What is the trajectory of the development of addiction among former drug users?

Abstract

The social problem of drug addiction has been present in our society for a long time. This research focuses on the typical development of a drug addiction. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were carried out with people who had a drug addiction, but have been clean for over two years. The aim of such interviews is to explore the life of the participants in a holistic manner. This includes: their social support network, lifestyle, emotional state, and family environment. In order for such to take place in this research, a qualitative approach was used. Nine semi-structured interviews were carried out and the information that was gathered from the interviews was analysed through a thematic analysis procedure. The results from these interviews conveyed that various factors facilitate the development of drug addiction such as: unhealthy lifestyle, familial problems, lack social support and strong relationships, exposure to drugs, and emotional pain. It can therefoe be concluded that drug addiction is not just a matter of getting addicted to a chemical, but rather misuse substances as a coping mechanism towards the difficulties faced throughout one's life.