Science|Science in HS 50 years ago
In March 1973: “The attitude of the immediate environment, home or spouse towards the alcoholic has not been studied. However, for example, a wife often discovers her husband’s alcoholism much before her colleagues do,” says Dr. Jacqueline Wiseman.
Dr. Wiseman is filling this gap in alcoholism research in Finland. He is a guest of the Alcohol Research Foundation investigating the status of wives of alcoholics.
A few years ago, Jacqueline Wiseman did a study on homeless alcoholics in her home country of the United States. He then clarified how both those being helped and the Helpers saw the treatment. – –
The study showed that alcoholics experienced many forms of treatment as very negative. They considered group or psychotherapy completely useless. Occupational therapy, i.e. working in the gardens and laundries of nursing homes and participating in the daily chores of the wards, was seen by alcoholics as exploitative work, as exploitation of the patients that brought financial benefit to the institutions.
“Now I’ve ended up researching the status and conditions of the wives of alcoholics, because so far only the relationship between working life, doctors, nursing homes and other institutions outside the home has been studied with the alcoholic,” says Jacqueline Wiseman. – –
“The spouse’s alcoholism usually also weakens the relationship between the married couple. I’m trying to figure out how a wife tries to arrange her own life to be satisfactory alongside a man who drinks. I also researched how drinking has affected the couple’s relationship.”
“Alcoholism has been studied a lot, but its effect in homes is unknown. He does have his defenses. You can’t go door to door asking if there are alcohol problems in the family. The method is not as suitable for this as it is for political interviews or consumer surveys.”
Dr. Wiscman has tried to contact the wives of alcoholics by advertising in newspapers. – –
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