Women and Substance Use

By Maria Garrick special for FF-WPR

Introduction:

A number of women in our society are facing challenges whether it is the loss of a love one, family issues, feeling abandon, and dealing with changes in our life or looking for love. We all have fears and doubts. Sometimes they try so hard to cope. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes they are not. Sometime some women turn to substance use as a way of coping.

What are substance use/ abuse?

Definition: DSM-Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorder provides a technical definition:

“Substance abuse is a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to significant clinically impairment or distress as manifested by various factors occurring within a 12 month period one significant factor being persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused r exacerbated by the effects of the substances”. (Like relationship difficulties, family problems, parenting….). Here I will also include alcohol to encompass substance use and abuse.

The question is? How is substance use/abuse defined? Who defines it? A more feminist definition of substance use and addiction is provided by Bell Hooks. Bell Hooks in one of her books, Sisters of the Yam - Chapter five on Growing away from addiction provide us with a definition of addiction that I feel is relevant for today.

“Addiction is not a chemical reaction. Addiction is an experience- one which grows out of an individual’s routinized subjective response to something that has special meaning for him- something anything that he finds so safe and reassuring that he cannot be without it… We still find that we learn habits of dependency by growing up in a culture which teaches a sense of personal inadequacy, a reliance on external bulwarks, and a preoccupation with the negative or painful rather than the positive or joyous. Addiction is not an abnormality in our society. It is not an aberration from the norm; it is itself the norm”.

We live in a culture that glorifies drugs and associated drugs with pleasure. The media and social events promote drinking and substance use as a way to feel good….

Research information suggests that women are drinking and this is an issue. In Canada- 4 percent of population over 15 dependent on alcohol. In America 13 to 16 million American needed treatment for alcoholism

Research by Lois Biener —she reported that Habitual use of substance abuse produces behavioral changes that interfere with daily functioning and leads to deterioration in family and social relationships. It is difficult to stop substance use

What are some reasons why women use drugs/alcohol?

1. Biology
2. Genetic
3. Psychology
4. environment/social
5. Feminist views

Susan Harrison and Eva Ingberg - editors, in their book - Alcohol and Drug Problems- a practical guide for counselors, talk about women and substance use. They make reference to Gender Based Statistics taken from Statistic Canada – 2000. They site:

- Women continue to make up the large majority of lone parents in Canada. In 1996, 83 % of all single –parent families were headed by women.

- In 1996-97, 62 per cent of females aged 12 and over reported having some form of chronic health condition as diagnosed by a health professional.

- 56 per cent of all families headed by lone parent mother mothers had incomes that fell below the Low Income Cut-Offs.

- In 1997, the average annual pre-tax income, from all sources, of women aged 15 and over was $19, 800 – just 62 per cent of the average income of men.

- Even when employed women with a spouse and at least one child under age 19 spent an hour and a half a day more than men performing household duties.


Women continue to face challenges- Look at Society’s attitude towards women

Susan Harrison and Ingberg also wrote about societal attitudes towards women-

They make reference to women position in society.

Subordinated and multiple roles

Stereotypes, stigma and how women are judged differently in our society especially when they drink or abuse substance.

How do we define women? Here woman does not refer to a homogenous group. What about age, sexual orientation, physical abilities and marital status etc.?

All women face different challenges and experiences.

What about Immigrant minority women and Aboriginal women?

African Feminist in the Diaspora like Delores Mullings and Hill Collins writes that there is not enough information about African women by African Women.

According to Delores Mullings:

“African Women in Diaspora are challenged to create the space that supports the emergence of knowledge construction relevant to our social location”.

Minority, immigrant women have different experience and challenges.

They face racism, discrimination, unemployment and a host of other issues.

What are some other reasons why women abuse drugs?

Loneliness, poor relationship
Exposure marginalization and powerlessness
Domestic violence
Ways in which society structure
Patriarchal/ inferior status of women/ women’s role
Low self esteem