Survey of Men and Women with Substance Use Disorder in Halfway Housing

Brandi McNeely

Addiction Research Foundation

Men and women in sober living in order to recover from substance abuse face numerous challenges that involve integrating oneself back into sober society after months or years of substance abuse. Along with this re-integration, is the fact that they are often undergoing intensive inpatient or outpatient therapy and having to face many of the past traumas and issues that drugs or alcohol were helping them cope with previously. Because of this, the transitional period of halfway housing can be an important opportunity to gain insight into the feelings of these individuals, relating to their recovery and self-image at that time. Receiving input from individuals with substance use disorder who are in recovery offers further opportunity for improvement and perhaps expansion of services for this population.
Methods
A qualitative survey comprised of five open ended questions and one multiple choice was created using the research database Survey Monkey. The questions included: 1. “What is your gender,” 2. “What does recovery mean to you,” 3. “What does addiction mean to you,” 4. “What does shame mean to you,” 5. What does relapse mean to you,” and 6. “What does support mean to you?” The surveys were distributed to the women’s and men’s 4th Dimension sober living facilities in Hoover, AL. The participant population consisted of 11 female responses and 18 male responses, n = 29. Results were gathered and coded for commonalities between and within men and women responses.

Male Responses

Eighteen male responses were collected, and common themes were found for each of the previously listed questions.
Question 2. What does recovery mean to you?
• An entire growth or change for the better in all aspects of life
• Connection to a higher power
• A path to better relationships
• Enhanced Purpose
• Recovery being the number one priority in life
• Living free from drugs and alcohol
• Being involved in 12 step meeting and connected with a sponsor
• Stability
• Practicing self-care
• Finding a way to be okay with who they are
• Managing depression and anxiety

Question 3. What does addiction mean to you?
• The use of substances being central to one’s life
• Being trapped and unable to escape
• Part of one’s identity
• Shame
• 3-part disease model
• Uncontrollable use of substances
• Avoiding withdrawal
• Coping mechanism
• Depression and sadness
• The cards one is dealt

Question 4. What does shame mean to you?
• Believing you are a bad person
• Overwhelming guilt
• Feeling you are not good enough
• Bad sex stuff
• Fear
• Feeling incompetent
• Loss of confidence
• Embarrassment
• Something that causes relapse
• Thinking about past mistakes

Question 5. What does relapse mean to you?
• Going back to old habits/failure
• Not changing internally
• Thinking I can use substances like other people
• Purposefully changing the way I feel
• Coming out of remission
• Sadness
• Compulsive behavior
• Not working a good program
• Death
• A small set back

Question 6. What does support mean to you?
• Unconditional love
• Friends
• Family
• God
• 12 steps
• Something that is hard to embrace
• Help
• Fellowship
• Understanding
• People who have your best interests in mind

Female Responses

Eleven female responses were collected, and common themes were found in each of the previously listed questions.
Question 1. What does recovery mean to you?
• Freedom
• Joy
• Serenity/ Contentment
• A new life/ getting better
• Growing spiritually

Question 2. What does addiction mean to you?
• Being physically dependent
• Having no control/powerless
• Hell
• Losing connection with self and others
• Having a way to not feel anything
• Feeling trapped, unable to escape
• Sadness, emptiness

Question 4. What does shame mean to you?
• Someone using vulnerabilities against you
• Being alone
• Feeling like you are a horrible person
• Doing something or being blamed for something that is not right
• Guilt
• Embarrassment
• Disappointment
• Being unworthy of anything good

Question 5. What does relapse mean to you?
• Going back to old habits
• Losing oneself
• Staring over in hell
• Needing to work a better program
• Thinking you have power over your addiction
• A moment of weakness
• Failure

Question 6. What does support mean to you?
• Having people who love you
• Being lifted up
• A network of people you can reach out to
• Fellowship
• Friends
• Family
• Sponsor and 12 step programs
• Encouragement
• Someone who cares about you

Discussion

Between both groups, recovery was highly associated with beginning a new life and feeling free of compulsive, uncontrollable using, although women were more likely to associate recovery with specific emotions such as “joy” and “contentment.” Overwhelmingly, both groups associated addiction to the feeling of being trapped or unable to stop or control using, with “depression” being a commonly expressed emotion between both groups. Between both men and women, shame was highly associated with feeling as if one is a bad person or doing bad things, with common emotions between both groups being, “guilt,” “unworthy,” “embarrassment,” and “disappointment.” Women were more likely to associate shame with another person or outside action, such as, “being blamed for something bad.” Both men and women commonly described relapse as a failure or having to start over again, with several participants between group referring to relapse as thinking one is able to control their substance use. Between group responses commonly referred to support as “unconditional love,” “help,” and referred to specific entities in their lives such as “friends,” “family” and “fellowship.” Women were more likely to say specific feelings, such as “being lifted up” and “encouragement.” Men were likely to associate support with something that is “difficult to accept.” Commonalties between gender responses can be found within addiction research literature and are able to contribute insight for enhancement and expansion of programs currently offered to individuals who are suffering or recovering from substance use disorder.