| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Introduction: since the increase in the number of female drug addicts is one of the major social issues across the world, Iran has been no exception to this global trend. The present study aims at identifying the nature of the problem, defining and analysing it, as well as describing women's' experience of addiction. Method: the present research is qualitative in type. Participants include 50 female drug addicts residing in the city of Esfahan, and have been selected through the targeted sampling method. Data were collected using the in-depth interview method. Conditions for participation included: being 15 years of age or older, informed consent for participating in the research, being addicted to drugs or otherwise in rehabilitation. The narrative analysis method has been used to analyse the data. Findings: 50 women, all current or past drug abusers and with an average age of 32±5, participated in the research. 46 participants had high school education or lower, and 4 had college or university education. 43 participants were jobless (housekeepers) and 7 were employed in mainly unstable jobs without insurance or pension. 18 participants were single, 15 were divorced, 2 were widows, and 15 were married. The distribution of high-risk behaviour among the participants suggest that prostitution (45 participants), cohabitation with the opposite sex (20 participants), alcohol use (9 participants), residence in hangouts (7 participants), and rough sleeping (5 participants) have respectively been the most frequent high-risk behaviours among the participants. To find out about women's narratives about addiction, their perspective about addiction history; lived experiences and the fundamentals of addiction in female users; the consequences of addiction, and the challenges and ups and downs of quitting drugs have been questioned. Women's narratives in response to the first question of the study regarding lived experiences and the fundamentals of addiction can be categorized into four general classes of "relief and adventurism", "personality", "regular companions", and "facilitators of drug use". In their narratives, the subjects perceive drug use as comforting, and were emphasising on their personal beliefs, self-adventure, and excitation-seeking qualities to justify their addiction. As a motive for their addiction, the subjects recounted factors such as pleasure and relief, oblivion, despair after physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect during childhood and even adulthood, as well as curiosity and excitement. Excessive confidence, having a dependant personality, mother's complex (or insufficient maturity to face the realities and problems of life), lack of logical thinking, and kindness-seeking are among the building components of the personality of female drug users which have been derived from the narratives of the participants in the research. In their narratives about their addiction, the subjects have indicated and emphasized on the role of family and friends as people who have always been with them and have persuaded them to take drugs. Troubled childhood, parents' inability, broken relations with family members, parents as a role model for drug use, patriarchy and acquaintance friends have been among the factors pointing toward the role of regular companions in the process of women's drug addiction. Mental and emotional issues, lack of knowledge and immaturity, unawareness about the consequences of drug use, inability to say no, meekness, life in contaminated environments, and the limitations imposed on women in the society have been among the concepts relating to the facilitators of drug use in the narratives of the subjects. Many women have indicated pre-existing factors such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, stress, and lack of confidence; and have voluntarily refused to take doctor's prescribed medicines for mental and emotional disorders and have replaced them with drugs. The majority of participants were from uneducated, poor, and/or average backgrounds and therefore have had the experience of early marriage, therefore, they've never had the opportunity for appropriate emotional growth. Most women were unaware about the progress of their addiction and have indicated this among the main influential factors for their addiction issues. Lack of a knowledge about life skills, living in suburbs, and polluted environments were among the other factors recounted by the subjects. Husbands have been among the most influential people in women's addiction. Most participants have recounted husband's company and recreational use with the husband as inevitable motives for their addiction. Women's narratives in response to the second question of the study, regarding the ramifications of drug addiction have fallen into the two general categories of "perceived inner feelings" and perceived outer feelings". The perceived inner feelings include concepts such as the role of the victim, isolation, vulnerability, prostitution, regret and despair. The perceived outer feelings also refer to concepts such as the feeling of being blamed, lack of credibility and rejection. Women's narratives show that the female addicts have, in many cases, fallen victim to the desires of men who have taken advantage of their need for drugs to abuse them. In addition, because of the physical and appearance-related issues resulting from excessive drug use, these women have mostly stayed at home and had no desire to go outside of their house. On the other hand, the lengthy rehabilitation process, the neglect about their mental and emotional issues during treatment, as well as financial difficulties have tired them and have suppressed their motivation to continue and finish the treatment period. Female drug addicts have had to resort to prostitution and because of this, have experienced the stigma and pain of discredit, vulnerability, and loneliness. They express regret and feel guilty about their situation, feel sorry for the opportunities that they have lost in their lives, and wish to return to the past. The women's narratives in response to the last question of the research regarding the challenges and ups and downs of quitting drugs, point to the two factors of "the need for freedom" and the challenges of a change". The need for freedom incorporates concepts such as being under threat, reaching a dead-end, tiredness, the urge to take drugs, making friends with God, and the unreserved support of family. And the challenges of a change incorporate concepts such as deprivation of a family, family members' addiction, awareness about the existing support in the society, financial dependence and the ineffectiveness of rehabilitation camps. Discussion: the best and fastest method to prevent women from turning to addiction for a second time is to empower them. Providing educational services, professional courses, and the services required for finding employment in order to strengthen their skill set must be an effective strategy. Providing safe houses for homeless, addicted women who are rejected by their families is an important factor which needs consideration. |