ABSTRACT
I've got my confidence back, even though I am a quite confident person. I feel maybe I've looked a bit deeper into myself and I feel I'll be able to handle things a lot better, just ordinary things. Not always my alcohol problems, but with life in general. (Brenda, aged 49)
For many women entering rehabilitation, whose lives had previously centred around drinking or drug use, and whose self esteem is consequently diminished, regaining a measure of self confidence is a major step towards recovery. They are encouraged by staff to take on practical tasks in agencies, such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, gardening, and helping new residents to become established (the exact nature of responsibilities varies between agencies and such tasks are, in general, undertaken by both men and women). The ability to make decisions for themselves, even about such minor everyday matters, increases women's feelings of self worth. For example:
My self esteem is going back up now and I will not be trampled over like I have been in the past. I will not put myself through it, so my confidence is obviously gaining and I'm not frightened to say, 'No'. Which, before I tended to go along with things, because you're just suppressing them
with the alcohol. Yes, it does change your life; it changes how you see things, how you see other people. (Sue, aged 47)
Regaining the ability to act independently, which for many women had been lost in a fog of dependency on drugs and alcohol, is an important factor in making progress towards recovery (cf. Burman, 1994).
