Recovery from drugs continues to be an ongoing concern. While recent studies shift their focus towards the individual in recovery and call for an implementation that includes the reduction of health and social risks caused by drug use, misuse of heroin remains a substantial global burden. Wanting to give voice to personal narratives and turning the attention towards the personal process of recovery, this research explores the question: what is the drug users’ experience of being in recovery? By turning the attention towards the individual rather than on the substance and the implications of misuse on society, this study aims to contribute to existing research that focuses on subjective experience and supports the notion that treatment could go beyond harm reduction and incorporate a more holistic approach to recovery tailored around individuals’ needs. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) has been employed to explore the personal process of recovery and examine needs and challenges faced within recovery. The resulting major themes address (1) feelings behind the motivation to use drugs; (2) how experienced stigma contributes to obstacles faced in the recovery process; (3) the experience of the long and gradual process of recovery versus the instant gratification of drugs; and (4) how human kindness and a sense of belonging have been experienced as fundamental to healing and growth within recovery. In light of the findings, broadening treatment options to provide an extended therapeutic component as part of recovery to address causality may offer individuals a better chance of reintegration to society and sustaining recovery.