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"WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR ADDICTIONS, BUT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR RECOVERY": A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE LIFE HISTORIES OF HOMELESS ALCOHOLICS IN RECOVERY
Title
"WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR ADDICTIONS, BUT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR RECOVERY": A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE LIFE HISTORIES OF HOMELESS ALCOHOLICS IN RECOVERY.
Creator
Rayburn, Rachel, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This is an exploratory, qualitative study of homeless, recovering alcoholics and the problems they encounter maintaining sobriety. Using semi-structured interviews, I analyze the experiences of ten men in their forties, who are in a recovery program designed for homeless men. I ask them how they stay sober without a place to live. Three kinds of problems are inferred from their narrative histories. First, the men have difficulty identifying as alcoholics. They have trouble fully integrating...
Show moreThis is an exploratory, qualitative study of homeless, recovering alcoholics and the problems they encounter maintaining sobriety. Using semi-structured interviews, I analyze the experiences of ten men in their forties, who are in a recovery program designed for homeless men. I ask them how they stay sober without a place to live. Three kinds of problems are inferred from their narrative histories. First, the men have difficulty identifying as alcoholics. They have trouble fully integrating into the AA program. Second, the men struggle to form relationships with others, especially with a sponsor. Third, the process of "working the steps" is adapted complexly, more than in a normal twelve-step setting. The findings indicate that homeless men face special barriers to achieving and maintaining sobriety. I conclude by discussing the larger implications for sobriety, homelessness and social change within this community.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002226, ucf:47886
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002226
DEAD, IMPRISONED, RELAPSED: THE FATE OF HOMELESS SUBSTANCE ABUSERS TWO DECADES LATER
Title
DEAD, IMPRISONED, RELAPSED: THE FATE OF HOMELESS SUBSTANCE ABUSERS TWO DECADES LATER.
Creator
Rayburn, Rachel, Wright, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Guided and influenced by a famous follow-up study in criminology focused on desistance from crime, this dissertation studies desistance from crime, homelessness, and substance abuse. In the early 1990s, The New Orleans Homeless Substance Abusers Project (NOHSAP) was founded as an experiment funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to uncover optimal treatment strategies for homeless alcoholics and drug addicts. The program ran for three years (1991-1993) and in...
Show moreGuided and influenced by a famous follow-up study in criminology focused on desistance from crime, this dissertation studies desistance from crime, homelessness, and substance abuse. In the early 1990s, The New Orleans Homeless Substance Abusers Project (NOHSAP) was founded as an experiment funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to uncover optimal treatment strategies for homeless alcoholics and drug addicts. The program ran for three years (1991-1993) and in those years, 670 homeless New Orleans men and women were admitted into treatment. Some of the original clients were followed for as long as 18 months, but none of them had been re-contacted since the mid-1990s. This dissertation involves finding these individuals and re-interviewing them, to discover what life trajectories they have taken some 17-19 years later. Guided by social bonding theory, this project shows what baseline factors and conditions explain variability in life outcomes. The methodology for this study consists of three main parts: 1) a quantitative analysis of mortality data; 2) a historical analysis of criminal histories and 3) in-depth interviews. Nested logistic regression models explained differences among those who have died (n = 91) and those still living. The same method was used to explain differences among those currently incarcerated (n = 56). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 32 individuals in a variety of settings including at their homes and in prisons. Findings from the quantitative results show that social bonding theory seems to be a weak explanation scheme among this population. Results from the qualitative data, however, are contrary and show social bonds to be crucial in the desistance process. Like Laub and Sampson's study, marriage and employment were strong predictors of desistance. Individuals interviewed tended to be sober, but disaffiliated with twelve-step meetings. Other themes from the interviews involve presentation of self, the importance of religion, and a process of aging out of crime. Policy implications from these results focus on the importance of choosing a good life partner, the reduction of alcohol and drug use among abusers, and emphasizing stable employment.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003896, ucf:48730
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003896