ABSTRACT
Pregnancy is widely regarded as an opportunity for a drug-using woman to give up drugs and become rehabilitated into society. Drug dependence is, however, a chronically relapsing condition and progress is easily disrupted. The motivational forces need to be strong to withstand the challenges presented by a new baby. From earlier chapters we have learned that drugdependent women tend to come from deprived backgrounds in which they may have been subjected to neglect, abuse and a variety of other stressors that leave them low in self-esteem and prone to anxiety and depression. As their dependence increases they may become detached from the usual support systems of family and stable friendships. Their need for support increases when they become pregnant. The frequency of premature births and NAS among the children creates the potential for additional strain. There is evidence that babies that are premature or have feeding problems are more at risk of neglect and abuse (Browne and Saqi, 1988). A crying child can be perceived as a rejecting child, the rejection is regarded as unnatural and the mother is confirmed in her belief that she is a failure, the tensions increase and their interactions become unrewarding. This is a pattern seen in non-drug-using mothers and is linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is likely that the impact on the drug-using mother is much greater. If she is also without informal support from partner, family or friends she is particularly vulnerable to self-medication at this time with her own form of therapy and may resume using the drugs that have worked for her in the past.
