Op-Ed: 'Recovery' Doesn't Always Mean Abstinence

Maia Szalavitz is in recovery from addiction to heroin and cocaine that nearly wrecked her life 40 years ago. But in a New York Times essay, she writes that she still enjoys the occasional glass of wine with dinner and sometimes takes a marijuana gummy to help her sleep. That might surprise those who equate "recovery" with permanent abstinence of all alcohol or drugs. But Szalavitz pushes back against that narrative:

• "Though definitions vary, many experts now agree: If substance use no longer interferes with your ability to live a productive and loving life, then recovery has been achieved, with or without abstinence."

Szalavitz emphasizes that not everyone can shift to moderation safely, but she cites federal research suggesting that more former addicts than you might think do so. The problem is that the idea of total abstinence is so embedded in rehab programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous that it might deter those who could otherwise improve their lives, she writes. And new federal initiatives related to the funding of recovery programs are likely to compound the problem, she adds. "Since I began my recovery journey nearly 40 years ago, we've learned an enormous amount about how to help people get better," she writes. "It would be tragic to turn our backs on this knowledge now, just as overdose deaths are finally starting to fall." Read the full essay.