Fotografia: o tarbalhos de Yanina Manolova

Yanina Manolova

Destiny, 4, poses in her stepfather’s car in Mansfield, Ohio. Destiny’s biological father was a drug dealer and was recently released from prison. She has never seen him. Her mother, Patricia, went through substance abuse treatment and graduated in the Spring of 2009. She relapsed again in June of 2009. Destiny lives with her grandparents in Mansfield, Ohio.

Neverland

“Substance abuse and addiction cause illness, injury, death and crime, savage our children, overwhelm social service systems, impede education — and slap a heavy and growing tax on our citizens” – Susan Foster, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), Vice President and Director of Policy Research and Analysis
Since the fall of 2008, I have been documenting my experiences while living among several Appalachian women during a period of their recovery from substance abuse and domestic violence. In November of 2009, I produced Neverland, a short documentary film. I hope to enable others to better understand the roots of destructive addictions, and the harsh road to recovery.
In the United States, only about 2 percent of government funding for drug and substance abuse is used for prevention, while the remainder is spent on substance abuse treatment, and its secondary consequences, such as prosecuting offenders and putting them in prison. The state of Ohio is in desperate need of legal reform to address drug abuse as a public health concern rather than a criminal justice issue. Public awareness needs to be raised regarding the strong correlation between domestic violence and substance abuse, as I have witnessed first-hand that many of these women become addicts as a result of incest or family violence. In far too many cases, battered women begin using drugs or alcohol to mask their pain, fear and embarrassment. This fragile population of women is characterized by a lack of self-esteem, self-destructiveness, severe mental health disorders, and the lack of a constructive life pattern.
Those who are most affected by addiction are the children. Most of these women have 2 or 3 children, of whom many have lost custody. What is the future of these children? Are they destined to become the next victims, batterers or addicts? Is it possible to break the cycle that often passes silently from one generation to another?
Jessica, 27, talks on the phone with her boyfriend, during her relapse after having 7 months of sobriety.  She has survived several abusive relationships. She was abusing drugs and alcohol. Jessica had 5 children from 3 different men, and has lost custody of all of her children. In January of 2009, Jessica went for treatment at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program.
A letter written by Lisa on October 8, 2008, is seen in her house on February 3, 2009, in Waverly, Ohio. In November of 2008, she completed an alcohol treatment program at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program in Athens, Ohio. She was sexually abused by her father at age 6. Her husband, a drug addict, sexually abused her as well, and she has 3 children by him, all of whom are drug addicts.
Clients of the Rural Women’s Recovery Program practice yoga on Friday, May 8, 2009, in Athens, Ohio. The State of Ohio has one of the most elaborate chemical dependency treatment systems for women in the United States in terms of the strength of the women’s programming. According to the Health Recovery Services in Athens, Ohio, both the number of facilities for women, and funding for the existing facilities, are declining.
Stephanie, 19, cries on her mother’s shoulder after graduating from the Rural Women’s Recovery Program on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, in Athens, Ohio. Her probation officer ordered her to attend the substance abuse program due to her drug charges. She lost custody of both of her children. She started using drugs when she was with her ex-boyfriend, Carroll, the father of her daughter. “He beat me all the time, choked me, shouted at me, put a knife to my throat. I felt like shit. That’s why I used – so that I could hide my feelings. I started out with lower doses of Vicodin and Percocet, then I went to Oxycontin and heroin.”

A client at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program in Athens, Ohio, draws on a piece of paper, while, her baby cries on the sofa at the Program.
Deanna, 33, cries in her temporary housing provided by the Salvation Army Shelter in Newark, Ohio. She has been physically abused by her husband. She lost custody on her son, and even though she went through a substance abuse treatment program, she could not stop abusing alcohol. Hall is on the waiting list for another substance abuse treatment program.
Kristen, 20, a client at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program in Athens, Ohio, is about to brush her hair in the bathroom.
Jessica’s belongings lie on the floor of her aunt’s house in Pomeroy, Ohio, on Tuesday, April 28, 2009, right after her graduation from the Rural Women’s Recovery Program in Athens, Ohio. Jessica went through several abusive relationships, and was abusing drugs and alcohol. She had 5 children from 3 different men, and has lost custody of all of her children.
Deanna, 33, welcomes her son Kehnan, 10, at her temporary housing at the Salvation Army shelter in Newark, Ohio. Deanna has been physically abused by her husband. She lost custody on her son, and even though she went through a substance abuse treatment program, she could not stop abusing alcohol.
Patricia, 27, smokes crack in Mansfield, Ohio. She graduated from the Rural Women’s Recovery Program in the Spring of 2009. She relapsed in June of 2009. Patricia was sexually abused at age 14 by a middle-aged man, her father’s best friend. She has been using alcohol and drugs (marijuana, crack, cocaine, oxycodone and morphine) since she was 14. “I got pregnant with my daughter by a drug dealer, and I went for treatment for about 9 months while I was pregnant. He is in prison and he has never seen her.”

Jessica, 27, left, sits next to Kelci, 20, while Kelci holds her baby Caiden on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, in Logan, Ohio. Jessica and Kelci met at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program. In April, 2009, they graduated from the Program, and they lived together at Kelci’s house for 5 days. “Coming from a rehab where you were clean for 4 months, had a stable life. Coming home with people who are using pills and marijuana in front of you,” Kelci said.
Deanna, 33, left, cries after a visit from her husband and son at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program on Sunday, September 21, 2008, in Athens, Ohio, She has been at the Program for two weeks, and has been diagnosed with alcohol problems. Lisa, 44, right, is sad after her boyfriend’s visit to see her at the Rural Women’s Recovery Program. She has been diagnosed with alcohol problems, and has been attending the Program for two weeks. She was sexually abused by her father at age 6; her husband, a drug addict, sexually abused her as well, and she has three children by him, all of whom are drug addicts. Hannah, 29, far left, talks to her mother, far right, during their family visit time. Hannah has been diagnosed with alcohol problems, which began when she was fifteen. She was abused by her father as a child.

Bio

Yanina Manolova is native of Bulgaria. In 2000 she moved to the United States where she is currently a graduate student in photojournalism at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.   She has worked on different projects in Africa, Latin America, Europe and USA. Manolova’s real dedication is working on worldwide humanitarian and health care associated projects.  Her work has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), National Geographic (Bulgaria) and many others.  Her photos appeared in numerous exhibits and she has won several international awards and various nominations including in the Alexia Foundation for World Peace, Northern Short Course in Photojournalism, Southern Short Course in News Photography, NPPA Women In Photojournalism and many others.
Manolova’s latest work is a short documentary film detailing her experience while living among several Appalachian women during a period of their recovery from substance abuse and domestic violence. yaninamanolova.com.

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