Navigating Mental Health Services as an (Im)Perfect Service User
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Purpose: This paper reflects on my experiences as a Māori woman navigating addiction, family violence, and recovery in New Zealand. The paper also explores how psychiatric and mental health nurses can better support women who use drugs (WWUD) by embracing complexity and rejecting idealized recovery models.
Background: WWUD who are also parenting and experiencing family violence face systemic stigma and exclusion from mental health and social services. Their experiences are shaped by intersecting barriers, including social judgment, fears around child protection, and a lack of appropriate services.
Methods: Using Frank's (1995) narrative typologies—chaos, restitution, and quest—I reflect on my lived experiences and draw insights from my doctoral research with mothers in a residential drug treatment and parenting program.