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2. THE THERAPEUTIC JOURNEYS OF RECOVERING HELPERS — AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (STUDY 1) 2.1. INTRODUCTION Recovering helpers already existed in the 19th century in hospitals or in other rehabilitation centers in the US. Currently, about 37-75 % of helpers in the USA are recovering users (Knudsen et al., 2006; McNulty et al., 2007). Often they work within the frameworks of the Minnesota method (also known as the 12step program) (White, 2000a, 2000b). Motivation is a very significant factor in helpers’ lives: their life is a role, which helps other drug users to recover. Adopting a new identity is a very important aspect in the recovery process (Baker, 2000; Hanninen & Koski-Jannes, 1999; Hecksher, 2004; Koski-Jannes, 1998, 2002; James McIntosh, 2014; J. McIntosh & McKeganey, 2000, 2001). In this stage, drug users have turning points - especially when users hit bottom after a downhill spiral - which help them reconstruct the meaning and structure of their lives, rethink their lives and thereby change their futures (Koski-Jannes, 1998, 2002). New experiences and relationships are essential when starting a new life. Identity in this regard has two aspects: social and private. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a method that helps to describe and understand people’s identity, whereby the researcher interprets how participants interpret their own lives (Smith et al., 2009; Smith & Osborn, 2007). An advantage of IPA is the ability to connect between different conceptions, to share with each other emotions, spiritual thinking, and moral awareness. The goal of this analysis was to assess the process of how addicts become recovering helpers by utilizing IPA. 2.2. METHODS The study was conducted in two drug rehabilitation centers involving five male and one female professional recovering helpers who have been in recovery for at least 5 years, four of them working as helpers for at least 10 years and two for 1 year. Each helper participated in a semi-structured interview that lasted for about an hour. Questions assessed experiences as users, during the recovery process and while working as helpers. Common themes and
