Women tend to drink heavily for different reasons than men, and their health complications from drinking are generally more severe. Because of the stigma attached to the female alcoholic, women try to mask their alcoholism and will rarely admit their problem and seek help voluntarily. Because of this strong resistance to help for their alcoholism, doctors are reluctant to press for intervention with women and are likely to treat only the physical symptoms. The disease may be initially detected through questionnaires and family histories. When alcoholism is detected, the woman should be confronted. Probation and parole officers working with alcoholic female offenders should insist upon treatment. A brief period of inpatient treatment may be necessary to interrupt the cycle of drinking. Treatment should include attention to physical symptoms as well as education and counseling about the disease. Outpatient treatment should include both individual and group treatment. Women are most likely to benefit from female-only self-help groups. Women alcoholics require treatment that includes parenting training, couples communication, employment readiness, and self-assertiveness. 3 references.