Self-Resolution of Alcohol Problems in Young Adulthood: A Process of Securing Solid Ground

Abstract

Quantitative research findings suggest that young adults resolve alcohol problems without participating in support groups or formal treatment programs. However, researchers have failed to fully explain the self-resolution process among this age group. Thus, the authors used grounded theory to better explicate why and how young adults self-resolve alcohol problems. The findings suggest that self-resolving alcohol problems in young adulthood involves a temporal process of seeking and securing solid ground. This process is precipitated by situations in which individuals experience precarious footing and eventually begin to lose their balance. These culminating events lead young adults to pursue personal visions and find safe footing on solid ground, despite some rugged terrain along the way.