Understanding stigma and coping in recovering alcohol dependent persons: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

This interpretative phenomenological analysis considered recovering alcohol dependent persons' lived experience of stigmatization and coping. The study investigated the experience of stigmatization, coping with stigmatization, and the influence of a compassionate person on that experience. Data for this study were derived from two in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews conducted with each of six recovering alcohol dependent adults living in the northeastern region of the United States. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. They were coded to produce six lists of initial themes related to the lived experiences under investigation. Lists of initial themes were compared in order to identify emergent and recurring patterns across all six participants.;A list of 19 super-ordinate themes was compiled; each theme was supported by evidence from all six participants. The resulting 19 themes were clustered around five categories: The nature of the stigmatizing experience, the nature of the stigmatized individual, the nature of the stigmatizer, coping with the experience, and the nature and impact of a caring person on the coping process.;The results align with prior research by Miller and Kaiser (2001) and Major and O'Brien (2003), which identified and categorized stigma coping. This study adds insight and depth to the current understanding of the nature of stigmatization and coping amongst recovering alcohol dependent persons, particularly in terms of the role that aspects of the stigmatizing experience, the stigmatized person, and the stigmatizer play in determining the impact of the stigmatizing experience. It adds new information concerning the influence a caring person has on the stigmatized recovering alcohol dependent person.;Future research is warranted, particularly with regard to experiences of stigmatization and coping among alcohol dependent persons who are unable to remain abstinent in the wake of a stigmatizing event. Additional research into the nature of the stigmatized alcohol dependent person, the stigmatizer, and the impact of a caring individual on the stigmatized could impact significantly the way in which alcohol dependence is understood and treated in the United States.