Sustaining Recovery: What Does it Take to Remain in Long-term Recovery?

Abstract

Background: Understanding the complexities of establishing and sustaining recovery from substance addiction and the dynamic individual processes that occur will assist addiction treatment professionals in fostering sustained recovery behavior in clients. With the estimated 22 million individuals in recovery from addiction in the United States, this exploration is timely and extends our understanding of recovery. Objectives: The objective of the study was to answer the research question: “What do individuals in recovery identify as their primary needs throughout the process of recovery from substance use?” Results: 403 adults in early, middle and late stages of recovery from drugs or alcohol and were asked to write in-depth responses to questions about factors leading to their recovery. Content analysis revealed several major themes: a) relationships, b) recovery community, c) thriving, d) goal-focused, e) people, places, and things, f) recovery tools, g) professional support, h) rock bottom, and i) abstinence. Chi-square analyses indicated that the recovery stage is significantly associated with what participants reported they believe they need to sustain recovery. Radial charts depict recovery community is a more reported needed factor for participants in long-term recovery than in early recovery. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight differences in the experiences of those in early recovery and those in late recovery. This demonstrates the dynamic nature of the recovery process and informs addiction treatment professionals of the multidimensional nature of recovery.