Addiction recovery stories: Paul Makin in conversation with Lisa Ogilvie

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components in the recovery process are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition from addiction to recovery. Design/methodology/approach The connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment (CHIME) framework comprises five elements important to recovery. CHIME provides a standard to qualitatively study recovery. As a model, it has been extended to include growth-CHIME (G-CHIME), an element that is important for sustained addiction recovery. In this paper, a first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account that is based on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each element in the model is apparent from the biography and e-interview presented. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, each account of recovery in this series is unique and, as yet, untold.