Satisfaction or Solace: Two Case Studies

Abstract

The earlier chapters have shown that the themes of opportunity and difficulty are deeply intertwined with women’s drinking. My starting point was with the occupations of the women and their partners, both as a measure of relative social advantage and disadvantage and as a direct influence, providing opportunities for drinking. I then looked at the influence of the women’s social contacts and the impact of difficulties and disappointments. This chapter examines how the two main themes fit together, one framing the other. Two case studies of women who developed drinking problems when their child was very young follow. The overview at the end assesses how pleasurable, constructive, controlled drinking can develop to become an uncontrollable, frightening problem.