Originally Posted by
needtobefree 
This is from the introduction and the italics are mine.
Firstly she talks of the AA process and how it
The issue of self esteem and the AA approach of confronting the false pride of the alcoholic would be so self-destructive for me. I've built my self esteem up after 5 years or so in therapy/counselling and through contact with psychiatric professionals who've diagnosed, medicated and helped me hugely to start to build my life and self esteem from scratch.
I simply cannot afford to put a dent in that. I've been thinking this for some time and reading this book today has really said what I've been concerned about (well some of it so far, but the first one being the beginning I thought I'd start there.
Any thoughts anyone?
Well, your emotions are dead on. AA was written by men, for men. One look at the chapter "To the Wives" pretty much sums it up.
Women for Sobriety (and there is a web site out there) is a much more positive and uplifting approach for women and sobriety. There's another site for men and sobriety, although I don't know if it has much of a following.
Regardless of gender, it's much more uplifting and people have found real support and sobriety through that program.
Also, there is a program called LifeRing, and they do have a chat. It's out of Northern CA. Oh......! How I wish I lived back there. They have meetings called...how was your week? Kaiser (a health plan in the US) has actually offered them as a substitute for AA. They are secular in nature, with none of the self flagellating stuff going on.