Exploring Personal Strengths and Resources in Long-Term Substance Use Disorder Recovery: Insights from Lived Experience

Background The process of recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is multifaceted and relies on an individual's personal strengths and resources. Several studies are investigating the mechanisms involved in initiating and maintaining recovery, particularly focusing on the concept of recovery capital, which encompasses the available resources for initiating and sustaining the recovery process. Limited research has been conducted on this concept in individuals with persistent SUD, who experience a severe and complex disorder, as well as a longer recovery process. Additionally, the influence of gender on the recovery trajectories of people with persistent SUD has received limited attention. Whereas research in the addiction field most often focuses on the difficulties and vulnerabilities of people with persistent SUD, this study aims  to examine how they draw on their personal strengths to enhance well-being.

Method Qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 individuals (9 men, 10 women) with persistent SUD to understand the strengths they utilized in their recovery. A gender-differentiated thematic analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. A peer-researcher and a focus group were involved in validating the analysis using a participatory approach.

Results The analysis revealed that despite challenges, participants utilized their skills and developed new ones to confront their problems. Perseverance emerged as a key strength, encompassing day-to-day tenacity, long-term goal setting, discipline, and emotional detachment. Other strengths identified included introspection, self-belief, knowledge about recovery, curiosity, and assertiveness. For women in particular, the ability to assert themselves appears to have been a survival tool in their trajectory. For most of the participants, material and financial resources were most lacking in their recovery process. Faced with a precarious financial situation, several women spoke of the need to get organized and be proactive in finding ways to support themselves.

Conclusion Contrary to a deficit-focused perspective, the concept of recovery capital leads us to focus on what is going well in these people’s lives. Not only is it important to adopt a balanced view of people with persistent SUD by looking at their strengths, skills, and abilities, it is also imperative to understand what helps them to move toward given the considerable length of their recovery process. The results of the present study are in keeping with the paradigm shift that has grown in recent years, going from a medical model to a more holistic and recovery-focused view of the person. Practitioners should encourage positive self-image, help individuals analyze their life trajectory, challenge negative beliefs, and foster new perceptions of themselves. Service providers should create opportunities (e.g. employment, community engagement, education) to enhance self-esteem and self-efficacy among individuals with persistent SUD.