Leaving homelessness and addiction: Narratives of an occupational transition

Abstract

The aim of this exploratory study was to gain an understanding of occupational aspects of homelessness and of the transition from homelessness. Data were collected through narrative interviews of two formerly homeless women recovering from drug addiction. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative method followed by a narrative analysis. The findings first identified homelessness as a life of high intensity lived within a limited time perspective. Further, for these women homelessness was related to drug addiction, which was experienced at first as a solution to life situations that seemed impossible to handle. Second, the analysis showed how social relationships can strengthen or change the lived plots of the participants. Third, the transition out of homelessness was accomplished through the development and enactment of new lived plots. Finally the analysis showed that life as formerly homeless women was experienced as less intense and as a life that can only partly be controlled. This new life includes a broader time perspective. In the discussion, the relationship between time use and the meaning-making process and possible practical implications of this study are presented.