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"Where There is No Love, Put Love": Homeless Addiction Recovery Perspectives and Ways to Enhance Healing

This study explores how middle-aged homeless persons in Atlanta, GA, who have harmful, self-identified addictive behaviors come to make positive material and psychological changes, while constrained by urban poverty and structural violence. This study is divided into two parts. In part one, I examine the interaction between individual, social, and material factors that promote recovery from addiction in a poor, urban context. I argue that recovery occurs through a process, initiated by a decision and realized through practice. Recovery is enhanced by a stable community and consistent material access. In part two, I examine how pain associated with homelessness can create a strong drive to intensify substance usage as a means to seek relief. I then describe how alienation, pain and corresponding addictive behaviors among homeless persons can be lessened through intentioned, empowering acts, which I call “symbolic love”. Finally, I offer policy recommendations based on my findings.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:GEORGIA/oai:digitalarchive.gsu.edu:anthro_theses-1063
Date06 May 2012
CreatorsFlanagan, Mark W
PublisherDigital Archive @ GSU
Source SetsGeorgia State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceAnthropology Theses

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