A Phenomenological Study on the Recovery Experience of Female Methamphetamine Addicts

This study explored the essence and meaning of the recovery experiences of female methamphetamine addicts to deepen the understanding of their recovery process. To this end, five female drug addicts who had been abstinent for more than one year but less than five years were recruited through snowball sampling, and analysis was conducted using Giorgi's (1985) phenomenological qualitative research method. As a result, five essential themes and 19 subthemes were derived. This study confirmed the importance of social and spiritual resources in the recovery process and discussed the need to establish an integrated support system to reinforce them. Additionally, it provided a deep understanding of the social difficulties and structural issues experienced by female addicts, and suggested therapeutic implications and recommendations for future research from the perspective of sustainable recovery from drug addiction.