CENTER AIMS TO HELP COUNTY'S FEMALE DRUG, ALCOHOL ABUSERS

BURLINGAME -- PAULA Dorian smoked her first rock of cocaine while working as
a state auditor for the San Francisco County welfare department in the early
1980s.

By age 31, she was hooked and nothing else mattered. Between working
professional jobs and traveling, the college graduate was able to hide her
addiction for 10 years.

Dorian eventually found help at the Women's Recovery Association in
Burlingame -- the oldest established substance abuse program in the County
that is geared to help women and their children overcome the disease.

This month, Dorian celebrates almost two years of sobriety. But while Dorian
recognizes her hard-fought battle against addiction, she and other women who
have been through the program say much more needs to be done to address
women's addictions -- and this month, Women's History Month, is a good way
to celebrate.

"Drug and alcohol abuse is a major issue for women in this era," Dorian
said. "The wait list to get women into programs is getting longer and
longer."

Last year, 1,949 females and 4,027 males were admitted into substance abuse
programs in the County, according to report released this month by the
County Drug and Alcohol Services.

But the wide gap in the number of men and women admitted into programs has
more to do with the stigmas that haunt women who have substance abuse
problems and the responsibility they have to their children, said Yvonne
Frazier, the San Mateo County drug and alcohol administrator.

"There is no question my mind that there is a huge number of women who need
treatment and aren't getting it," Frazier said. "Women tend to take care of
others before they take care of themselves."

Women's substance abuse wasn't seriously addressed by society until the late
1960s, mainly because women were seen as the primary caretakers, said Bette
McDonnell, development and communications director for the Women's Recovery
Association.

Most drug and alcohol programs catered only to men -- something that
worsened the much-ignored problem among women, McDonnell said.

"This is an important month to highlight the things that changed and the
things that have remained the same," McDonnell said. "Society's attitude has
changed but women with substance abuse programs still need more."

In 1961, a Burlingame nun started to recognize a growing substance abuse
problem among women. So she opened her doors to women who suffered from
substance abuse.

Her efforts evolved and the Women's Recovery Association is now one of five
substance abuse programs in the County that help women, not only overcome
the disease, but learn how to live and care for themselves independently.

Even though the association helped more than 700 women last year, employees
said they are frustrated knowing there isn't enough space or funding to help
all the women who need it.

"Women and substance abuse is complicated," said Susie Finch, program
director for the association. "It becomes a family disease involving
children and relationships."