My Path towards Addiction and Recovery Research
My journey into the field of global mental health and addiction and recovery research has been anything but straightforward—it has been a winding path filled with personal experiences and academic revelations.
I come from Lithuania, a post-socialist country, born into a family of lawyers, amidst a society reclaiming its identity and redefining freedom. The notion of ‘freedom’ evolved significantly during my upbringing – it transitioned from a concept mirrored after the ‘developed’ world, to one that broke free from the physical boundaries of the past, only to find itself pigeonholed under the label of ‘Eastern European’. This label brought wider media narratives that highlighted issues like alcoholism, drug trafficking, prostitution, and suicide.
Growing up became an active process of breaking free from these stereotypes, particularly as part of a young adult generation redefining themselves as Europeans. I vividly remember the night I stumbled upon the term ‘cultural anthropology’ in my search for meaningful conversations. It was a concept previously unfamiliar to me but suddenly resonated as the perfect framework to explore and understand the complexities of the human condition. Less than a year later, I enrolled in the University of Kent’s Social Anthropology programme.
The University of Kent provided an ideal environment for an anthropologist, with its diverse community of students from around the globe. The more time I spent there, the more my interests crystallised, leading me to pursue medical anthropology for my master’s degree. I was drawn to the field’s ability to merge cultural perspectives with the fluidity of the human body and the intricate dance of embodiment and expression.
Beyond academia, my passion for storytelling found its visual counterpart in analogue photography. I saw photography as a medium to capture not just images, but the essence of human experiences—sensations, emotions, and personal relationships. This visual narrative approach resonated deeply with my studies in medical anthropology.
During my master’s degree, the module on global mental health profoundly impacted me, particularly when we studied Angela Garcia’s Pastoral Clinic. Garcia’s exploration of addiction in New Mexico resonated deeply, inspiring my own research journey. I chose to conduct my research in Beirut, investigating how historical conditions shape sleep patterns and cultural practices, echoing Garcia’s insights into the interplay of place, history, and personal experience.
After completing my master’s, I moved to Bristol, a city that challenged my perceptions and deepened my understanding of societal complexities. Bristol is vibrant and eclectic—loud yet laid-back, posh yet multicultural, green yet polluted. It’s a city where every corner tells a story, prompting me to explore how urban environments shape societal behaviours, particularly regarding substance use.
My current role in addiction and recovery has further fuelled my curiosity. I’m intrigued by the socio-cultural dimensions of substance use, questioning its origins, impacts, and the narratives of resilience that emerge through recovery. These reflections drive my commitment to integrate medical anthropology, cultural psychiatry, and urban studies in my research.
The main interests that I have for my future research focus on understanding how socio-historical contexts shape health narratives, particularly in marginalised communities and urban settings. I am dedicated to exploring the intersections of addiction, recovery, and societal perceptions through ethnographic inquiry and interdisciplinary approaches.