Women and girls are now becoming addicted at greater rates than ever before, and until very recently women in recovery were dependent on treatment models based solely on work with men.

Harvard addiction and trauma expert Lisa M. Najavits offers this step-by-step program to help women overcome the often-overlooked problems associated with their drug and alcohol addictions, such as body image, trauma and violence, relationships, stress, and thrill-seeking. She explores how women differ from men in their addiction and recovery, and adapts this information to help you embark on your journey to healing. A chapter on co-occurring emotional problems allows you to evaluate whether you have any of the key disorders common among women with addiction, such as depression, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, or phobias.

With this strengths-building workbook, begin to come to terms with your personal addiction story. Healing exercises in four areas--feelings, beliefs, action, and relationships--help women build self-respect. Exercises include "Listen to That Small Quiet Voice," "Extreme Self-Care," "Self-Soothing," "Become Friends with Women," "Rethink," "Take Charge," "Share Responsibility," and "Mourn." In addition to these exercises and techniques, the book offers valuable resources of recovery support information.