Also, the vast majority (93%) of participants considered themselves to be in recovery. 988 is a dialing and texting code that connects people anywhere in the United States to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). The Lifeline is staffed by trained crisis counselors who respond to calls and texts about substance use–related crises as well as suicide and mental crises. The Lifeline also accepts chats via 988lifeline.org/chat/.243 Counselors should make sure their clients are aware of the 988 Lifeline and the availability of 24/7 services in their community. Recovery from substance use–related problems involves a highly individualized journey toward wellness, satisfying relationships, engagement in community, and a sense of meaning and purpose.
Links to NCBI Databases
Inpatient rehabilitation at a full-time facility provides a supportive environment to help people recover without distractions or temptations. Motivational enhancement therapy uses strategies to make the most of people’s readiness to change their behavior and enter treatment. Problematic substance use, mental disorders, and other medical conditions are often interconnected. Long travel times for some patients without access to adequate telehealth technology or transportation.
- Creating a fluid, responsive, and more effective recovery-oriented “system” will require greater sensitivity and understanding of the strengths and benefits of each, including rigorous cross-site evaluations for professional RSS strategies.
- Too, there may be long gaps in a resume that are hard to explain away.
- The item was coded as positive if respondents endorsed any one of the 3 Abstinence items and/or nonproblematic use as definitely belonging in their recovery definitions, and negative otherwise.
- Guide members through a visualization exercise where they imagine themselves succeeding in recovery, reinforcing a positive outlook and boosting self-belief.
- We would like to acknowledge the guidance provided by the Survivors Union of the Bluegrass, which is funded by the University of Kentucky Substance Use Priority Research Area (SUPRA), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through grant number UL1TR001998, and Voices of Hope.
Detoxification alone without subsequent treatment generally leads to resumption of drug use. Like treatment for other chronic diseases such as heart disease or asthma, addiction treatment is not a cure, but a way of managing the condition. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.
Behavioral health patients have the right to receive treatment in the least restrictive setting necessary, as well as to not be subjected to harsh or unusual treatment. Trans patients should have access to private rooms if they’re concerned about their safety, but they shouldn’t be forced into them or cut off from social settings without reason. They brought in Alcoholics Anonymous members to talk to us about recovery. Which is not inherently a problem of course, but it was the same people every time, at every meeting for the two weeks I was there. They would talk at length about how God could solve my “problem”—not my alcohol or opioid use, but my gender identity. They asked me to pray to God to “restore me to manhood.” They said that’s what would help with my other problems.
Overdose Prevention
This was especially true for cognitive functioning domains, which were tied directly to drug use. For instance, many participants described impulsivity as a vehicle for relapse. The 100 participants were primarily White (88%), male (67%), employed or in school (70%), and 40 years old on average (Table 1). Furthermore, most participants had been on community supervision in the last 90 days (76%) and about half of the sample lived in a rural area (52%). Most participants expressed a need for methamphetamine treatment (68%). Three-quarters of the sample reported lifetime injection drug use (76%) and over half (57%) reported experiencing an overdose.
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
Instead, abstinence was important precisely because it would prevent a return to chaotic drug use or prevent drug-related harm. There has also been a growing acceptance of non-problematic substance use as a marker of recovery among people with lived experience 17. Although many individuals with SUDs still define recovery as total abstinence, there is also increasing recognition of other important non-abstinent indicators of recovery, including an ongoing process of self-improvement 18. Non-abstinent outcomes of interest include reductions in substance use and other biomedical outcomes (e.g., sleep, immune function) as well as psychosocial outcomes (e.g., employment, relationships with family/friends) which are relevant to individuals with MUD.
Substance Abuse Effects on Family: Unseen Impacts
Under all circumstances, recovery takes time because it is a process in which brain cells gradually recover the capacity to respond to natural sources of reward and restore control over the impulse to use. Another widely applied benchmark of recovery is the cessation of negative effects on oneself or any aspect of life. Many definitions of recovery include not only the return to personal health but participation in the roles and responsibilities of society. Recovery from addiction is not only possible, it is the rule, rather than the exception. S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 75 percent of people addicted to alcohol or drugs recover—their condition improves and substance use no longer dominates their https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ life. It is often a long and bumpy path, and relapse is nearly inevitable—but that doesn’t spell the end of recovery.
In addition, self-care is a vital foundation sober house for a healthy new identity. At the very least, self-care should include sleep hygiene, good nutrition, and physical activity. Sleep is essential for shoring up impulse control and fostering good decision-making.
Research Findings on Recovery Goals
- Participants’ explanations of why they chose abstinence from drugs and alcohol largely fell into two categories that also emphasized RC needs.
- Won’t use specialized care, because of concerns about stigma or other personal reasons.
- Lack of referral options and counseling resources because of behavioral health workforce shortages.
- Yes, individuals get to apply all the skills they’ve developed in treatment to real-world situations.
Abstinence remains a central feature of recovery for many with lived experience. The disagreement among participants regarding the importance of abstinence to recovery may reflect the diversity and individuality of the recovery process. However, even among those who endorsed complete abstinence, a majority indicated that recovery was characterized by more than abstinence alone. Similarly, Laudet (2007) found that although most participants defined recovery as total abstinence, they also suggested that recovery is marked by improvements in biomedical and psychosocial outcomes. And although 93% identified as being in recovery in this sample, 68% indicated a need for treatment for their methamphetamine use. This dissonance may reflect further disagreement over the definition of recovery.
What Is Recurrence of Problematic Substance Use?
In 2023, 48.5 million people 12 or older, or 17 percent of the U.S. population, had a SUD within the past year, according to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). So, while not everyone with risk factors for a SUD develops one, SUDs are common. Data collection occurred in-person or telephonically depending on the participant’s choice. Those who completed the survey in-person signed a written informed consent form before data collection began. Individuals participating over the phone provided a waiver of documentation of informed consent.
Writing a letter to a loved one allows members to articulate their commitment to recovery and strengthen their support network. This activity can bring clarity, reinforce personal resolve, and foster understanding with those who matter most. Identifying and celebrating personal strengths can boost self-esteem and resilience. This activity helps members recognize qualities they may have overlooked and encourages them to draw on these strengths as they navigate their recovery journey. Good nutrition is foundational for mental and physical health, especially in recovery.
You may choose a 28- or 30-day, 60-day or 90-day inpatient drug rehab stay or an outpatient rehab program, and you might like to opt for specialized treatment options. Once a SUD has been diagnosed, there are several treatment options to consider, including the setting in which to receive care. For example, some people will do well with treatment from their primary care provider while others may need more intensive treatment in a specialty SUD treatment facility.
