Discovering the real self - examining the change in quality of life of people in recovery through art-based research

In 2020, Celebrate Recovery, an organization based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, implemented their first Photovoice project with the support of researchers from the EQUALITY//ResearchCollective at HOGENT (Belgium), who were finishing the Photovoice component of the “Recovery Pathways” project. This study showed how the implementation of Photovoice became an integral part of the participants’ recovery process. Celebrate Recovery’s project was the first of its kind in the region, where limited local resources and significant addiction stigma prevail. Building on this success, the project expanded to the UK, aiming to leverage innovative strategies to empower individuals in recovery to create their own local evidence base through Photovoice. This chapter presents the findings of these transformative Photovoice projects, providing evidence on recovery pathways, experiences, and pioneering approaches in an unexplored context. The research highlights both the shared elements and unique aspects of recovery across the participating sites, offering valuable insights into the diverse nature of the recovery journey.