“I AM STILL SUFFERING:” THE DILEMMA OF MULTIPLE RECOVERIES IN THE LIVES OF METHADONE MAINTENANCE PATIENTS

Abstract

This study examines narratives on the meaning of addiction recovery through interviews with 45 methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients. Results show that heroin addicts are dealing with multiple recoveries and many are simultaneous to each other: recoveries concerning (1) addiction, (2) associational disruptions, (3) self-identity and actualization, (4) drug induced diseases (HIV/AIDS, HCV, etc.), and (5) catalyzing event(s). The research findings, anathema of clinical MMT views on recovery, suggest that drug addicted individuals might benefit from interventions that address their multiple recovery issues as opposed to ones that emphasize recovery strictly in sobriety terms.

I thank Professors Mark Hansel and Joel Powel Dahlquist and the anonymous reviewers at Sociological Spectrum for their many helpful comments and suggestions.