Why do some people recover from alcohol dependence, whereas others continue to drink and become worse over time?

Abstract

For more than three decades, my colleagues and I have examined factors that help people overcome adversity, in particular how personal and treatment factors and the broader social context influence recovery from alcoholism. Guided by a demanding Guardian Angel, we have formulated conceptual models that raise key issues, developed tentative measures of key constructs, and conducted long-term naturalistic studies. In an ongoing odyssey of quest and discovery, we have identified interrelated factors that are important to predicting outcomes. These factors include personal resources and specific aspects of treatment, life context, and appraisal and coping. Such basic processes are also broadly relevant to remission and recovery from depression and other disorders. The answers to each question we have addressed point to more intriguing and complex issues to consider before we will grasp the essence of why some people adapt to adversity so much better than others do.