According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "Recovery from Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders" is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Furthermore, SAMHSA has delineated four major dimensions that support a life in recovery:
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Health: overcoming or managing one's disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way;
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Home: a stable and safe place to live;
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Purpose: meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income and resources to participate in society; and
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Community: relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.
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For more information on the dimensions of recovery SAMHSA's working definition of recovery, visit SAMHSA's Definition and Guiding Principles of Recovery.
For ASAM's Public Policy Statement on the State of Recovery, click here.
