Exploring identity, culture, and psychosis in cannabis dependence – an interpretative phenomenological case study from India

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to recount the phenomenological experiences of an individual with cannabis dependence and psychosis. The transformations of the participant’s “self” interwoven in a nexus of culture, religion, and ethnicity are captured scrupulously. Components like self-concept, body image, homosexual identity, and religious identity are examined to understand substance use and psychosis in a new light. Data were collected and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The main themes that emerged are “Self as a burden”, “Conflictual experience of identity”, and “Emergence of a new unifying self”. The role of intra-psychic and socio-cultural factors in substance use disorders is emphasised to implicate better treatment outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Identity
• culture
• IPA
• cannabis
• Sikhism

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The data collection and analyses were carried out by the lead author. Throughout the paper the personal pronoun I is used to describe the collective work of the authors.