KEYPOINTS resuvbehavior.
By linking how they think
CHAPTER 1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
 Illicit drugs are those which are usually
classified by the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) as a controlled
substance, indicating that they have
little or no medical value, and a high
potential for abuse, dependence, or
addiction (Farache, 2018)
 Meanwhile, drug abuse refers to the
use of certain chemicals for the purpose
of creating pleasurable effects on the
brain (Mandal,2023).
 Illicit substance abuse (general)
 Illicit drug abuse (specific type of
substance).
TREATMENT
 The Community-based treatment and
care (CBTC) services for people who use
drugs is considered by the World Health
Organization (WHO) and United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as
the opportunity that provides the least
restrictive and most appropriate types
of service.
 Center-based residential rehabilitation,
a live-in health care facility providing
therapy for substance use abusers.
Community-based treatment program,
outpatient facility. The CBTC is based on
evidence showing that approximately
90% of people who use drugs do not
develop problematic or dependent drug
use, of those who do, most can be
supported by informal services (self-
care and community care) without
entering a residential treatment setting.
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
helps the patient to connect their
thoughts with their emotions and their
to their feelings and actions, it helps
them to pinpoint and understand their
unhealthy thinking patterns and
behavior, evaluate them, and change
them for the better
 Albert Ellis’s (1950s) ABC Model is now
a common treatment in CBT
interventions. Antecedents, Behaviors
(or in some cases, Beliefs)
Consequences (ABC) model, it helps us
understand the connection between
behavior and consequence in a specific
event. ABC model was used in our
study in a sense that
RESEARCH PROBLEM
 Illicit drug abuse affects the world in
many aspect.
 Despite the number of abusers, in 2022,
around 1.23 million drug personalities
surrendered to the PNP, relapse rates
while in recovery are 40% to 60% and
only 48% are recovered and now living a
normal life far from the perils brought
by illicit drugs.
 total number of beds in all government
and private drug rehabilitation centers
in the country is only 3, 216. Worse,
seven, or almost half, of the country’s
regions do not have a government
rehabilitation center.
RESEARCH GAP
 Since it has being widely distinguished
that men are more likely than women
to use almost all types of illicit drugs,
minimal research attention has been
directed towards illicit drug abuse in
women, this study examine the etiology
of a woman upon using illicit drugs
using the narrative analysis approach,
 this could provide a better
understanding towards woman thus,
gradually eradicating gender gap,
characterized by greater prevalence in
men in terms of illicit drug abuse.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 The overall purpose of the study is to
know and understand the life stories of
a woman who has recovered from illicit
drug abuse and their insights as well as
to discover the overall meaning they
put to their experiences.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• What are the experiences of the
participant upon starting illicit drug
abuse?
• What are the experiences of the
participant upon surrendering drug
abuse?
• What are experiences of the participant
after recovery?
• How did the participant put meaning to
her overall experience?
CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH DESIGN
 This study made use of qualitative
research design utilizing narrative
research approach to acquire a
comprehensive understanding of the
respondent's drug-using experience and
how she recovered from it.
 Meaning Making in Narrative.
Narrative analysis serves as a valuable
tool for understanding the essential
process of meaning-making in human
development. By examining texts that
contain stories about individuals' lives,
narrative analysis focuses on the
concept of meaning.
 Episodic Narratives. The episodic
narrative interview is a research
method that combines various
theoretical foundations and interview
techniques to generate individual
stories of experience related to a
specific phenomenon.
 Holistic-content approach. the holistic-
content approach is a unique method of
narrative analysis; instead of looking at
the content in it of itself, as in
categorical content analysis, it is seen
through the lens of the story as a
whole.
 The holistic approach emphasizes
examining the narrative as a whole,
focusing on the overall meaning,
themes, and structure of the narrative.
On the other hand, the categorical
approach involves breaking down the
narrative into separate elements or
categories, such as specific events,
emotions, or characters, and analyzing
them individually.
 The content aspect involves exploring
the substance or subject matter of the
narrative, including the events,
experiences, and emotions expressed.
In contrast, the form aspect emphasizes
the structure, style, and language used
in the narrative, such as the storytelling
techniques, narrative devices, and
linguistic patterns employed.
 Focal themes utilized in this study,
these are the ideas or specific instances
that the storyteller repeatedly shares in
his story.
PARTICIPANT
 Chosen through purposive sampling
technique. Muhammad Hassan explains
that purposive sampling is a non-
probability sampling technique used in
 research to select individuals or groups
of individuals that meet specific criteria
relevant to the research question or
objective.
 INCLUSION:
1) a woman drug abuser
2) a noted abuser of illicit drugs
3) surrendered and have joined in any
community-based treatment and care
program voluntarily
4) recovered for at least five years, a
person is considered in long-term
recovery or remission when they have
stopped or moderated their substance
use and improved their quality of life for
at least five years
 EXCLUSION:
1) not a woman drug abuser
2) non noted abuser of illicit drugs
3) involuntary surrendered and did not
join in any community-based treatment
and care program
4) not recovered for at least five years.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
 semi- structured interview, specifically
episodic narrative interview.
 episodic narrative interview is a
research method that combines various
theoretical foundations and interview
techniques to generate individual
stories of experience related to a
specific phenomenon. This approach
recognizes the value of personal
narratives in understanding complex
human experiences.
 For this study, the researchers did not
ask the participant about her whole life
story, but instead, asked about specific
topics (episodic narratives)
 face-to-face interview
 voice recorder
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE
 First, the researchers presented
permission to conduct an interview.
 Second, the researchers sent an initial
invitation to conduct an interview.
 Third, the researcher sent the letter to
conduct an interview to the participant.
 Fourth, during the interview briefing
about the research was done first at the
same time establishing rapport towards
the participant
 Fifth, face-to-face interview through in-
depth interview was done to address
the research questions
 Sixth, debriefing after the interview.
 Seventh, presenting incentives
DATA ANALYSIS
 steps proposed by Lieblich et al. (1998)
in their book for analyzing narratives
vis-à-vis the holistic-content perspective
1. Drawing out the Story’s Main Focus-
the researchers kept reading and
rereading the narratives until a pattern
emerged. Lieblich et al. (1998)
admittedly said in their book that this
stage has no clear directions. It is their
belief that the narratives’ respective
meanings will “speak” to you.
2. Generating Global Impressions- during
this time, the researchers took note of
their initial impressions of the story and
wrote down a global impression, their
personal thoughts and opinions about
the participants’ respective narratives.
3. Drawing out the Narrative Focal
Themes- the researchers went back to
the narratives and found the focal
themes. Because the researchers were
interested in finding the meaning
behind starting and ending recovery
from using illicit drug.
4. Identifying Major themes in the Story-
in identifying each story’s major
themes, the researchers looked for the
topic or topics that the participant
repeatedly referred to or allotted the
most time talking about throughout the
entirety of her narratives.
 5. Developing a Coherent Story- the
researchers summarized the
participant's story using their unique CHAPTER 3
focus points and significant themes.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION RQ1: What are the experiences of the

participant upon starting illicit drug abuse?
 Respect for people. The researcher
made sure that the participant FOCAL THEMES:
understands fully well the study before
1. Peer influence
deciding to participate
2. curiosity
 Consent. The researcher made sure to
3. Changes in cognitive, physical, and
provide a letter of consent to the
social development
participant containing an explanation of
their responsibility as a participant, the MEANINGS:
researcher also made sure that the
participant is not forced to be a part of A. Peer influence/curiosity
the study. B. Indulging oneself to illicit drug abuse
 Beneficence. The researcher made sure C. Addicted
to be sensitive for the well-being of the RQ2: What are the experiences of the
participant and acknowledge cultural participant upon surrendering?
distinction. 
 Confidentiality. The researcher made FOCAL THEMES:
sure that the identity of the participant
1. A mother’s love for her child
is kept hidden and private through the
2. Strong will of character
use of aliasses, the researcher also
3. Family support plays a vital role
assured the participant that the data
4. A newfound lifeline
gathered from her will be confidential.
 Justice. The researcher is aware of the MEANINGS:
huge contribution of the participant,
and as a way of acknowledgement, the A. The call for motherhood
researcher provided an incentive that B. Engaging self on program intervention
was given after the data gathering. C. Recovered
 Debriefing is the act of informing RQ3: What are the experiences of the
participants about the intentions of the participant after surrendering and being
study in which they just participated; recovered?
during this process, researchers reveal
any deceptions that occurred and 1. Personal moral
explain why deception was necessary 2. Engaging livelihood skills training
(Allen, 2017). The researcher made 3. Regaining life
clear to the participant the intention of 4. Regret
this study. MEANINGS:
A. Program intervention
B. Abstinence
C. No relapse
GENERAL QUESTIONS: