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A Stabilizing and Destabilizing Social World: Close Relationships and Recovery Processes in SUD

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Abstract

This qualitative study reports on a thematic analysis of the role that close relationships may play in recovery processes following SUD. Inspired by a framework of research involving service users, interviews with 30 participants who had fully recovered were conducted by interviewers with first-hand experience of the topic of focus. The findings are summarized through a superordinate theme that we have called “a stabilizing and destabilizing social world,” and three broad constituent themes: (a) being entangled in difficult relationships; (b) people provide essential support and stability; and (c) we become different people along the pathway of our lives. We relate our findings to experiential knowledge generated from a recovery perspective, highlight reflexive processes involved in carrying out the research, and discuss implications and limitations of the present study.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Marius Veseth

  2. Department of Psychiatry, District General Hospital of Førde, Førde, Norway

    Christian Moltu

  3. Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Førde, Norway

    Christian Moltu

  4. Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway

    Thomas Solgaard Svendsen, Sverre Nesvåg, Tale Ekeroth Slyngstad & Alexander Waagan Skaalevik

  5. Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

    Jone Bjornestad

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  1. Marius Veseth
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  2. Christian Moltu
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  3. Thomas Solgaard Svendsen
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  4. Sverre Nesvåg
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  5. Tale Ekeroth Slyngstad
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  6. Alexander Waagan Skaalevik
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  7. Jone Bjornestad
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Correspondence to Marius Veseth.

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Veseth, M., Moltu, C., Svendsen, T.S. et al. A Stabilizing and Destabilizing Social World: Close Relationships and Recovery Processes in SUD. J. Psychosoc. Rehabil. Ment. Health 6, 93–106 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-019-00137-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-019-00137-9

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