The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of teacher attrition among the emotional and behavior disorder (EBD) student population within a self-contained environment through the lived experiences of former EBD teachers. Attrition among special education teachers has been a perennial issue. Special education teacher attrition has forced some school systems to hire nonqualified applicants to work with some of the most challenging students. The research questions involved understanding the experiences of EBD teachers who left their positions. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action, Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, and Billingsley's schematic conceptual model of attrition. Data collected through interviews of 4 former self-contained EBD teachers helped formulate themes which reflected their lived experiences of factors that contribute to attrition among this population. Statements aligned to the research questions were first coded from the interview data. The coding stage was then followed by a thematic analysis to extract a shared sense of meaning related to the self-contained EBD teaching experience. Key findings are participants believed EBD students are challenging and the work environment is stressful; however, working with EBD students can be rewarding. Recommendations are to consider a higher salary for teachers working in a self-contained EBD classroom and trainings for the teachers prior to entering the EBD classroom. This study may lead to social change by providing recommendations for how schools might recruit committed teachers who are interested in working with EBD students, preparing teachers to work with EBD students, and improve their work environment that can begin to address the issue of EBD teacher attrition. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]