A Comprehensive Approach to Understanding Substance Use Disorder and Recovery: Former Patients’ Experiences and Reflections on the Recovery Process Four Years After Discharge from SUD Treatment

This article concerns people who have developed a substance use disorder (SUD) and sought treatment. SUD is understood as a biopsychosocial disorder. People who want to stop using substances or wish to increase their wellbeing while using substances need to undergo a recovery process. We conducted qualitative interviews with 11 former patients four years after discharge from inpatient SUD treatment in the Tyrili Foundation to explore their experiences and reflections on SUD and the recovery process. The findings indicated that recovery processes are complex, and feelings of wellbeing and success vary over time. Several interrelated aspects of life were essential for seeking a better life: Understanding own substance use; Feeling safe; Understanding the impact of close relationships; and Perceptions of participation and belonging. The informants emphasised the need for access to professional and social support during the recovery process, which, for some, will last for many years. Receiving such support is not understood as a defeat, and each person’s resources and vulnerabilities should be recognized and acknowledged. SUD and recovery should be understood using the same coherent approach—as an interplay between biological and psychological factors and social, political and cultural contexts.