What happens when a chemically dependent woman, sober for one week, one month, one year, or twenty years, has a relapse? Does the amount of time make it any better or worse? Are circumstances leading to relapse different for men and women? Are the effects of a relapse worse for women than for men? What about significant others? What are their reactions when a woman, who has been sober, drinks or takes other drugs again? Are there metabolic differences between relapsing men and women?

These and so many more questions need to be answered, and I will in no way claim to have all the answers. What I hope to do is explore these questions and other issues, share my findings from actual case histories, and raise new questions, new interest, and research in a subject that is still unfamiliar - female addiction-- from the Introduction

This pamphlet is part of the Hazelden Classics for Continuing Care series.