“’You Become Lost in Your Own Chaotic World:’ Incarcerated Women’s Perspectives on Their History of Substance Use”

Women in local jails experience substantial substance use and mental health needs amid short stays and high turnover. Drawing on 41 semi-structured interviews with jailed women, this study uses reflexive thematic analysis to examine histories of substance use and perceived transitions toward more harmful patterns. Findings extend gendered-pathways research by centering women’s accounts of coping and escapism, relationship influence, and drug replacement across the life course. These processes emerged as dynamic, overlapping, and context-dependent rather than discrete pathways. The findings highlight the importance of women’s lived experiences for future research and the development of trauma-informed, gender-responsive interventions in jail settings.