In 2025, Kolmac is expanding its care offerings with a new Mental Health IOP to serve individuals with moderate to severe psychiatric symptoms. This article presents the major issues and evidence considered by the work group, which included literature reviews and extensive new data analyses. The proposed changes overcome many problems, while further studies will be needed to address issues for which less data were available. Recent conceptualizations of the term ‘recovery’ have shifted to emphasize the broader biopsychosocial process of improvement that is related to, but not solely determined by, alcohol consumption. As noted by Ashford and colleagues13, stakeholder institutions, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), have updated and modified their operational definitions of recovery over the past two decades. In 2005, ASAM’s public policy statement on recovery highlighted a state of psychological and physical health in which an individual’s abstinence from substance use was “complete and comfortable”14.
It takes more than willpower, insight, and support.
- The widespread prevalence of alcohol dependence and alcohol-related mental and physical disorders poses a major global health, social and economic challenge.
- Initially, in the pre-contemplation stage, contemplation stage, preparation stage, the action stage follows, involving active steps to stop drinking, such as seeking professional help, attending support groups, or adopting new coping strategies.
- Models were run in MPlus v6.12 (Muthén and Muthén, 1998–2011) with full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation under the assumption of data missing at random (MAR) with robust standard errors.
- Different therapy models, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI), have been proven effective in promoting long-term sobriety.
A validated measure of SUD recovery would be useful to both researchers and practitioners. Though this measure represents a clear advance over existing measures, the current results, offering a systematically developed summary of recovering people’s concept of recovery, could help inform refinements and/or additional measures. Further, all top 10 items were from the Essentials and Enriched domains, excepting the substance use item and “being grateful” (a Spirituality item); none of the Abstinence items were ranked within the top Twelve-step program 10 (results not shown).
How Gratitude Works for Recovery: The Science and Practice of Thankfulness in Addiction Treatment
However, a person with moderate or severe substance use disorder and high recovery capital may require fewer resources to find and maintain recovery. For each subgroup and item, shading signifies centrality thresholds were met; dark blue signifies ⩾90.0% agreement and light blue signifies 80.0% to 89.9% agreement. Centrality thresholds included endorsement by ⩾80% participants and ranking (by endorsement level) within the top 10 of all recovery items.
How can Family and Friends Support Someone in Alcohol Recovery?
Research indicates that individuals who participate in structured treatment for at least one year have a higher likelihood of maintaining sobriety compared alcoholism to those who discontinue therapy prematurely. Additionally, 12-step programs, peer support groups, and lifestyle modifications further improve relapse prevention and sustained sobriety. During alcohol detox, medical supervision is required to prevent severe withdrawal effects such as seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and cardiovascular instability. Detox programs use medications, hydration therapy, and nutritional support to ensure a safe transition into the next phase of recovery.
Contemplation follows when individuals acknowledge the negative effects of alcohol and consider quitting. Morgan is a mental health counselor who works alongside individuals of all backgrounds struggling with eating disorders. Morgan is freelance mental health and creative writer who regularly contributes to publications including, Psychology Today. A necessary second step is consulting with an addiction specialist to craft a recovery plan. The healthcare professional evaluates the addiction severity and other personal circumstances, recommending appropriate treatment options, including therapy, 12-step programs, and, if necessary, inpatient and outpatient care.