Long-Term Sustained Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorders Among Veterans: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Anna M Koch

doi:10.21061/jvs.v4i2.94

Abstract

This grounded theory study explored veterans’ conceptualization of recovery and factors contributing to establishing and maintaining long-term recovery among veterans. Alcohol misuse is a significant health challenge resulting in negative consequences across multiple dimensions. Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are a significant problem in the general population, but they are even more prevalent among active duty military service men and women as well as veterans. Participants were nine veterans averaging 27.9 years in recovery. Six major themes emerged from veteran interviews including: (1) early negative life experiences, (2) early exposure and access to alcohol, (3) alcohol filled a need, (4) enabling of drinking behaviors in the military, (5) early recovery experiences, and (6) later recovery experiences. Veterans defined recovery as total abstinence and enhancement of quality of life. Implications for future research, exploration of deficits in recovery models, veteran-specific clinical practice, and the effect of trauma on the initiation of AUD in veterans and long-term recovery is discussed.

Highlights

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is defined as a chronic disability that is characterized by relapse and progressively severe symptomology (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
While veterans were aware of the impact of the childhood trauma on their AUD, the interviews did not provide any clear evidence that the veterans had been able to resolve these issues
Given that all of the participants were members of peer support groups and had been actively involved in twelve-step recovery programs during their recovery process, participants may be identifying that while participation in peer support programs may have been sufficient to initiate and maintain abstinence, they may not have been sufficient to support resolution of more complex factors that appeared to have both contributed to the onset of AUD, and that continued to have direct effect on veterans’ long term recovery and quality of life

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is defined as a chronic disability that is characterized by relapse and progressively severe symptomology (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). There is a paucity of research focused on individuals who have successfully navigated the journey from diagnosis with AUD to establishing and maintaining long-term recovery. This trend in the literature may be due in part, to researchers only focusing on social consequences, interventions, and individuals’ experiences in early recovery. As a result of the focus on early intervention and early recovery, there has been less empirical evidence providing abundant insight or developed conceptual models to explain how individuals maintain long-term recovery from AUD

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Discussion

Conclusion