Faculty Articles
Natural Recovery from Cocaine Dependence
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1999
Publication Title
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
Volume
13
Issue/Number
4
First Page
259
ISSN
0893-164X
Last Page
268
Abstract/Excerpt
Studies of natural recoveries from alcohol, heroin, and cocaine abuse have indicated that many individuals are able to change their drug or alcohol use when the benefits of using the drug are outweighed by the negatives. The present study investigated the recovery process using 50 abstinent (≥ year) untreated former cocaine users and 21 untreated and nonrecovered cocaine users. The recovered group did not differ from the untreated, active cocaine users in terms of demographic variables, lifetime substance use history, psychiatric history, or cocaine-related consequences. Recovery was most frequently related to a cognitive evaluation of the pros and cons of continued cocaine use. Discrete life events triggering cessation were less frequently reported by the recovered respondents. Implications of this research for the treatment of cocaine dependence are discussed.
DOI
10.1037//0893-164X.13.4.259
NSUWorks Citation
Toneatto, T.,
Sobell, L. C.,
Sobell, M. B.,
Eric, R.
(1999). Natural Recovery from Cocaine Dependence. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 13(4), 259-268.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/537
