The challenges of recovery resilience in drug addicted clients: An addiction counselor's perspective

Drug addiction is a problem for addicted clients who need help recovering from addiction counselors. However, the challenges of resilience to recovery in the outpatient rehabilitation process are caused by social stress and the lack of meaning in life. Therefore, the research objective was to explore the challenges of resilience in recovery from drug addiction from the perspective of addiction counselors. A descriptive phenomenological design was used, supported by in-depth interviews with two professional addiction counselors. Interviews were conducted in three comprehensive data collection sessions, which were then analyzed using qualitative descriptive techniques for data reduction, presentation, and conclusion. The research findings indicate that outpatient rehabilitation plays a crucial role in shaping the resilience of addicted clients, along with the role of addiction counselors. The growth of resilience is not only seen in the cessation of drug-use behavior but also in emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social changes. There are seven ways to foster resilience in addicted clients, including more stable emotional management, religious coping, relapse prevention, future orientation, adaptive coping strategies, positive social relationships, and a positive self-concept. Family support, spirituality, the rehabilitation environment, and addiction counseling are important factors in strengthening resilience and sustaining recovery. The novelty of this research lies in the discovery of seven strategies for fostering resilience in drug-addicted clients: emotional management, relapse prevention, future orientation, adaptive coping strategies, positive social relationships, positive self-concept, and healthy lifestyle changes. These findings underscore the importance of integrating a spirituality-based counseling approach in drug addiction rehabilitation.