Recovered, in Recovery or Recovering from Substance Abuse? A Question of Identity

Abstract

There has always been widespread debate on how people with past substance abuse problems choose to identify themselves with regards to their recovery and the terms used to associate with that identity. Most of the disagreement over these terms is rooted on whether recovery is seen as an ongoing process ("recovering" or "in recovery") or a life event that can be mastered ("recovered"). This article discusses these three controversial terms and attempts to make them available as terms that one can use or identify with by presenting different perspectives on the topic of recovery. Some of these perspectives may be unconventional when compared to traditional views of the recovery process, but they are the realities of many individuals who have had a past experience with substance abuse and may be confronted with prejudice when voicing their recovery in a past tense. The article makes comparisons between the DSM IV and the Big Book of AA and discusses identity vs labels and the influence of the medical community on this controversial topic.

The Notion of Self in the Journey Back From Addiction

“…Others found it a place to rediscover the self without addiction. Doukas and Cullen (2009) had proffered the important question with regard to the capacity of former addicts to release themselves from the obligation of maintaining the "addict" component as part of their self-identity, a belief strongly grounded in the medical model as well as many self-help groups. By becoming aware of and understanding the journey to self, from the journeyman's perspective, the current study offers some evidence not previously reported that there was a strong desire by the recovering addicts to struggle with the issue of self-identity, and that the notion of a self free of addiction was important.…”

“…With this epiphany came the need to reconstruct an identity and lifestyle without addiction, often accompanied by changes in one's living environment. Doukas and Cullen (2009) questioned whether a person who has experienced long-term substance abuse could ever establish an identity that does not incorporate the dimensions of a recovering addict, suggesting that recovery is an ongoing process. This stance has significant implications for the individual, because it implies that the addictive identity needs to be integrated into the new identity.…”

Comparing three stages of addiction recovery: long-term recovery and its relation to housing problems, crime, occupation situation, and substance use

“…The subjective definition of addiction recovery can be seen as both a weakness and a strength of this study. A weakness, because it makes it difficult to operationalize addiction recovery and not everyone with a history of substance addiction will identify with the term 'recovery' (Doukas & Cullen, 2009). However, we used multiple phrasings and explanations of 'recovery' in recruitment messages.…”

Analysis of associations between emotions and activities of drug users and their addiction recovery tendencies from social media posts using structural equation modeling

“…Depending on factors such as the substances used as well as the amount and duration of use, such symptoms typically last for 3-5 days and can be managed by medications, vitamins, and exercise [2]. The notion of "recovery" is polysemous in that it may be considered as an ongoing process or as a granular event [7]. Regardless, recovery is a long-term process requiring continuous effort and diligence [2].…”