Abstract

LEYVA-MORAL, Juan M.. Diary of a life that could not be: A phenomenological stugy of drug addiciton. Index Enferm [online]. 2007, vol.16, n.57, pp.18-22. ISSN 1699-5988.

Justification: Nurses play a crutial role in taking care of people with drug-abuse problems since they know the reality of families, the neighbourhood and the youths. Knowing this reality can be useful to design strategies of health promotion as well as prevention campaigns. Aim: The main aim of this study is to ascertain the meaning that a drug user gives to her situation with substance misuse. Design: Qualitative study based with a phenomenological approach. Methodology: Carmen is a 41 years old woman, addict to opioids since she was 17. Data was collected using a diary while she was admitted in a Dual Pathology Unit in a neuro-psichiatric hospital in Barcelona during September 2006. Results: Drug addiction is drescribed by the participant as something negative, being responsible of feelings of sadness, failure, destruction and an important emotional deterioration as a response of her feelings of guiltiness. The participant describes the phenomenon in three stages: use-abuse-addiction. Conclusion: The diary elaborated by Carmen permits get closer to the meaning of drug addiction and the interment for her deshabituation.

Keywords : Drug addiction; Phenomenological design; Meaning of drug addiction; Deshabituation.