Health care providers' conceptualization of recovery : a lunar process

Abstract

Recovery from substance abuse has many interpretations that lead to miscommunications and misunderstandings among health care providers (HCPs) in the field of Addictions. Through the use of concept mapping, a group of HCPs described five clusters (Balance, Beginnings, Maintenance, Family of Origin and External/Initial) that represent their shared conceptualization of recovery. This conceptualization depicts recovery as a dynamic and interactive "solar system" with several interdependent components. The investigator interpreted this as a "lunar process" which ebbs and wanes to create, maintain or collapse the system as a whole. Change in one part of the system affects the entire system. As the solar system evolves, the center cluster, Balance, acts like the sun and becomes stronger and exerts more "gravitational" influence upon the four remaining "planets" of . Beginnings, Maintenance, Family of Origin and External/Initial.