For many years after the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous by two men in 1935, recovery seemed to be targeted exclusively toward men. There were discussions among the early founders of AA questioning whether their program would work for women. All of the early programs, such as 12-step houses, were for men only. Women did not come into AA in any appreciable numbers until the early 1940s.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s, when goverernent began to establish treatment programs for alcoholism, Caucasion men in their 40s were the target. Although programs were co-educational, women only made up about 25 percent of the patient population.

In the 1970s there arose a heightened consciousness about the special needs of various groups in recovery. Women needed a safe environment to talk with other women without being intimidated, out-ranked or sexually seduced by men. Ethnic minorities had different cultural expectations of their men and women. Women, African American, Native American, Asian and Latino groups were provided with special programs to meet their cultural and treatment requirements.

Programs that focus on homogenous groups do provide a safe and understanding environm in which people can get well without the complications of cultural diversity, sexism, racism, ageism, sexual seduction or dominance. But the one group that everyone seemed to overlook was men. What about the special needs of men? The situation of men-only programs at the beginning of the recovery movement had now totally reversed itself so that the special needs of men were ignored or discounted.

In the l99Os, an awareness of the differences between the treatment needs of men and women began to be taken into account. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) in a recent article writes “Accumulating evidence indicates that drug abuse may begin and progress differently, having different consequences, and require different prevention and treatment approaches for women and men”. In his book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, John Gray states “Not only do men and women communicate differently, but they think, feel, perceive, react, respond, love, need and appreciate differently”. The Men’s Movements, which include tribal male rituals, male bonding exercises, marches on Washington, D.C. and the Promise Keepers have become popular and meaningful to men because they attack the isolation and loneliness which are often at the root of male crises. In America boys are taught to value toughness, physical courage, masculinity, competitiveness and agressiveness, and to devalue qualities associated with feminity such as gentleness, fear and sensitivity.

Some of the differences between genders:
• Men are not socialized to have a feeling-based language.

• Women often dominate coed groups.

• lt is not OK for men to ask for help or to be vulnerable.

• Men do not have healthy male role models for masculine behavior.

For the past ten years treatment professionals at Michael’s House, the Treatment Center For Men, in Palm Springs, California, have helped men to get out from under the demands of the stereotypical male role. Men are helped to confront loneliness, isolation, patterns of failed relationships and unhealthy sexual functioning are confronted directly in a safe, all male environment.They learn the process of recovery without the distraction and role delineation that coeducational programs sometimes demand. Men can learn to love themselves, relate to other men who can be role models of gentleness, commitment and caring.

George Olivas Staub, MS is Administrator at Michael’s House, the Treatment Center for Men, Palm Springs, CA.

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