Narratives of recovery in people with coexisting mental health and alcohol misuse difficulties

Abstract

Purpose: Existing literature has examined what recovery means to people with co-occurring difficulties, but does little to examine experiences of recovery as a process. This paper uses a narrative approach to explore the process of recovery as an individual journey in a social context. It focusses on people who use alcohol in order to explore the impact of alcohol's specific cultural meanings on the recovery journey.Purpose: People with coexisting mental health and alcohol misuse difficulties face multiple disadvantages. The concept of recovery has become important for policy and practice in both mental health and alcohol misuse services. However, the recovery narratives of this population are under-represented in the literature. Methodology:Ten interviews with people with coexisting mental health and alcohol misuse difficulties were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed. The transcriptions were analysed using narrative analysis. Practical implications:The value placed on professionals having specialised therapeutic skills in working with trauma highlights the need for training in this area. The role for practical and material support underlines the importance of multi-agency working.

A qualitative longitudinal study of the first UK Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA), an integrated peer-support programme for concurrent disorders

“…Though limited, growing research suggests self-acceptance can play a crucial role in recovery (Webb & Toussaint, 2018); Kang et al (2018) identified "embracing the essence of one's own existence" as pivotal in addiction recovery. Feeling accepted is particularly crucial for individuals who are affected by the double stigma associated with both mental illness and addiction (Stott & Priest, 2018). As participant C explains: "You have to learn to accept yourself for who you are, and you just have to accept your life is the way it is.…”

How Social Relationships Influence Substance Use Disorder Recovery: A Collaborative Narrative Study

“…[7][8][9][10][11] Furthermore, research suggests that social support can be even more powerful for maintaining sobriety when combined with practical support. 12,13 This indicates that mutual activity directed toward a shared goal can catalyze the attainment of stable recovery. However, recent studies further emphasize that the nature and quality of the social network is fundamental for positive behavior change and that social relationships in treatment settings can both encourage and inhibit recovery.…”

Relational recovery in co-occurring conditions: a qualitative study of first-person experiences

“…In a longitudinal, qualitative study that investigated experiences of social relationships among persons with co-occurring conditions in homeless services in New York, participants described a desire for long-lasting social relationships, however, also challenges in entering and maintaining such relationships related to a need for privacy, ongoing life struggles of substance use and poor living conditions and complicated relations with one’s family (Padgett et al , 2008). Also, early trauma and social exclusion were described as origins of mental health and alcohol problems in a narrative study of recovery in co-occurring conditions (Stott and Priest, 2018). A total of two recent collaborative studies of relational recovery in substance use disorder without co-occurring mental health disorders have also provided accounts of social relationships that are both supportive, as well as difficult and destructive (Pettersen et al , 2019; Veseth et al , 2019).…”