The early phase of marriage experiences (1 to 5 years) as the wife of drug addicts: An exploration study

Abstract

The article discusses the experience faced by the wives when their husbands are involved in drug abuse. This case study focuses on the impact of drug abusers in their early phase of marriage (from 1 to 5 years of marriage) which is still lack of emphasized. The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of women who lived in at-risk households after being married to drug addicts. The case study used a qualitative method. A total of ten women were selected as informants using snowball sampling. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews. All informants were divorced before they reached five years of marriage. The experiences in their early phase of marriage have shown that all informants were: i) often beaten by their husbands; ii) worried about their personal safety due to their husbands’ behaviors who are also involved in other crimes; iii) facing dual-burden as their husbands did not provide any basic needs in the households; and iv) feeling uncomfortable during sexual intercourse due to their husbands forced and rough behavior. Although marriage can be a protective factor in avoiding social problems, however the drug abuse issues at an early phase of marriage, especially within 1 to 5 years, can cause risks and conflicts in the households. The study implies the importance of specific interventions for women, whose husbands are drug-addicts, to remain alert and be aware of the risks of domestic abuse. It is also important for these young mothers to have exposure on the roles of existing social support agencies and experts who can be consulted when dealing with drug abuse.