Promoting Recovery Identities Among Mothers with Histories of Addiction: Strategies of Family Engagement

Abstract

Changes in identity are critical to managing transitions to recovery from substance and alcohol addictions. Identity change is particularly important for mothers, whose recovery processes are often in the context of critical but complex family relationships and societal expectations. But research and practice often underestimate the relational dimensions that promote or inhibit changes in one's identity during recovery. Here we analyze data from a study that involved interviews with 30 formerly incarcerated women participating in a community‐based substance use treatment program in the Midwest. Drawing from Constructivist Grounded Theory Methods, our analysis identified three factors shaping levels of engagement with family members: (1) the relational consequences of a shared past; (2) ascribing permanence to the old identity of “addict” versus the ability to see women's capacity to change; and (3) the current provision of caregiving support to participants’ children. Our analysis supports and extends existing research by highlighting how family can both promote and inhibit a recovery identity process. We discuss potential implications for theorizing “recovery” and “identity” as relational and identify key elements to support practices more attuned to the hidden complexity of family support.

Meaning-Making of Motherhood Among Mothers With Substance Abuse Problems

“…Furthermore, the findings indicate the participants who reported less difficulties when quitting substance abuse ( n = 9) were also the primary caregiver of their children, suggesting these mothers may have connected their substance abuse recovery with their roles as mothers (Gunn and Samuels, 2020 ). For these participants, their desire to fulfill their role as mothers and their desire to engage in substance abuse created a discrepancy between their global and situational parental meanings, which needed to be resolved.…”

“…The current findings can provide insights into future initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being and livelihood of mothers involved in problematic substance use and their children (Niccols et al, 2012 ). Meaning-making may be particularly relevant for these mothers as the rehabilitation process is often closely tied to other areas of the life of the recoveree, such as their maternal experiences, family relationships, and self-identity (Gunn and Samuels, 2020 ). Thus, future interventions should place greater attention on the narration of these mothers and reflection on their personal global and situational parental meanings, how these individuals cope with negative emotions stemming from the discrepancies between their global and situation meanings, and ways to enhance their meaning-making processes.…”

“I Didn't See It as a Problem, I Thought It Was Going to Be Taken Away”: Narratives From Family Members of Users in Rehab

“…In addition to proximal factors such as abstinence symptoms, there are distal factors like the family history and social support (29). Recovery is an interactive and context-bound process (30), in which the family can play a critical role. Substance use does not necessarily imply a problem for the members of the family, but it does need to be constructed as a problem in order to take action.…”

“…Although, moral discourse continues to predominate in the interpretation of use, a modification occurs that will allow the subsequent adoption of medical discourse: the person with substance use problems has lost control with regard to the substance and requires professional help. It seems that family members engage in both empathic and defensive involvement (30), since they understand that the person with substance use problems suffers and requires help, but at the same time they are convinced that they need to establish limits to stop consumption and force them to attend treatment. Family involvement at this phase is crucial since a barrier for the start of treatment is the perception of a lack of social support, together with treatment costs (36).…”

Perceived Substance Use Norms Among Jailed Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

“…Future studies of jailed women may also consider the closely related concept of social identity. In studies of formerly incarcerated mothers with a substance use history, a main factor shaping recovery was creating a “replacement” social identity postincarceration in which women disconnected from their substance‐using identity (Gunn et al, 2018; Gunn and Samuels, 2020).…”