| Learning Objective #1: Gain knowledge about the process of recovery from alcoholism for women | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Understanding of the contextual factors that foster and/or hinder the recovery process for women alcoholics |
LEAVING THE ABYSS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF WOMEN RECOVERING FROM ALCOHOLISM
The purpose of this Phenomenological study was to describe women's experiences of recovery from alcoholism and to identify the contextual factors that foster or hinder their recovery processes. Criteria for participation were: women self-identifying as recovering from alcoholism; aged 25 years and older; able to converse in English; and abstinent from alcohol use for a minimum of two consecutive years. Eleven women (7 Caucasians, 3 African-Americans, 1 Native-American Indian, 8 heterosexuals, and 3 lesbians) were recruited through purposive sampling from the self help groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and Seculars for Sobriety. Data were collected through individual interviews which were tape-recorded and lasted about 45 minutes. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the constant comparative method. The women ranged in age from 32 to 76 years old and had been in recovery from 2 to 37 years. Ten of the women were employed and one woman was retired. Analyzed data revealed the emergence of the following themes and subthemes: Living in the Abyss (subthemes of Hitting Bottom, Experiencing an Epiphany, Accepting the Disease of Alcoholism); Leaving the Abyss (subthemes of Making a Commitment to Recovery, Struggling to Maintain Sobriety, Dealing with Stigmatization); Maintaining Recovery (subthemes of Working a Program of Recovery, Recognizing Triggers to Relapse), and Living a New Life (subthemes of Experiencing Inner Peace, Believing in Self). Knowledge from this study may be used to inform nurse clinicians, nurse educators, and nurses involved in public policy decisions about the experiences of recovery for alcoholic women. In addition, women in recovery may be able to use the information to help them in their recovery process.
Back to Substance Abuse
Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003