Abstract
There is a growing number of women who use drugs. Furthermore, the responsibility for family care is still attributed solely to women. This study aimed to describe the meanings constructed regarding mothering by women in treatment for drug use. This qualitative and descriptive study, with a social constructionist intelligibility, was developed with women in treatment at the Centro de Atenção Psicosocial - Álcool e Drogas of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Eight life story thematic interviews were carried out. The analysis resulted in four themes: 1) Mothering as the woman's choice; 2) Learning with drug consumption experiences and using this to warn and educate children; 3) Drug consumption interfering in mothering and 4) Drug consumption understood in different ways throughout the treatment. The meanings attributed to mothering consist of moral and gender discourses regarding the responsibilities attributed to women and the difficulties solely attributed to their drug use.
Keywords:
Family relationships; Substance-related disorders; Women
