Journal Reflection, Women and Drug Abuse, Alcohol

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Women and Drug Abuse
EXERCISE 1: RESPONSE TO “CITY ON DRUGS” PODCAST
The podcast presents a survey regarding substance abuse and the life exhibited by the drug addicts. Through the audio podcast, the reaction of drug abusers and their struggle in Vancouver city is shocking as most of the drug users have difficulty in quitting the use or deal in drugs for their survival. Most of the interviewees reveal their painful consequences of social marginalization and economic problems. However, the individuals narrating their plights seem to delve on justification of their dug use to reveal a dignity and respect that sustain their survival contrary to the expected life. Therefore, most of them engage in self destructing habit of drug abuse that seems to begin at the early stages of their lives as children (Turner). In most cases, the women in the podcast reveal mistreatment and other sad memories of childhood experiences. I would specifically discuss the plight of women with reference from the podcast especially from 16th to the 19th minute where an interviewee responds about how she struggles with her life as a necrotic addict (Turner). The lady responding to the interviewer is heartbroken and feels guilty of neglecting her family. She thinks of her children and even husband whom she divorced because she wanted to go and work in another town. The interview was in a dilemma whether to leave them behind or take the children with her to work in another city (Turner). In her early life, the interviewee was sexually abused by her father and had trauma. However, her mother was a good person who took care of her. Therefore, her she is struggling with the drug addiction amidst struggling to make her life comfortable. At the time of the interview, the woman is struggling with guilt and thinks of suicidal most of the time (Turner).
According to Hardesty and Black (1999), the authors indicate that Puerto Rican mothers face hardships in their struggles in life and get addicted to drugs to make their take care of their children. In most cases, the women at their early lives have worst experiences as children where they exhibited episodes of domestic violence, isolation, and sexual abuse that cause too much emotional pain, and lifelong trauma. Also, the authors affirm that some women at their early ages witness the oppression of their parents especially the mothers and even recall on the damages caused by the parents or family members while others are initiat...