By Professor David Best

Substance addiction is a hugely damaging experience for individuals, families and communities, whether it is caused by alcohol, heroin, cocaine or any range of other substances. On average, the duration of an addiction ‘career’, as it is known, is estimated at 28 years, typically with an onset age of around 11 or 12 (for the first use of a psychoactive substance) through to sustained remission in the late 30s to 40s. As a result, it is generally portrayed as a chronic, relapsing condition that both claims and destroys lives.

There is no getting away from the huge damage that is caused. But that is only half the story. People do recover and the point of this blog is to emphasise that more people recover from addiction than do not.

The best summary of the science comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; which is a part of the US government). According to its review in 2015, 58% of people who have a lifetime substance dependency will eventually achieve at least five years of full remission – we refer to ‘stable recovery’ as a period of five continuous years of abstinence from the problem drug.

The consequence to that is that 42% of people who have a lifetime substance dependence will pass away without achieving full recovery but let us focus on what the positives are here. Nearly two-thirds of people who experience the depths of addiction will eventually recover.

And that recovery does not simply mean that they do not use drugs anymore. Recovery includes a combination of global health and wellbeing, control and abstinence from drugs of abuse, and active participation in society.

More than 800 people took part in our first ‘UK Life In Recovery Survey’ in 2015. More than 75% of those with at least five years of abstinence were working full time. Even more astonishingly, 78% were actively involved in volunteering in their communities. For this reason, we will often refer to recovery as being ‘better than well’ as it refers not merely to the loss of symptoms and pathology but to a vibrant, active and meaningful life. For this reason, we will often define recovery as ‘somewhere to live, someone to love and something to do’. And that ‘something to do’ often involves giving back to and helping others. 

Recovery is not a passive state – it is about human transformation and growth that will often involve overcoming not only physical and psychological withdrawals and cravings but also negative social attitudes, stigma and discrimination.

This is not just a message of hope for people struggling with addictions, but also for those affected others whose lives are damaged and can see no way out. Full, stable recovery is the norm, not the exception and it is crucial that we look beyond the shock images of celebrities going tearfully into rehab to see the reality of lives, families and communities rebuilt through the transformational capabilities of addiction recovery.

Professor David Best is the world’s first Professor of Addiction Recovery and Director of the Centre for Addiction Recovery Research (CARR) at Leeds Trinity University. The above blog post was first published on the 19 March 2024 by Leeds Trinity University.