A photo book as the outcome of an international study on recovery of people with substance dependence: it seems a bit weird. In the book, eight women show us their recovery process and reflect on their position as women in it. This 'photovoice project' was guided by the EQUALITY//ResearchCollective of HOGENT.
How do you reintegrate into society after an intense period of drug use? How does it affect your relationships with friends and family? Why do so many succeed, while others are stuck in their situation? And why do women experience more psychological problems during recovery than men? Such questions are the central theme of REC-PATH, the international study in which the HOGENT research centre EQUALITY//ResearchCollective participated, along with five other educational institutions from Belgium, the Netherlands, England and Scotland.
The book Recovery Pathways gives an intimate insight into the personal recovery paths of eight women. The close cooperation between the researchers and the women was based on the question of what was important for them to achieve change. From that starting point, the participants went out as photographers into their own environment. The photos and stories were the basis for group discussions. The result of that process can now be experienced in the book.
At the same time, Recovery Pathways is about more than individual stories of recovery. The book also draws attention to the interactive dynamics of the individual, social and relational aspects that shape recovery, an aspect that has long been ignored in research on treatment and recovery.
