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What is Recovery

Addiction Doctor in Northborough, MA

What is Recovery

What is Recovery?

 

What does it mean to be in recovery from addiction?

The term has different meaning to different individuals. The best definition that I have found is defined by a 2007 consensus panel from the Betty Ford clinic as a voluntarily maintained lifestyle composed and characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.1

 Another excellent definition is from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Commission (SAMHSA). SAMHSA defines recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives and strive to reach their full potential.”2

There are many ways to achieve this. Recovery may involve inpatient detox, residential treatment, counseling, group support, and medications. It may involve treating underlying diseases, such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety that may be related to the individual’s disease of addiction. It may involve a change to a healthier lifestyle, and treating diseases caused by the addiction such as Hepatitis C. Many find that finding purpose, a passion, or meaning in life make a big difference.

At Acorn Health and Recovery, we support all modalities that promote recovery. Each person should be treated as a unique individual. The successful treatment for one person, may be different from the successful treatment for someone else.

Some falsely assert that to be in recovery, one must not take any supportive medications.  This false assertion results in many people not getting the help that they need and deserve. Medications for opioid addiction (opioid use disorder) include buprenorphine, intramuscular naltrexone, and methadone. Medications for alcohol addiction (alcohol use disorder) include naltrexone (oral and intramuscular), acamprosate, and other anti-craving medications.

Opioid addiction is a national health crisis. Stigma of the disease is a big driving force. Stigma of the treatment is another. Medication Assisted Treatment has been shown to be very effective at treating Opioid Addiction and saving lives. I am often frustrated when I hear about people struggling with addiction who are afraid to take medications for treatment. They are often listening to individuals who do not understand addiction.

Addiction is a chronic disease. Treating it like a chronic disease (and not as a personality disorder or as moral failing) and utilizing all available modalities has been shown to be as effective as treatment for other chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

1 The Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel. What is recovery? A working definition from the Betty Ford institute. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 33 (2007)221-228.

2 https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep12-recdef.pdf