Rai, Emma2023-09-2020232023-09-20http://hdl.handle.net/1828/15430Abstract In this thesis, I intentionally embody and politicize the acts of liberating and loving youth who use drugs. Liberatory love provided a conceptual starting place, from there I emersed myself in the critical addiction, violence and response-based practice, and youth substance use literature to build and create a strong yet flexible foundation from which to begin. This research engaged six youths who have use(d) drugs in intimate inquiry with the intention of gathering storied life experiences and surfacing the political from within the interpersonal. Proximal to questions of how love shows up in youth’s drug use journey, and what might change if love guided our responses to youth who use drugs, emerged the collective experiences of the mind, body, and heart as youth made visible their interactions with liberation and love. Through this research youth who use(d) drugs interactions with liberation and love kept me grounded and urged me to continuously return to the values and teachings that brought me to this work, reminding me to move slowly and intentionally, resisting the false pretense of collective safety promised in racial-capitalist societies.enAvailable to the World Wide Webliberationlovecritical addiction studiesyouthdrug useThesis