Yet the very survival and progression of the human race have always relied on cooperation. That’s why acts of altruism are deeply ingrained within us. We were all blessed with voices to use them- so use them! I’m a relatively quiet person and a woman of not many words who next to never will indulge in small talk chit chat. It’s just who I am. However, on the other hand, when it comes to standing up for what I believe in or voicing my opinions on things, I never fail to make use of my voice. And neither shall you! Make use of what god has given you and say what you think, say what you believe in, and argue against what you don’t. After waiting a few years to get some distance on her decision, Valentish – whose last book was a novel, 2014's 'Cherry Bomb' – again broached the subject with the idea of writing about drugs and alcohol in the form of a research/memoir hybrid. The approach she takes here is a winner, and 'Woman of Substances' is a highly original and consistently compelling take on addiction, which "isn't gender neutral", as she notes near the end of the book. "If this isn't reflected in research, treatment and policy, then a huge chunk of the intended demographic will not receive appropriate support." She realizes that some things can be better left unsaid. And as for the things that do need to be spoken, it matters how they’re delivered.

Estrogen doesn’t only make substances more attractive, some studies suggest it slows down their elimination. This means estrogen-based birth-control pills might extend the effects of intoxication of drugs and alcohol. The flipside is, alcohol can raise oestrogen levels. In one study, blood and urine estrogen levels increased up to thirty-two per cent in women who drank just two drinks a day. And if there’s one thing a woman of substance wants in her life, it’s to blossom into a better version of herself. 6. You’re smart in so many ways I read it 30 years ago in my bookclub and I am currently re-reading it. I read the series, each about the next generation of the Harte family, and enjoyed them immensely, but each book stands alone with satisfying endings.Valentish, now 42, details the highs and lows of her first year without alcohol — including her time in the Alcoholics Anonymous program (AA), her marriage breakdown, and her experience with "hormonal uprisings" — in her new book Woman of Substances, part memoir, part research project about women's addiction. Addiction treatment: society is failing women So how does Saima Mir think the Pakistani community is going to react to her debut novel The Khan’s depiction of a criminal syndicate run by Pakhtuns, who also happen to be pious Muslims? In straightforward, lively prose she relates even her darkest moments without self-pity or aggrandisement, and often with a streak of gallows humour, leading to more laugh-out-loud lines than you might expect.” The Saturday Paper It’s about family,” she continues more emphatically. “At the end of the day, the book is about family and loyalty and it’s about love and the things we have to do to survive when we are not on a level playing field.”

Part monograph, part memoir, part Ginsbergian howl of outrage at a culture in which gender bias is a tenet. It is a work of compellingly articulate anger' The Australian. To me, the best part of this book is that Jenny Valentish tells her story in such an honest and bold way. Speaking up about such a difficult subject is admirable. Speaking up about it with so much respect and a strong voice like hers is simply admirable. It was fairly pedestrian abuse when set against some of the stories I’ve heard,” she writes in her new book Woman of Substances, “but it set off a catastrophic chain reaction all the same.” There are several more additions to this long running saga and I can not wait to read them!! I see now why this book was so popular and remained so for decades, and why so many people still say it is one of their favorite books of all time. Excellent combination of Valentish's memoir of addiction and non-fiction exploration of the social underpinnings of how women come to abuse substances, and how physiologically, medically, and socially women are discouraged from getting help.Everything about addiction, from the way we talk about it to the way that it is treated, is tailored to men's experience." But now they're conscious of the fact they've put on weight and they don't like it. They won't eat." 'God forbid women take drugs to enjoy ourselves' The strength of this book lies in the link between memoir and research – her emotion gives the science context.

We all prefer to be right. But when you have sound enough self-esteem, it doesn’t pain you to accept that’s not always going to happen. Woman of Substances is] a startling and thorough investigation into the relationship between gender, trauma and addiction, and the women who fall through the gaps – with the writer offering herself up as the case study.’ —Steph Harmon, Guardian Australia

3. You don’t judge a book by its cover

Woman of Substances by Jenny Valentish offers insight into substance abuse through a gendered lens. It is a memoir because Jenny’s story is the main story guiding you through the book, but it is well researched which makes it more universal. Valentish follows the pathways that women, in particular, take into addiction – and out again. Woman of Substances is an insightful, rigorous and brutally honest read. This inner understanding also means that they are in the driving seat of their own life, as we’ll see next. 9. You take full responsibility for yourself Valentish says the experts she interviewed — including drug and alcohol counsellors and clinical psychologists — said a significant proportion of their female clients had been sexually abused as children (estimates ranged from "around 70 per cent to 99.9 per cent"), and that during her time in AA, many women shared tales of sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs help: