Recuperación natural del abuso de alcohol y drogas ilegales en una muestra española.

Natural recovery is the preferred route of recovery among those who give up or reduce their use of alcohol and other substances, though it is not known whether there are wide variations in this improvement depending on the consumed substance or the cultural context of the addicts. The aim of the present ex post facto work was to study possible variations in both, the process and determinants of self-change, in two groups of Spanish self-changers. Using mainly press advertisements, 29 self-changers who had recovered at least 1 year earlier were recruited, of whom 17 had done so from alcohol abuse and 12 from abuse of illegal drugs. All the subjects were assessed in a single session in aspects related to addiction and recovery. The results revealed significant differences in variables related to the addictive process, such as seriousness of dependence or polyconsumption, and in some of the motivational factors behind the change and employed maintenance strategies. In the light of our findings, it was concluded that the study of the differences between groups of self-changers addicted to various substances may be helpful for the improvement and specialization of therapeutic strategies for each type of addictive problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]