Marty Mann (1904-1980) was the first woman in Alcoholics Anonymous and author of the chapter "Women Suffer Too" in the second and third editions of the Big Book of AA. Alcoholics Anonymous ( AA) is an informal meeting society for recovering and recovered alcoholics, with the stated purpose to help its members "to stay sober and In part because of her life's work, alcoholism became seen as less a moral issue and more a health issue. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions
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Background
Marty Mann came from an upper middle class family in Chicago. The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the Social group constituted by higher-status members of the Middle class. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. She attended private schools, traveled extensively, and was a debutante. For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered A debutante ( deb or presentation ball (from the French débutante, "female beginner" is a young lady from an aristocratic or The social circle in which she moved was a fast-living one and Mann was known for her capacity to drink without apparent effect (often a sign of alcoholism). She married into a wealthy New Orleans family; when in her late twenties, due to financial reverses, she had to go to work, her social and family connections made it easy for her to launch a career in public relations. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred
Mann's drinking, however, grew to the point where it endangered not only her business but her life, including at least one suicide attempt. In 1939 her psychiatrist, Dr. A psychiatrist (also archaically called an alienist) is a Physician who specializes in Psychiatry and is certified in treating Mental disorders Harry Tiebout, gave her a manuscript of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, and persuaded her to attend her first AA meeting (at the time there were only two AA groups in the entire United States). A manuscript is any Document that is Written by hand as opposed to being printed or reproduced in some other way Despite several relapses during her first year and a half, Mann succeeded in becoming sober by 1940 and, apart from a brief relapse nearly 20 years later, remained so for the rest of her life. A relapse (etymologically "who falls again" occurs when a person is affected again by a condition that affected them in the past Sobriety is solemn or dignified personal Behaviour, in particular Abstinence with regard to (typically the consumption of Alcoholic beverages or
Encouraging a change in viewpoint
In 1945 Mann became inspired with the desire to eliminate the stigma and ignorance regarding alcoholism, and to encourage the "disease model" which viewed it as a medical/psychological problem, not a moral failing. She helped start the Yale School of Alcohol Studies (now at Rutgers), and organized the National Council on Alcoholism (now the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence or NCADD). Rutgers The State University of New Jersey (also known as Rutgers University) is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD was founded in 1944 by the first female member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA Marty Mann (1905-1980 and has a
Three ideas formed the basis of her message:
- Alcoholism is a disease and the alcoholic a sick person. A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly
- The alcoholic can be helped and is worth helping.
- Alcoholism is a public health problem and therefore a public responsibility. [1]
In the 1950s Edward R. Murrow included her in his list of the 10 greatest living Americans. Edward R Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25 1908 &ndash April 27 1965) was an American journalist Her book New Primer on Alcoholism was published in 1958.
Legacy
In 1980 Marty Mann suffered a stroke at home and died soon after. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain [2] Many histories of Alcoholics Anonymous make only passing mention of Mann, perhaps because NCA had no formal relationship to AA. However, Mann's public admission of her own alcoholism, her successful experience with AA, and her encouragement of others -- especially women -- to get help contributed substantially to AA's growth.
References
- ^ [http://www.roizen.com/ron/mann.htm Roizen, Ron. "In Search of the Mysterious Mrs. Marty Mann. "]
- ^ Brown, Sally. "Marty Mann and the Evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous"
External links
- Marty Mann's New Primer on Alcoholism, reviewed by John Philip, [1]
- Marty Mann Papers at Syracuse University [2]
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