What Is the Addiction World Like? Understanding the Lived Experience of the Individuals' Illicit Drug Addiction in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
This study focuses on the participants' lived experience of addiction.


METHODS
The study presents a qualitative method. The use of the fieldwork-based participant observation and in-depth interviews guided the data collection and analysis.


RESULTS
Three major themes of addiction emerge from the analysis: incorrigible conduct, inexcusable compromise, and inevitable corruption.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides a better understanding of what the world is like for people struggling with addiction and also enhances the healthcare professionals' knowledge of the individual's experience of addiction. This knowledge is essential for clinicians to understand this experience as a framework for planning and implementing appropriate treatment.
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Mei-Hui
MH
Hsieh
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Shu-Ling
SL
Tsai
Department of Life-and-Death Studies, Nanhua University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
Chang-Hsiung
CH
Tsai
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, Yuan Pei University, HsinChu, Taiwan.
Yu-Chien
YC
Hsu
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Min-Tao
MT
Hsu
D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013624:Taiwan
Addiction; illicit drug; lived experience; qualitative study; substance