TY - JOUR
T1 - A metaphor analysis of recovering substance abusers' sensemaking of medication-assisted treatment
AU - Malvini Redden, Shawna
AU - Tracy, Sarah
AU - Shafer, Michael
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This project was supported in part by cooperative agreement #5UD1TI013592-10 from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.
PY - 2013/7
Y1 - 2013/7
N2 - In this study, we examined metaphors invoked by people recovering from opioid dependence as they described the challenges and successes of using medication-assisted treatment. Metaphors provide linguistic tools for expressing issues that are confusing, complex, hidden, and difficult to state analytically or literally. Using data from eight focus groups with 68 participants representing four ethnic minority groups, we conducted a grounded analysis to show how recovering substance users communicatively constructed addiction and recovery. The primary medication, methadone, was framed as "liquid handcuffs" that allowed those in recovery to quit "hustling," get "straight," and find "money in their pockets." Nonetheless, methadone also served as a "crutch," leaving them still feeling like "users" with "habits" who "came up dirty" to friends and family. In this analysis, we tease out implications of these metaphors, and how they shed light on sensemaking, agency, and related racial- and class-based structural challenges in substance abuse recovery.
AB - In this study, we examined metaphors invoked by people recovering from opioid dependence as they described the challenges and successes of using medication-assisted treatment. Metaphors provide linguistic tools for expressing issues that are confusing, complex, hidden, and difficult to state analytically or literally. Using data from eight focus groups with 68 participants representing four ethnic minority groups, we conducted a grounded analysis to show how recovering substance users communicatively constructed addiction and recovery. The primary medication, methadone, was framed as "liquid handcuffs" that allowed those in recovery to quit "hustling," get "straight," and find "money in their pockets." Nonetheless, methadone also served as a "crutch," leaving them still feeling like "users" with "habits" who "came up dirty" to friends and family. In this analysis, we tease out implications of these metaphors, and how they shed light on sensemaking, agency, and related racial- and class-based structural challenges in substance abuse recovery.
KW - addiction / substance use
KW - communication
KW - discourse analysis
KW - recovery
KW - self-efficacy
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U2 - 10.1177/1049732313487802
DO - 10.1177/1049732313487802
M3 - Article
C2 - 23649657
AN - SCOPUS:84878061021
SN - 1049-7323
VL - 23
SP - 951
EP - 962
JO - Qualitative Health Research
JF - Qualitative Health Research
IS - 7
ER -