Women suffer methamphetamine (meth) addiction at a rate much higher than rates for addiction to other drugs. Female meth users are susceptible and predisposed to gender-related risks: high rates of unprotected vaginal and anal sex, sex-work, and sexual coercion. Precursors for addiction (e.g., abuse, body dysphasia) put females in a difficult position for recovery and highlight the need for gender-specific research and treatment. Methamphetamine (a synthetically derived stimulant) creates psychological and physical dependency that affects every neuron of the brain and damages the body immediately. Women ingest meth for initial effects that allay social pressures: feeling euphoric, connecting with others during ―parties,‖ losing weight, boosting energy, and feeling ―normal‖ despite tumultuous living conditions. Meth‘s aphrodisiac properties improve sexual relations, at least until addiction sets in, at which time relationships frequently become exploitive or abusive. Eventually, meth‘s positive effects turn negative, resulting in poor psychological and physical health. Meth addicts experience hallucinations, insomnia, and deteriorating relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Physically, they suffer gauntness, deterioration of teeth and gums, and skin formication. They often undergo abuse to sustain their addictions. This study analyzes quantitative data from the National Household Survey to frame the reflective ethnographic portion‘s interactive interviewing and introduces a new tool, the Life Time Line, to clarify and correlate life events. The ethnographic results, based on extensive life history interviews with five women in recovery from methaddiction, concur with national trends and detail themes that could inform prevention and treatment programs. Recurrent themes are: dysfunctional parental relationships (including being ―adulterized‖) and chaotic childhood; a full range of abuse by parents, family, and husbands or boyfriends; introduction to drugs by males; body image dysphasia; and feelings of normalcy on drugs or self-medication in the face of unbearable living conditions or mental illness.This study emphasizes recovery. The ethnographies reveal that each woman had an epiphany, at least partially facilitated by a recovering addict; participated fully in a 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA); became dedicated to the acquisition of a college education, including graduate school; and attend AA or NA to maintain sobriety.

Forskning visar att flera faktorer i individens miljö och karaktär har mycket stor betydelse när det gäller att sluta med missbruk. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur f.d. missbrukande kvinnor agerade för att ta sig ur tungt missbruk och hur de upplevde det sociala stödet ur ett genusperspektiv. För att fokusera på detta har författaren intervjuat personal om stödet som erbjuds inom frivård, socialtjänst och behandlingshem. Dessutom har författaren studerat vilken sorts stöd som personalen och kvinnorna i studien anser vara viktigast och hur samverkan mellan olika delar av den sociala sektorn fungerar. I arbetet har den kvalitativa metoden och narrativt och fenomenologiskt perspektiv använts. Studien har grundats på de f.d. missbrukande kvinnornas livshistorier. Undersökningen baseras på sex intervjuer och underlaget tolkades och jämfördes med tidigare forskning. Resultatet visar att det finns olika positiva faktorer som gjorde att kvinnorna lämnade sitt missbruk. Goda relationer till betydelsefulla människor i nätverket var en mycket viktig faktor för att de f.d. missbrukande kvinnorna skulle ta sig ur missbruket, liksom deras egen vilja. De har fått ett nytt synsätt på livet som bidrog till en inre förändring som var essentiell. / Research shows that several factors in an individual's environment and character are very important in the process of quitting and overcoming addiction. The study focuses on the former addicted women's life stories. The purpose of this study is to examine how previous addicted women managed to survive and overcome heavy addictions and as well as how they perceived social support from a gender perspective. The author of this thesis interviewed employees working within the probation office, social services and rehabilitation institution on the kind of support is offered to addicted women. In addition, the author also studied what kind of support was found most appropriate and important for women with substance of drug abuse problems and how effective the support treatment helps these women and as well as the interaction between different parts of the social sector works. This research is qualitative and it includes primary as well as secondary data applied from narrative and phenomenological perspective. The study is based on six interviews and documents were interpreted and compared with previous research. The results show that there were several positive factors that made the women leave their abusive addiction. A good relation with important people in their lives and network was a major factor for these former addicted women. Their contribution has helped them in many ways to overcome abusive addiction. They have also achieved a new outlook on life which in a way has contributed to an inner change. / La recherche prouve qu´il y a plusieurs éléments très importants dans l´environnement et le caractère d´un individu pour qu´il quitte son abus des stupéfiants. Le but de cette étude est d´examiner comment les anciennes toxicomanes ont agi pour terminer son abus des drogues dures et comment elles ont éprouvé le soutien social d´une perspective feminine. L´écrivain a interviewé le personnel de la mise à l´épreuve, du service d´aide sociale et de la maison du traitement sur leur avis et aussi les avis qu´avaient les anciennes toxicomanes du soutien offert. En outre, l´écrivain a étudié quelle espèce de soutien qu´était la plus importante pour les femmes, et comment a fonctionné la cooperation entre les différentes parties du secteur social. Dans cette étude, l´écrivain s´est servi de la méthode qualitative, d´une perspective narrative et phénoménologique. L´étude est basée sur les experience de la vie des anciennes toxicomanes. L´examen s´appuie sur six interviews, et la documentation a été interprétée et comparée avec la recherche déjà existante. Le resultat montre qu´il y avait des differents facteurs positifs qui ont invité aux femmes droguées de quitter son abus des stupéfiants. Des bonnes relations avec des gens importants dans le réseau, comme la volonté des femmes droguées, étaient des éléments trés essentiels pour que les anciennes toxicomanes puissent se libérer de la toxicomanie. Ells onts obtenu une nouvelle conception de vie qui leur a donner une change essentielle dans leur for intérieur. / <p>2013-10-01</p>