Stories of Addiction Recovery: The G-CHIME Model (Emerald Points)

Stories of Addiction Recovery explores first-hand structured accounts of addiction recovery through the G-CHIME model. G-CHIME is an adaptation to the CHIME model of mental health recovery, specifically targeted at addiction recovery. Identifying important components of recovery (Growth, Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning in life, and Empowerment), G-CHIME considers aspects of positive psychology such as empowerment and hope as well as recognizing elements of addiction recovery such as connection and meaning in life.

Publishing recovery stories in this way Stories of Addiction Recovery contributes positive literature to an area that is conventionally viewed with a negative bias, building away from the long-standing stigmatization associated with addiction and substance misuse. The first-hand accounts of shared experiences, lessons learnt, and the growth achieved can highlight to others what is possible in their own recovery.

Lisa Ogilvie is a doctoral student at the University of Bolton where she is developing a program of work called Positive Addiction Recovery Therapy. She graduated with distinction in her MSc in Counselling and Positive Psychology and now specializes in the application of positive psychology in the field of addiction recovery. Lisa is interested in showcasing the inspirational accounts of people in addiction recovery to learn from their experience and instil hope in those that are new to recovery. In addition to working on her PhD, Lisa is a qualified counsellor who volunteers for an addiction treatment service.

Jerome Carson is Professor of Psychology at the University of Bolton. Jerome is interested in the field of alcohol addiction and recovery from a lived experience perspective, with much of his research being in the field of mental health recovery. Jerome also researches the area of positive psychology and autoethnography, is a qualified clinical psychologist and Editor in Chief of the Emerald Journal Mental Health and Social Inclusion.