Recovery in Substance Use Disorders: What to Know to Inform Practice.

Recovery in Substance Use Disorders: What to Know to Inform Practice.
Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2016 Nov 30;:1-12
Authors: Worley J
Abstract
Use of illicit substances and nonmedical use of prescription medication worldwide has increased dramatically in the past several years. Approximately 10% of people who use illicit substances will develop a substance use disorder (SUD). Similar to other chronic health disorders, periods of remission and exacerbation commonly occur in SUDs. Due to stigma and difficulty with definition, terminology related to SUDs has changed and evolved. Terms referring to nonuse of substances such as sobriety and abstinence are likely best replaced with the term remission. Similarly, the use of the term relapse, in reference to a return to use after remission should be replaced with the term exacerbation. Research and professional organization consensus indicate that after a period of five years of remission or recovery, the risk of exacerbation is low in SUDs. Recovery is a term used to describe overall improvements in quality of life during remission. Recovery has been defined by organizations and studied in research. Factors that have been shown to improve the success of recovery are increased quality of life, improved self-efficacy, employment, and spirituality. It is important for nurses to improve their understanding of the terminology related to SUDs and to communicate with others using the terms that are t...

Source: Issues in Mental Health Nursing - December 3, 2016 Category: Nursing Tags: Issues Ment Health Nurs Source Type: research