There are many ways to define "recovery" from alcohol and other drug use. Among the many definitions of recovery that researchers have proposed,1,2 common themes include: (1) recovery is a process, (2) related to stopping or reducing use of an addictive substance, (3) while making other changes to improve overall health and wellbeing. This table lists some common definitions that have been used:
| Year | Source | Recovery Is: |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Center for Substance Abuse Treatment | "a process of change through which an individual achieves abstinence and improved health, wellness and quality of life." |
| 2005 | American Society of Addiction Medicine | “when [a person] has reached a state of physical and psychological health such that his/her abstinence from dependency-producing drugs is complete and comfortable.” |
| 2006 | Betty Ford Institute | “a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship” |
| 2007 | William L. White | “the experience (a process and a sustained status) through which individuals, families, and communities impacted by severe alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems utilize internal and external resources to voluntarily resolve these problems, heal the wounds inflicted by AOD-related problems, actively manage their continued vulnerability to such problems, and develop a healthy, productive, and meaningful life.” |
| 2008 | UK Drug Policy Commission | “characterised by voluntarily sustained control over substance use which maximises health and wellbeing and participation in the rights, roles and responsibilities of society.” |
| 2008 | Scottish Government | “a process through which an individual is enabled to move on from their problem drug use, towards a drug-free life as an active and contributing member of society. |
| 2011 | SAMHSA | “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential” |
| 2013 | American Society of Addiction Medicine | “a process of sustained action that addresses the biological, psychological, social and spiritual disturbances inherent in addiction.” |
| 2014 | Kelly and Hoeppner | “a dynamic process characterized by increasingly stable remission resulting in a supported by increased recovery capital and enhanced quality of life.” |
| 2014 | Kaskutas et al. | "four primary things: Abstinence; essential recovery (e.g., handling negative feelings without using drugs or alcohol); enriched recovery (e.g., taking responsibility for the things I can change); and spirituality in recovery" |
| 2016 | Neale et al. | "substance use, material resources, outlook on life, self-care, and relationships" |
| 2016 | Best et al. | “a social process, underpinned by transitions in social network composition, that includes the addition of new recovery-oriented groups, where such groups are perceived as attractive, beneficial, and relevant, and involves the concurrent emergence of a new recovery-based social identity.” |
| 2016 | SAMHSA | “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellbeing, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Four domains include: Health, Home, Purpose, and Community.” |
| 2017 | Recovery Research Institute Addiction-ary | "the process of improved physical, psychological, and social well-being and health after having suffered from a substance-related condition.” |
| 2019 | Ashford et al. | "an individualized, intentional, dynamic, and relational process involving sustained efforts to improve wellness.” |
| 2020 | Witkiewitz et al. | “a process of behavior change characterized by improvements in biopsychosocial functioning and purpose in life.” |
These word clouds are made from the recovery definitions in the table. Words that appeared more often are shown larger. Feel free to use these on websites, blogs, presentations, or elsewhere. Click an image to open it in a separate tab.
References
1. Ashford RD, Brown A, Brown T, et al. (2019). Defining and operationalizing the phenomena of recovery: a working definition from the recovery science research collaborative. Addiction Research & Theory, 27(3), 179–188.
2. Witkiewitz K, Montes KS, Schwebel FJ, Tucker JA. (2020). What Is recovery? Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40(3).