Examining Symptoms of Stimulant Misuse and Community Support Among Members of a Recovery-Oriented Online Community

ABSTRACT

Misuse of prescription and non-prescription stimulants and related overdose deaths represent a growing public health crisis that warrants immediate intervention. We examined 100 posts and their respective comments from a public, recovery-oriented Reddit community in January 2021 to explore content related to DSM-V stimulant use disorder symptoms, access and barriers to recovery, and peer support. Using inductive and deductive methods, a codebook was developed with the following primary themes: 1) DSM-V Symptoms and Risk Factors, 2) Stigma/Shame, 3) Seeking Advice or Information, 4) Supportive or Unsupportive Comments. In 37% of posts community members reported taking high doses and engaging in prolonged misuse of stimulants. Nearly half of posts in the sample (46%) were seeking advice for recovery, but 42% noted fear of withdrawal symptoms or a loss of productivity (18%) as barriers to abstinence or a reduction in use. Concerns related to stigma, shame, hiding use from others (30%), and comorbid mental health conditions (34%) were also noted. Social media content analysis allows for insight into information about lived experiences of individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Future online interventions should address recovery barriers related to stigma and shame as well as fears associated with the physical and psychological impact of quitting stimulant misuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance-Use Disorder
• Stimulant Use
• Online Community
• Online Support
• DSM-V Stimulant Use Disorder Symptoms
• Reddit

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Amelia Dorsey for her support manually coding posts and comments for this study.

Disclosure statement

Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg is a consultant for Rissana, LLC and PredictView.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this work was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [Grant No: K02 DA043657 (Dr. Cavazos-Rehg) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Training Program (MHRT) Grant No: T37 MD014218. No funding sources had any role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.