Addiction-related dreams: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of content and recovery from addiction

Background: Adults undergoing recovery from substance abuse confront intricate challenges that significantly impact their sustained sobriety. While sleep and arousal states are recognized as pivotal aspects of the recovery process, the nuanced content and issues related to these facets are frequently overlooked in recovery interventions. The intricate connections between an individual's sobriety, dream content, and recovery from addiction remain insufficiently explored. This paper presents a qualitative inquiry into the sleep processes, dream affective content, and the ongoing sobriety or recovery journey of adults grappling with continued recovery from substance abuse. The study places particular emphasis on the processes of recovery and the content of substance abuse dreams during the early stages of recovery. Methods: Fifteen adults, spanning an age range from 18 to 48 years, participated in semi-structured interviews, and the resultant transcripts underwent Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify a Group Experiential Theme (GET) and related Personal Experiential Themes (PET) supported by reported experiential statements. Results: The analysis elucidated at least one GET three PET items to be discussed: the sustained effects of substance use, negative affective states, and discernible patterns of use. Conclusions: The proposed hypothesis contends that a comprehensive exploration of participants' recovery experiences, especially concerning their substance abuse dreams, enhances our understanding of their susceptibility to relapse in light of persistent thoughts of substance use. This nuanced comprehension is indispensable for the development of additional interventions aimed at supporting sustained sobriety and addressing dream content and associated affective states within the treatment framework.