Journeying through life : understanding the drug use career of male recovering addicts

Abstract

It is a common misconception that drug addiction is a one-way street that leads to destruction; however, this is not the case, since many drug users eventually recover. Some do so naturally, while others resort for help within a therapeutic setting. The aim of this study is to understand the life journey of individuals who were considered to have severe substance use disorder, sought treatment and have been drug free for more than three years, but still consider themselves to be in recovery. The study also seeks to understand the recovering addicts’ perception of the influences that past and present life experiences had on their addiction and recovery, as well as how these experiences affected their interpersonal relationships through time. The conceptual framework of this study is informed by two theoretical approaches to drug use: the career perspective and the life course perspective. The biographical narrative interpretive method (BNIM) of interviewing was used with a purposive sample of five adult male recovering addicts. The collected data was analysed thematically, and four main themes emerged, namely “striving for refuge”, “the pains of addiction”, “the treatment trajectory” and “maintaining desistance”. The analysis shows that the accumulation of various familial, individual, and societal risk factors, combined with the lack of protective factors to mitigate their impact, contributed to the participants’ initiation and maintenance of drug use. The study also depicts the effects of the disorder on the participants, their families, others, and their interpersonal relationships, as well as the positive effects of the drug users’ recovery following treatment on all of these. The participants attributed their recovery primarily to the therapeutic support and skills provided within the therapeutic community. Recovery was maintained because the treatment received addressed more than just the problematic drug use, and continuity of care support was still being provided as of the study’s conclusion. The findings reaffirm the view that recovery is more than just staying off drugs. It is a lengthy, dynamic, and non-linear journey marked by identity formation and change, including lifestyle change and improvements in physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health, positive social and familial relations, community engagement and increased quality of life. Recovery is a long-term commitment. The conclusions expand on these findings and offer recommendations for practice in substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.