The female alcoholic has more emotional problems, more health problems, more patenting problems, makes more suicide attempts, than the alcoholic man. The female alcoholic can endanger her unborn baby because of alcohol and drugs passed through the umbilical cord. Prenatal exposure to high levels of chemicals can cause death through spontaneous abortion or stillbirth, as well as malformation, growth deficiency, retardation. This fetal alcohol syndrome is the third leading cause of birth defects.
Women alcoholics have to deal with other physical problems too. Our bodies have more fat tissues than men's. This means we absorb drugs and alcohol more rapidly, and have more toxic reaction to a given amount of alcohol. Our internal organs are more susceptible to the damage that can be done by chemicals we use. The changes in a woman's estrogen level can heighten and prolong the effect of alcohol. The mood swings that may accompany hormonal changes can be intensified by using chemicals. More women than men experience sexual dysfunction. Many use alcohol to overcome this, to relax, loosen up. Unfortunately, alcohol is a depressant and an excessive amount of it will only heighten any already existing dysfunction.
There is an adage in recovery that says, "If you don't want t slip, stay away form slippery places." That's easier for men than for women. Men don't have to go back to the bars where they got in trouble, they don't have to phone the cocaine dealer. But in a large percentage of cases, a woman's slippery place was her own kitchen, her bedroom, her bathroom. And the people around her when she was drinking or using weren't pushers, they were the members of her family. After she leaves treatment, she is returning to her slippery places and the very same conditions under when which she came to grief. She has to learn to be wary, if she's going to be able to continue with her recovery.
page 129, paragraphs 1-3
Because in the boss-employee situation you found the old boys talking man to man. "Bud, I'm worried about you, you're getting behind in your work, and a lot of days you don't come back after lunch," etc. With a woman, it was more embarrassing. Rather than confront her, they'd fire her.
page 130, paragraph 1
from Betty: A Glad Awakening