Abstract

Addiction is a prominent public health issue in the United States with the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reporting as many as 19.7 million Americans suffering from substance use disorder. Reaching long-term recovery and preventing relapse is often difficult. Twelve-step programs have shown success in facilitating long-term recovery, especially when facilitated in residential living setting. The exact motivators and challenges for such success are generally unique and individual to each resident, yet some common threads exist. Using semi-structured interviews (N = 31) of residents at a recovery housing facility, this study focused on identifying the common motivators and challenges experienced by the residents that facilitate and/or thwart their efforts to reach long-term recovery. Three motivators (transformation, support system, and optimism) and a challenge (external temptation) emerged from the conversations as key themes influencing the success of long-term recovery.