BDAAT Information
About Recovery

“The process of recovery from problematic substance misuse is characterised by voluntary-sustained control over substance use which maximises health and well being and participation in the rights, roles and responsibilities of society” (U.K. Drugs Policy Commission)

 
Advantages of this definition are
 
•         It is not solely abstinence focused but can include people receiving substitute prescribing and/or using drugs recreationally in a controlled way
 
•         It provides a framework in which individuals can develop a personal definition of recovery
 
•         It avoids the false polarisation of harm reduction and abstinence
 
Recovery will mean different things to different people and no two people’s journey of recovery will be the same. Like wise, no two peoples cause and extent of problems associated with their substance misuse will be the same. Each person will use different resources and go down different paths to tackle their substance misuse, some people will achieve recovery through professional help, where as others may not need professional assistance. Recovery can be associated with different types of support or interventions.
 
For some people recovery is an on-going process and may always consider themselves in recovery rather than recovered, while others may eventually feel that they are no longer at risk of relapse and are fully recovered.
 
Some of the key features of recovery from any problematic substance use, identified by the UK Drug Policy Commission are:
 
  • Recovery is about the accrual of positive benefits, not just reducing or removing harms caused by substance misuse.
  • Recovery requires the building of aspirations and hope for the individual drug user, their families and those providing services and support.
  • Recovery may be associated with a number of different types of support and interventions or may occur without any formal external help: no ‘one size fits all’.
  • Recovery is a process, not a single event, and may take time to achieve and effort and maintain. The process and the time required will vary between individuals.
  • Recovery must be voluntarily-sustained in order to be lasting, although it may sometimes be initiated or assisted by ‘coerced’ or ‘mandated’ interventions within the criminal justice system.
  • Recovery requires control over substance misuse. This means a comfortable and sustained freedom from compulsion to use.
  • Recovery maximises health and well-being, encompassing both physical and mental good health as far as they may be attained for a person, as well as satisfactory and social environment.
  • Recovery is about building a satisfying and meaningful life, as defined by the person themselves, and involves participation in the rights, roles and responsibilities of society.
 
What is Birmingham doing to help recovery?
 
Birmingham’s new tier 4 “centre of excellence” will provide detox, stabilisation and rehabilitation services across the city. This supports long term recovery by increasing opportunities to become abstinent from drug dependence and improving access to education, training, employment and housing.
 
The Birmingham Drug and Alcohol Action Team has commissioned DATUS, a peer led support service, as a resource to support the development of peer support groups across Birmingham. Peer support groups are particularly effective as it provides individuals with an insight into how others have achieved success and overcome barriers. The knowledge that other people in similar situations have achieved their goals is both inspiring and encouraging and can play a key role in the overall success of an individual’s treatment journey
 
A peer led research project is underway in Birmingham and Glasgow which is seeking to understand what factors support long term recovery by asking people who have been abstinent from heroin for at least one year. The respondents have been identified by DATUS - and the results are being analysed by Dr. David Best. The research is being supervised by American academic and recovery expert, Bill White. The full results should be available in early 2010
 

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