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Understandings of as well as negotiations about change are constantly present in social work practice and in many instances these are decisive for how social work is formed. Employing discourse theories, this article analyses interpretative repertoires used by social workers in describing how they experience change and absence of change among clients having substance abuse problems, and how they position themselves accordingly. Examination of data drawn from interviews with counsellors working for the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration reveal three distinct subject positions in their discursive constructions of change and absence of change. These include (a) 'the position of despair', (b) 'the position of limited professional responsibility' and (c) 'the position of resistance' – each with its own distinctive set of interpretative repertoires. The article relates these to the complexities and varieties of constructions and understandings of change involved in working with substance abusing clients, where the counsellors' experiences of success and of responsibility have central roles. In addition, the article shows that the institutional context is often significant for how change is constructed and understood by the counsellors.

Background Building friendship is crucial for attaining and upholding recovery from problematic substance use. However, how people who have used substances problematically develop friendships needs to be investigated more from a first-person perspective. Aim To provide insight into how people in long-term recovery find meaning in their experience of building friendships. Method In semi-structured interviews, 17 people in recovery drew network maps and reflected on how friendships had developed during the long-term process. We analysed the narratives by way of a thematic narrative approach. Results Participants presented the friendship-formation process through four distinct storylines: (1) 'I don't make friends easily'; (2) overcoming barriers to building friendships; (3) 'birds of a feather flock together'; and (4) 'having "regular" friends makes me feel like an "average" person'. Conclusion People in long-term recovery from problematic substance use felt haunted and hindered by past experiences when building friendships. These experiences created a social divide between those who had experienced problematic substance use and those who had not. The valuable insights that social workers can gain from this study can support friendship development for people in long-term recovery on multiple levels. By understanding someone's self-perceptions and their perspectives on others, social workers can engage with barriers when people in recovery enter social environments such as work. We emphasise the significance of a long-term approach to overcoming barriers to building new friendships.

Abstract
Rebuilding one's social network is essential to long-term social recovery from a substance-use problem. Despite this awareness, studies are needed for showing how people in long-term social recovery describe their networks and what they perceive as important in developing these networks. This study has sought to investigate (i) how people in long-term social recovery from substance-use problems describe their social networks and (ii) what they experience as key factors in developing their networks. We interviewed seventeen participants in long-term social recovery and mapped out their person-centred networks. Most of the participants were satisfied with their social networks, although some felt their networks were small and wanted more friends in the future. The qualitative thematic content analysis suggested that rebuilding networks was experienced as a demanding, anxiety-filled, long-term process. Access to social arenas, prolonged time spent with others and identification with and recognition from others were key to developing social networks. We argue that there is a need for tailored assistance and long-term support for people in long-term recovery to help them cope with the stresses of entering new social arenas, overcome societal stigma and develop social networks.

In this much-needed text, leading international experts explore crucial aspects of people's experience of long-term recovery from substance use. Centred around the voices of people who use substances, the book examines the complex and continuing needs of people who have sought to change their use of substances, investigating the ways in which personal characteristics and social and systemic factors intersect to influence the lives of people in long-term recovery. With perspectives from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Iceland and the United Kingdom, it also considers the role and needs of family members, and puts forward clear recommendations for improving future research, policy and practice