This confinement, season 2, is a major test for alcoholic women, between free access to drink and having to keep home. But solutions do exist.
The new confinement, until at least December 1, 2020, can plunge some alcoholic women back into a difficult phase. Stress, partial unemployment, loss of a job, fearful future, anxiety-provoking actu … An international survey of the Global Drug Survey, conducted in the spring, showed that in France during the first confinement, "47% of French people have increased the number of drinking days a little or a lot in the week." We also know that women now consume as much as men. But the gaze focused on those who drink, it does not really change, explains Marion Acquier, clinical psychologist specializing in addictology and president of the Alcoholics Anonymous France association. "Social judgment will be more severe for a woman, especially if she is a mother, she reports. This may explain why women, for a long time, tended to hide their alcohol problem, even from their doctor (rather highlighting family overwork or a depressive tendency), both the feeling of shame and of being of 'bad' wives / mothers were pervasive. At Alcoholics Anonymous, there are currently nearly 40% of women in meetings and there are groups reserved for women (also video-meetings). "
A new, even more devastating confinement?
Marion Acquier recalls that alcoholism is a disease. A pain in life, felt in different areas of life: emotional, relational, family, professional … And if alcohol is used as a derivative, it deteriorates health and gradually isolates the person from the rest of the world. The pitfall in these times of confinement: the feeling of isolation and loneliness tends to increase consumption and therefore, self-destruction. "We know that confinement flares up anxiety and depressive symptoms (mental disorders in general), explains the specialist, and that the consumption of alcohol (but also of drugs) is used as an attempt at a solution by the alcohol dependent: an illusion, which only amplifies the problem ". All alcoholics are therefore concerned, but women seem particularly vulnerable. "We know that they are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety disorders, so we can hypothesize a greater impact", worries Marion Acquier.
What to do to counteract his cravings?
Even if the ordeal may seem insurmountable, solutions exist for each one, because each case is unique and requires listening, but also, a particular rhythm. First, it is recommended to work on any feelings of guilt, as well as that of being alone in front of an impassable mountain. "I will tell a woman struggling with alcoholism that another life is possible, detailed Marion Acquier. Whatever has happened so far, she is not doomed to drown in alcohol. I will tell her that she is able, with help, to build a free and happy life. But I will also tell him that there is no miracle solution or magic wand, that it will require patience and perseverance, accompanied by professionals ". A mantra to repeat? maybe "others have been there and made it out, so why not her!", insists the psychologist. The work of associations and mutual aid organizations is important and life-saving. First step in entering a support journey: speaking, a decisive moment. At the time of the first confinement, Marion Acquier declares that she was amazed by the speed and efficiency with which the members of her association were able to bounce back and adapt to the situation: "In a matter of days, over a hundred video meetings were created! As a result, thousands of AA members were able to attend meetings online without leaving their homes and many people with alcohol problems were able to find support. 'help so ".
The video makes it easier for some to take the first step and attend their first meeting. The virtual side can indeed be experienced as a form of protection. For Alcoholics Anonymous, whatever the means of meeting, the important thing is to be there for the one who reaches out for help, whatever the age, gender, origin. … With this new confinement, "there are already around fifteen video-meetings per day (on average) to suit the availability of the greatest number", announces the president of AA France. A way, for people who are not yet accompanied, to transform this ordeal into reconstruction, one step after another.
These meetings are currently accessible with a single click on the VISIO-RÉUNIONS page. And, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of AA in France, the Association's National Congress will be online this Saturday, November 7: a whole day of video-meetings (from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) on various themes. and accessible.