoholgebruik,
behandelingsgeskiedenis en hindernisse tot die behandeling van alkohol-misbruik
verken. Die doelstellings van hierdie verhandeling is om die volgende te verken: Vroue se
afhanklikheidsgeskiedenis; vroue se rehabiliteringsgeskiedenis (of die gebrek daaraan);
die identifisering van hindernisse en die aard van die probleme wat vroue se toegang tot
die behandeling van alkohol-misbruik beperk; die identifisering van redes waarom vroue
rehabilitering weier; en die interpretasie van vroue se belewings van behandeling per se.
‘n Humanisties-wetenskaplike benadering is gebruik om die sosiale konstruksie van vroue
se drinkgewoontes te ondersoek en te interpreteer. Die verstaan van en die skep van
betekenis van die diskoerse van die vroue, en die temas wat na vore gekom het vanuit hul
vertellings/narratiewe van hul alkohol-ervarings en hul pogings tot rehabilitering, is binne
die raamwerk van die sosiaal-konstruksionistiese uitgangspunt aangepak. Onderhoude is
met tien vroue gevoer en die narratiewe metode is gebruik. Die bevindings toon twee hoofdiskoerse
naamlik, drinkery in-die-geheim en die ontoeganklikheid van gepaste
behandelingsfasiliteite vir vroue met afhanklikheidsprobleme. Dit beteken dat vroue
ondervind dat hulle gedwing word om in-die-geheim te drink, as gevolg van die
stigmatisering van vroue en oormatige alkohol-gebruik. Hierdie stigmatisering kan herlei
word tot hindernisse (meestal interne hindernisse) te make met ge-institutionaliseerde
behandeling. Om die rede is dit makliker vir vroue om alternatiewe behandeling soos
anonieme gemeenskappe, byvoorbeeld Alkoholiste Anoniem te oorweeg. Ander diskoerse
beklemtoon die identifisering van probleme en die instemming tot rehabilitering. Dit
beteken dat wanneer die alkoholis die werklike probleem vir alkohol-gebruik verstaan as ‘n
ontsnapping of as ‘n hanteringsstrategie, sy meer gewillig sal wees om die onderliggende
probleem aan te spreek. Aanbevelings is gemaak met die fokus op mikro- en makrointervensiestrategieë,
soos die toegang tot rehabilitering, openbare gesondheidsveldtogte
en beleide ten einde die leef-kwaliteit van vroue in die herstelproses van alkoholafhanklikheid
te verbeter.
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