| This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six people in Ethiopia who have been in long-term recovery from an alcohol use disorder for ten or more years. Its purpose was to increase understanding of the nature of participants' long-term alcohol use disorder recovery experiences. Rich data on participants' recovery lived experiences were collected through two semi-structured interviews and a follow-up member check. Additionally, the researcher was the primary instrument for data collection throughout this study. The data analysis was conducted using the hermeneutic circle, thematic and structural analyses, and composite description of participants' lived experiences. Participants' data fell under five primary meaning units: childhood experiences, problem alcohol use, quitting problem alcohol use, sustaining recovery, and wishes for people with addictions. Themes that offer robust representation of participants' stories were included to increase understanding of the five meaning units. Despite differences in describing and experiencing long-term alcohol use disorder recovery journeys, there were many similarities pointing towards the features of what it is like to be in long-term recovery from an alcohol use disorder among the six participants. Results indicate that (a) alcohol use and abuse come from many complex sources and reasons, (b) problem alcohol use has several different characteristics, (c) successful alcohol quitting decision making involves many layers, (d) stigma is both self and societal, and (e) recovery is complex and multilayered. Additional findings on the general features of long-term alcohol use disorder recovery along with implications and recommendations of the study are included in this dissertation. |
