| Substance abuse is a costly and debilitating problem both for individuals and for society. Recovery from addiction is a complex process, fraught with pitfalls that often lead to relapse. The needs of women in recovery are compounded because they are often victims of violence, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and they may have co-occurring mental illness. This qualitative action research study used the perspectives of adult development theory and adult learning theory to interpret the experience of women in recovery. Through observation of the group meetings and interviews of individual participants, the study examined an established nonprofit education program for female substance abusers, the SHAPE Program. The study analysis showed an association of progress in recovery with advances in epistemology. In particular, women conceiving of learning as understanding or changing were more likely to have made progress in recovery than women who described learning as gaining information or memorizing. The study also found associations between observed levels of progress in recovery and theoretical categories of women's epistemological development, suggesting a significant role for attention to intellectual development as a part of a program supporting recovery. Additional findings identified characteristics of the SHAPE Program that made it successful. Among these were prolonged consistent engagement, careful and deliberate use of language, development of voice by the participants, attention to emotions and mental health, and the adult education orientation of the facilitator. In addition, the participants often perceived themselves to be growing up again. Thus the facilitator used attunement, unconditional positive regard, and appropriate expectations to foster their development. It was also found that an elusive quality of spirit pervaded the program, reflected in the facilitator's dedication to personal mastery and in the acknowledgment of the importance of spirituality in the participants' experience of recovery. Finally, the study includes recommendations designed to enhance the epistemological development of the participants, as a means of strengthening and accelerating their recovery. |
