Provider and user perspectives on long-term recovery in England:How do we know when we are done?

Klein, Maike and Hill, John (2022) Provider and user perspectives on long-term recovery in England:How do we know when we are done? In: Long-Term Recovery from Substance Use. Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 53-64. ISBN 9781447358176

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates the dynamic, non-linear, and complex trajectories involved in the journey towards long-term recovery from substance misuse. It begins by discussing some of the challenges in identifying and analysing long-term recovery. As has become evident, objectifying recovery as an outcome variable hinders us from identifying the processes of long-term recovery, a phenomenon in which the lines between wellness (that is, recovery) and pathology (that is, substance misuse) become blurry. The chapter then presents two real-life examples of people with lived experience of long-term recovery, offering clinical reflections based on practice experience in the UK. Finally, it offers recommendations for future research and a way forward that is more sensitive to the needs of people in long-term recovery.