‘ I want to be known for my recovery, not my addiction ’
Recovery from methamphetamine use in Aotearoa-New Zealand
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21605449 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Trent Bax (0000-0002-8086-0806, Ewha Womans University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-12 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Drugs Education Prevention and Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0968-7637 • E-ISSN: 1465-3370 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09687637.2026.2648831 |
| OpenAlex | W7139979385 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 48 |
Background In Aotearoa–New Zealand, about 1% of adults report methamphetamine use in the past 12 months, disproportionately affecting Māori, males, and those in socioeconomically deprived communities. This study examines how individuals achieve and sustain recovery through a life-course lens, emphasizing lived experience, identity reconstruction and social reintegration.Methods Drawing on 35 semi-structured life-history interviews and five moderated testimonies, the analysis applies Biernacki’s four-stage model of recovery as a sensitizing framework, integrating recovery capital and social recovery to interpret trajectories.Results Recovery pathways were nonlinear and heterogeneous, encompassing self-managed and treatment-assisted change. Self-managed participants relied on self-discipline, situational change, and informal support, while treatment-assisted changers benefited from structured accountability and therapeutic belonging. About one-quarter maintained limited or transformed contact with former peers while remaining abstinent, indicating complete social avoidance is not universally necessary. Recovery was marked by prolonged emotional and cognitive recalibration, requiring structure, purpose, and social connection. Work, whānau, spirituality, and self-reflection anchored stability and belonging.Conclusion Recovery from methamphetamine use is not a singular event but a sustained process of rebuilding autonomy, meaning, and identity. Distinctive features of stimulant recovery highlight the need for plural, culturally grounded, recovery-oriented systems of care that value both professional treatment and self-directed change
Addiction · Methamphetamine · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Substance use · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Health Services Management and Policy · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Conceptualizing Recovery Capital
The Role of Social Supports, Spirituality, Religiousness, Life Meaning and Affiliation with 12-Step Fellowships in Quality of Life Satisfaction Among Individuals in Recovery from Alcohol and Drug Problems
Addiction recovery
Recovery Capital as Prospective Predictor of Sustained Recovery, Life Satisfaction, and Stress Among Former Poly-Substance Users
Prevalence and pathways of recovery from drug and alcohol problems in the United States population
The Life Course Perspective on Drug Use
The science of recovery capital
Relational recovery
Application of Self-Determination Theory to Substance Use and Its Treatment
Gender and recovery pathways in the UK
Self‐change from problems with alcohol and drugs
The Career Trajectories and Outcomes in Substance Use Recovery
A Life More Ordinary” Processes of 5-Year Recovery From Substance Abuse. Experiences of 30 Recovered Service Users
Physical and Psychological Harms and Health Consequences of Methamphetamine Use Amongst a Group of New Zealand Users
Natural Recovery from Substance Dependency
Addiction and sociality
Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition
Functional methamphetamine use
A biaxial formulation of the recovery construct
Understanding the Process of Drug Addiction Recovery Through First-Hand Experiences
Turning points, identity, and social capital
Initiation into Methamphetamine Use
Choosing to Live or Die
Perceptions about Recovery Needs and Drug-Avoidance Recovery Behaviors among Youth in Substance Abuse Treatment
The Adverse Childhood Experiences of Methamphetamine Users in Aotearoa/New Zealand
No Matter What People go Through, There is a way out”
Out the Gate
Recovery from problem drug use
What is Wrong with Social Theory
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |