Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1982

Help For Women With A Problem
Mark Bonnema

Sex discrimination has been in the news a good deal lately. The availability of treatment centers for alcoholics has been a case of sex discrimination in the Region of Waterloo in Ontario (and perhaps other areas as well). Waterloo Region had no treatment centers for female alcoholics until recently. The change has come about through the efforts of two Christians who wanted to see alcoholic women get the help they so desperately needed.

Roger and Geri LeBlanc, who attend New Life Community Church (RCA) in Kitchener, have been devoting their lives to achieving their dream since January of this year. Their dream was to open a home in Kitchener-Waterloo which would serve as a residence and treatment center for women who are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. In January they organized the first board meeting for Alcontrol Homes Inc.,.the official title of the program. At that time they also began renting a home near downtown Kitchener and had no trouble in finding women who needed to be admitted to the home. Since that time, Alcontrol Home has moved to a larger residence (245 Wellington Street), already equipped as a group home, which can accommodate as many as twelve women.

A recovered alcoholic and drug addict himself, Roger points to his coming to Christ in 1975 as the miracle which enabled him to recover. Roger is in charge of administering the program at Alcontrol, which consists of one-to-one counseling, group therapy, life skills, selected films, assertiveness training, attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and recreation. The program lasts for six to twelve weeks, depending on how quickly the woman responds to the treatment program.

No woman is forced to become a resident at Alcontrol Home. She can only benefit from the program if she truly wants to conquer her addiction problem. She may be referred to Alcontrol by a physician, pastor, social welfare agency, probation and parole, the courts, detoxification centre, family or a friend.

Pastor Bonnema recently interviewed Roger LeBlanc at Alcontrol Home. The following are excerpts of that discussion.

Rev. Bonnema: Are there problems unique to female alcoholics?

A. Mr. LeBlanc: A lot of female alcoholics get involved in it from loneliness. Maybe the loss of a loved one; staying home doing a lot of work. Females are more sensitive, they hurt a lot more. Nobody wants to admit that a woman can be an alcoholic. There's a stigma. The public's perception is "Oh, she's just having some problems". Alcontrol Home is also for dually addicted women - addiction to both drugs and alcohol. Would you say something about this?

A. Seventy percent of the women who come into our home are dually addicted. The drug problem is usually with drugs prescribed by doctors: valium, transquilizers. Many women are labeled as being emotionally disturbed, and the answer ends up being "let's give her some medication".

Q. What kind of success have you seen with your program so far?

A. It depends on what you're looking at for "success ". We've had 28 admissions so far and many referrals. They're here for up to three months. So if they're sober when they leave here after three months, that's a success. Most places that deal with alcoholics, determine their success rate after two years. Working with alcoholics has a low success rate; if we can get one out of ten straight, we're doing well.

Q. What would you suggest people do to prevent alcoholism and drug abuse in their own lives and in the lives of their loved ones?

A. One thing is that they should know about it. The more informed you are about it, the more attuned you are to the dangers. I know that people who have a loved one with cancer that are in the library all the time seeing what they can find out about it. So why not do the same for alcoholism. Another thing: sit down and rap with your child; show you care; spend time with your children; find out where they're coming from. Age doesn't mean anything, there are 13 year old alcoholics. A lot of alcoholics have very low self-esteem, especially women. Many of them are insecure. Teach your child the basics of life and how to get out there and be more assertive - how to be a somebody.

Q. People's misconceptions can be very difficult to break down. That's been the most difficult misconception about alcoholism that you've had to deal with?

A. It's the misconception that an alcoholic cannot really be helped. Not giving up - that's what I have to get across to people, not only the girls, but the public as well. You don't give up - whether you try one time, two times or a hundred times. We don't know, only God knows, when this person is ready. We have to be there to help them. Alcoholism is a disease - they don't want to be like that. We have to get that across. There is help!

Alcontrol Home needs your help, too. They are having a very difficult time financially. If you are able to help them, here is the mailing address: Alcontrol Homes Inc., P. 0. Box 1691, Postal Station "C", Kitchener, Ontario. We hope that many Reformed Churches in Canada will also be able to help out Alcontrol as they prepare their budgets for 1983. Thanks to all for your help.

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