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OCR
58 = USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS formation of identity and get embedded into the life history, where descending until ,,hitting rock bottom” and later ascending are all well described in the AA literature (Hanninen & Koski-Jannes, 1999; Koski-Jannes, 1998, 2002). The experience of the ,,rock bottom” results in the realization that the addict had not cared for herself/himself before (Koski-Jannes, 2002), while recovery includes a continuous care of self (Foucault, 2001; Jozsef Räcz et al., 2015) anda reconstruction of life narratives (Shinebourne & Smith, 201 1a). The reconstruction of narratives and the interpretation of experiences derived from addiction are supported by preconstructed narrative patterns in self-help groups (Koski-Jannes, 2002; Larkin & Griffiths, 2002; J. McIntosh & McKeganey, 2001). According to J. McIntosh and McKeganey (2000), the alteration of experiences and the alteration of identity are parallel processes. Experiences of users of psychoactive substances are mostly positive at the beginning of the drug user career, and positive experiences often relate to a positive identity/ self image. In later stages of the drug user career, the drug loses much of its previous ,,power” and ,,mystique” so the user needs to re-evaluate his or her user identity. By keeping a distance from the addict identity, the construction of the ,non-addict self” is a main point of recovery. As we have seen above, the role of identity work is important both in addiction and recovery. The examination of identity work is only possible trough subjective accounts, which provide an insider perspective to investigate how the person perceives the identity. One such method is interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009). Many IPA studies have focused on the identity work of psychoactive substance users, which help us understand the addict self. These studies highlight the positive identity/self-image created or received by the participants related to the experience of drug use. In the study of Larkin and Griffiths (2002) becoming a ,,drinker’” or a ,,gambler” filled a ,,void” of self, a lack of identity or self-knowledge. Alison, a participant of Shinebourne & Smith’s study (2009), created the character of a ,showgirl” a tool for accessing and expressing emotions that may have been previously repressed, which she could reach only trough drinking alcohol. The ,,showgirl” and the ,,normal” self occupied two separate domains of experience, and there was a sense of tension and conflict between them. The ,,multiple selves” described by Alison are similar to dissociative experiences. Following traumatic events individuals dissociate their subjective experiences into alternate personalities, as means of coping with the emotional pain of trauma: the trauma of her alcohol consumption in case of Alison (Lilienfeld et al., 1999; Shinebourne & Smith, 2009). According to the study of Barros (2012), the use of heroin both gives and robs one’s identity. Substance abuse means a tool for self-expression, but at the same time the drug strips users of their sense of identity.
