The Importance of the Guilt and Shame Felt by Women in Treatment for Substance Abuse Problems while Raising Children
Abstract
Background | Women with substance abuse problems have distinctive features and face many difficulties arising from their gender specificities. Aims | The first aim was to find whether women with addiction problems feel guilty and ashamed in front of their children and identify where such feelings may come from.
The second aim was to reveal whether these feelings could create barriers to parenting. The last aim was to determine specific features of parenting which the feelings of guilt and shame may generate.
Methods | The data collection took place in spring 2019 in the Karlov Therapeutic Community. Semistructured interviews were conducted with clients and specific observed situations of maternal interactions with the child were described.
The sample comprised five female clients of the Karlov Therapeutic Community who were being treated together with their children. Results | The analysis of the interactions observed showed that the clients had a strong sense of guilt and shame.
This is mainly experienced as a result of their irresponsible behaviour towards their children, whether during pregnancy or while raising the children under the influence of addictive substances. Conclusions | The primary problem of these clients seems to be their inability to set boundaries, which is reflected in their difficulty in discharging their parental responsibilites and constituted by their disregard for such difficulties.
Some of the clients deal with such issues by bringing them up during therapy sessions, others by denying them.