Mulheres, intersecções e narrativas sobre relações conjugais com pessoas adoecidas pelo consumo de álcool

Abstract

This study arises from the understanding that there is an intersection between being a woman and being in a conjugal relationship with someone affected by alcohol use disorder. In this sense, womanhood is adopted as a construction of multiple identities, whose performance of temporally stylized acts forges and gives meaning to gender. However, this multiplicity is influenced by intersectional structures present in social rules, norms, and behaviors, which can provide privileges or inequalities. Within these structures, race emerges as a perpendicular marker that intersects with other dimensions such as class, age, gender, religious expressions, and conjugal relationships. Parallel to this, there is the cultural and millennia-old presence of alcohol, a psychoactive substance associated with moments of pleasure and sociability, yet its chronic use, combined with multiple factors, can result in alcohol use disorder. This process of becoming ill leads to physical, mental, and social changes that affect both the individual consumer and their family. It is within this context that we find the intersection that grounds this study. Women in conjugal relationships with individuals affected by alcohol use disorder often assume the role of caregivers, and this conjugal coexistence impacts their lives through overload, physical and mental suffering, and experiences of violence. Thus, it is necessary to understand, from the perspective of these women, how these two parallels, which overlap with other intersectional structures, affect their lives and the dynamics of maintaining these relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to understand women's perceptions of conjugal life with individuals affected by alcohol consumption. This is a qualitative, exploratory study based on the critical analysis of life history narratives. The research setting was the Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs III in the municipality of Vitória da Conquista. Seven women participated in this research, with inclusion criteria being women over eighteen years of age who are or have been in a conjugal relationship with someone affected by alcohol use disorder, and the exclusion criterion being women who had been in a relationship for less than one year. Data collection was conducted through in-depth and semi-structured interviews in a private room, with an average duration of one hour each, recorded using a voice recorder. Subsequently, these interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using the social theory of intersectionality. The women's narratives express perceptions of overload, emotional suffering, attempts to maintain the relationship, and experiences of violence in attempts to end it. Furthermore, intersectional structures are shown as determinants of vulnerabilities that oppress women, resulting in the maintenance of relationships despite their desire for freedom. It is concluded that intersectoral action is essential to promote comprehensive care, protection, and the preservation of women's lives, as well as to provide resilience mechanisms that offer opportunities for a fresh start and family support for these women.