“The chain has not broken, but opened a link between us”

the impact of maternal chemical dependency on the mother-child bond

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the perception of five drug addict mothers of Florianópolis about the bond with their children before and during recovery. Data were collected in semistructured interviews and analyzed by Content Analysis technique. During the drug use period, the priority was focused on drug consumption, creating a gap between mothers and children. We concluded that mothers’ drug use causes significant consequences to the mother-child relationship, generates distance, weakens bonds and affects the exercise of maternal role. Thus, interventions of health professionals with these women should address aspects beyond the behavior of using drugs, including issues related to the role as mother and woman, in a social reality