Transitioning back to society : challenges faced by drug users after treatment

Abstract

This research aims to understand the challenges faced by high-risk drug users attempting to reintegrate back into society after completing their rehabilitation program inside a therapeutic community. A qualitative study was carried out with six ex-drug users, who graduated from their programs and are living a stable life. They were individually interviewed and asked to reflect on the challenges they experienced during the period in which they were transitioning between the therapeutic community and society. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. The participants reflected on the stages they went through until they achieved their aim of desisting from high-risk drug use, the role of the therapeutic community in this journey, the psychosocial challenges they encountered, and the effects of actually moving out from the highly structured life found inside a therapeutic community and life on the outside.