The Phoenix Rising: Describing Women's Stories of Long-Term Recovery

Women's personal narratives about long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction are scarce, leaving much unknown about the nature of the recovery process over the life course. Nine women participated in this study. Each woman was in long-term recovery, ranging from five to 28 years of sustained abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. A tri-layered narrative analysis was utilized to examine their personal stories, looking specifically at story structure, transitions and trajectories over the life course, and the expression of voice. Findings revealed how language is highly contextualized in order to structure personal stories, including the use of images and vignettes to translate and illustrate emotionally-charged experiences. The trajectories into addiction and recovery are detailed and a road map for recovery is provided. Definitions for recovery and long-term recovery are included to emphasize the perspective of the women in this study. Implications for social work research in addiction include the exploration of long-term recovery and its evolution over the life course, with special attention paid to gender, culture, and relationships.