Föralltid sjuk men samtidigt tillfrisknande : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om Minnesotamodellens betydelsefulla moment ur ett brukarperspektiv

The purpose of this study was to examine the Minnesota model and the meaningful moments experienced by people who have gone through the Minnesota treatment. Our aim was also to analyze this treatment from an interactionist perspective using the turning points theory, the labeling theory, Ervin Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective and, the interactionist perspective view on the emotion shame. We have conducted seven qualitative semi-structured interviews with people that have personal experience with the Minnesota treatment, and these interviews have been recorded and transcribed. We decided to divide our results into five different themes, breaking the denial, the disease, the meaning of the group, the spirituality and, the recovery. Breaking the denial was the first step in starting the whole treatment process. All of our interviewed respondents described an assignment that asked them to write down the consequences of their addiction. Seeing their consequences on paper allowed the respondents to break their denial. In combination with that assignment, they also received another assignment asking them to write down their life's story and share it with the treatment group. The assignment was structured to show the respondents that they were not facing this problem alone and that there was hope for recovery. This combined assignment resulted in the respondents realizing their addiction problem and giving them an understanding of how their addiction had increased over the years. They also started understanding that substance abuse was a disease that they needed help dealing with. Our fourth theme was spirituality and it had been described as very important by all respondents. The spirituality was described as a belief of something bigger than ourselves that helps one through difficult times. Lastly, the difference between staying sober and being in recovery was highlighted and that the mindset of a recovering addict was needed to maintain sobriety