What does recovery mean to you? Lessons from the recovery experience for research and practice

Recovery is a ubiquitous concept but remains poorly understood and ill defined, hindering the development of assessment tools necessary to evaluate treatment effectiveness. This study examines recovery definitions and experiences among persons who self-identify as “in recovery.” Two questions are addressed: (a) Does recovery require total abstinence from all drugs and alcohol? (b) Is recovery defined solely in terms of substance use or does it extend to other areas of functioning as well? Inner-city residents with resolved dependence to crack or heroin were interviewed yearly three times (N = 289). Most defined recovery as total abstinence. However, recovery goes well beyond abstinence; it is experienced as a bountiful “new life,” an ongoing process of growth, self-change, and reclaiming the self. Implications for clinical and assessment practice are discussed, including the need to effect paradigmatic shifts from pathology to wellness and from acute to continuing models.