Table 3.

Narrative themes in discussions of Recovery Capital from qualitative interviews.

Theme	Speaker	Narrative	Recovery capital accessed
Treatment or self-help groups	48-year-old man with history of smoking crack cocaine; quit using for several years	I had a peace of mind [in drug treatment]. I was isolated with people doing the same thing I'm doing. Wasn't nobody passing no drugs, wasn't no alcohol, and they would let us go to church on Sundays and we had Sunday classes and even if you didn't want to go to church, whatever your higher power was you did that.	Social (non-drug using social networks) Cultural (substance use education; religious classes)
Abstinence-supporting networks	30-year-old man reduced cocaine use	They said if you want to wean yourself, you gotta take steps. First step, quit spending your money on it. Quit hanging around it. Second step, find you a job. Third step, don't do it no more. Fourth step, you off of it.	Social (role models; non-drug using social network) Economic (employment)
	A 26-year-old man reduced cocaine use	When I'm not using, they [his family] can see a change in me. A dramatic change as they say. That would make me feel good. That will drive me to try to do better, because it could have been worser. I could have [been] dead. I could have been in prison for the rest of my life.	Social (non-drug using family network)
	32-year-old woman reduced and quit use during pregnancy	I just started day by day, real good support systems as far as the kids' fathers were concerned. Just trying to make sure I stayed [clean] . . . 'cause I have other illnesses [depression] as well...so just trying to make sure that I didn't get high and then have those illnesses on top of that and make the baby sick on top of that. They [kids' fathers] were really there and good support systems.	Social (supportive partners and family; obligation to be a conventional mother)
Pro-social activities	42-year-old urban woman significantly reduced use within past five years	I started going to CA [cocaine anonymous] meetings, trying to be around people that didn't use. Because I knew if I went around people that used, I was gonna use. . . I knew if I went around people that used, I was gonna use. . . Then I learned to just start doing things that normally [I] wouldn't do when I was using, like go to the movies, go out to eat, stuff like that, or even go to church.	Cultural (CA knowledge; conventional and “normal” activities) Social (non-drug using social network)
	52-year-old man with history of smoking crack cocaine; quit for over six years	I moved to Dallas . . . I quit smoking. I had to change my life.	Social (non-drug using context)
	46-year-old urban man reduced use	I say going to church with my friend that's a pastor now, and going to eat, doing the things that you supposed to do.	Cultural (religious knowledge; conventional activities) Social (non-drug using friendship)
Religion and spirituality	20-year-old woman; quit use during and after pregnancy	I put it in my head. And I prayed. Got on my knees to God. I don't need it. . . I got a baby. I have somebody else to look after; another person to care for, a whole 'nother life.	Social (divine support)
	51-year-old man with 25-year history of smoking crack cocaine; reduced use from daily to occasional use	Church, thinking about how God has spared me and give me a lot of chances and basically that's it.	Cultural (religious knowledge) Social (divine support)
	41-year-old woman with 16-year history of crack cocaine use; quit using for four months	I asked the Lord to please do this for me, to take this taste [for drugs] away from me.	Social (divine support)