Hoping and Coping in Recovery: A phenomenology of emerging adults in a collegiate recovery program

Addiction is a chronic brain disease affecting millions of people. A particularly vulnerable group is emerging adults (age 18–25 years). As more emerging adults are seeking help and entering a recovery process, relevant studies on their experiences in recovery increases. Although the definition of abstinence-based recovery is debated, the factors of hope and coping are important related to this dialogue. This phenomenology explores the experience of emerging adults in recovery who are members of a collegiate recovery program. Through interviews, eight participants described their recovery experience with a focus on hope and coping. Categories and themes related to participants’ experience of recovery in relation to hope and coping are reported. Implications for the field and our understanding of emerging adults in recovery are presented, as well as future research ideas exploring this population.