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| Recovery - A New Understanding of an Old Concept |
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As the Summer 2005 edition of AT Forum observed, addiction "recovery" is an old concept like "love"; people use the term easily, yet precise descriptions as an aid to understanding are elusive.
A better understanding of addiction recovery as a process is vital for measuring successful outcomes and guiding future investments in treatments. The challenge is that there appear to be many paths to recovery and little is known of the most effective pathways from scientific perspectives.
"Global Health" Goals
Although there are elaborate schemes to measure the prevalence of alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction and its consequences, there is no similar mechanism for assessing the frequency of recovery from such problems. Estimates of recovery rates have ranged from 30% to 70%, depending on situations, substances involved, and definitions of the process.[1]
In an important article seeking to debunk myths about addiction and its treatment, OBrien and McLellan observed that addictions are chronic disorders. Yet a misguided perspective is to view them as acute conditions, like a broken leg or infection, that can be fixed by brief episodes of treatment.[2]
In a recent essay on the subject, White and Kurtz [1] emphasized the need for a shift from merely focusing on AOD problems, and their treatment, to considering them within the context of a broader model of recovery. They define this as a process through which severe AOD problems are resolved in tandem with the development of physical, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and lifestyle health. These ultimate goals of recovery have been collectively termed "global health."
Somewhat similarly, McClellan and others [2,3] suggest that successful addiction treatment and recovery involves improvements in 3 areas: 1. reductions of AOD use; 2. increases in personal health and social functioning; 3. a decrease in threats to public health and safety. These are domains that can be measured by structured interviews, e.g., the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), or validated questionnaires.
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Go to Recovery - A New Understanding of an Old Concept
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