Pathways to long-term recovery: a preliminary investigation

Recovery from addiction is a lifelong process. While there is a large body of empirical data on the short-term effectiveness (one to two years) of various treatment modalities, very little is known about the processes of recovery over time. This is particularly unfortunate as treatment gains are often short-lived and even multiple treatment episodes do not always succeed in breaking the addiction cycle. Further, treatment represents only one of the paths to recovery. This article reports on a study of individuals in long-term recovery from substance abuse (median = 12 years) and examines the factors they cite as important in establishing and maintaining their recovery status. Key factors reported were social and community support, affiliation with 12-Step organizations and negative consequences of substance use. Implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.