fbpx
Skip to content

TH: +66 20 385 469     Toll Free USA/CAN: 1 888 806 6776     Toll Free UK: 0 808 189 0393     Toll Free AUS: 1 800 251 994     HK: +852 3008 5841     SG: +65 3158 7621

  • Home
  • What We Treat
    • Addiction
      • Alcohol Addiction Treatment
      • Drug Addiction Treatment
      • Amphetamine Addiction Treatment
      • Cocaine Addiction Treatment
      • GHB Addiction Treatment
      • Heroin Addiction Treatment
      • Ecstasy Addiction Treatment
      • Marijuana Addiction Treatment
      • Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment
    • Mental Health
      • Anxiety treatment programme
      • Depression treatment programme
      • Co-treating Addiction and Trauma Disorders
      • Dual Diagnosis/Co-Occurring Disorders
    • Behavioral Addiction
      • Co-Occurring Disordered Eating Treatment
      • Internet Addiction Treatment
      • Rehab for Gambling Addiction Treatment
  • Our Programme
    • Changing Pathways Addiction Programme
      • Physical Therapy
    • The Kintsugi Programme
    • Disordered Eating Programme
    • Continuing Care
    • Recovery House at The Cabin
    • Sunday Excursions
  • About Our Rehab
    • About the Cabin
    • Accommodation and Facilities
    • Gallery
    • The Cabin Group
    • Our Team
    • Client Testimonials
    • In The Press
    • Blogs
  • Admissions
    • Admissions Process
    • How Rehab Works at The Cabin
    • Online assessment
    • FAQ
    • Family Advice
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Referring a Client

Get Help Now
05/11/2015

Which is Correct: ’Recovered’ Addict or ‘Recovering’ Addict?

Home › Blog › Recovery › Which is Correct: ’Recovered’ Addict or ‘Recovering’ Addict?

Whether addicts should use ‘recovering’ or ‘recovered’ is frequently debated. But which is the correct choice? Does it even matter?

In the last decade or so we have seen a huge increase in the amount of programmes that have been developed for addiction treatment. A number of different terminologies have developed as a direct result of these diverse treatment approaches, and although these differences may only be slight, they do show us the core ways in which the different recovery programmes view addiction and the recovery process.

Recovered Addict vs. Recovering Addict

One of the most disputed and debated topics with regards to terminology is in the words used to describe addicts who have stopped drinking or taking drugs. Many programmes, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, advocate a ‘total abstinence’ approach for treating addiction. This particular substance abuse recovery programme uses the terminology “recovering addict” to refer to the individuals in the programme.

On the other side of the spectrum, some drug and alcohol abuse programmes describe a person who no longer drinks or takes drugs as a “recovered addict”.

What is the Deal? Recovered… Recovering… They are Pretty Much the Same, are They Not?

There are many people who argue that the words used in recovery are not important, and that the most imperative fact is that people are no longer drinking or taking drugs. However, other people argue that the words we use to describe ourselves are critical as they clarify how we see the world around us, and that how we define ourselves as addicts will have a direct result on our behaviour.

At The Cabin Chiang Mai, our programme encompasses the 12 Steps along with psychotherapies such as CBT and Mind Mapping, and we treat alcoholism and drug addiction as chronic diseases that always stand a chance of relapse. Thus, we choose to use the term “recovering addict” – much in the same sense that someone with breast cancer can be in remission, but doctors hesitate to use the word ‘cured’ as cancer has a high rate of returning in years to come.

That being said, however, we also believe that a client in substance abuse recovery can choose the label that they feel fits them the best, or not label themselves at all if that is what helps. The importance is not on the label itself, but on the mindset and comfort of the person in question.

Using the Term ‘Recovered Addict’

There are several recovery programmes, such as Rational Recovery, that use the terminology “Recovered Addict” to describe a person who has been through their recovery – and they claim that this has several advantages, as found below:

  • This term signifies to the individual that their time of substance abuse and addiction is over and they are able to start rebuilding their lives from a clean slate.
  • It forces a sense of responsibility on the individual, as many of the problems that they are experiencing can no longer be blamed on drug addiction or alcohol abuse, and they therefore have to take charge and deal with the issues that they are facing.
  • It can be empowering to the person using it, as they are able to separate their time of addiction from their new clean lifestyle.

And while that may benefit some, there are definitely some disadvantages as well:

  • The word ‘recovered’ may fool the addict into believing that they will be able to drink again in the future, and that their problem is gone
  • It may stop people from putting the necessary effort into maintaining their newly achieved recovery and way of life, as they believe they are recovered and can go back to normal.
  • If the individual believes that they are fully cured, then they may not watch out for or recognise common addiction relapse triggers and fall back into addiction.
  • The word “recovered” gives the person a false sense of overconfidence that is unhealthy in recovery.

Using the Term ‘Recovering Addict’

Addiction treatment centres such as The Cabin Chiang Mai, and all of its affiliate centres, believe that the best term to use for an individual who has stopped drinking or taking drugs, is “recovering addict”

There are many benefits to using the term “recovering addict”, as seen below:

  • This terminology acts as a reminder to those in recovery that they will never be able to drink or use normally again.
  • “Recovering addict” suggests that there is still work to be done everyday and it makes people strive to keep their recovery in check.
  • It gives a sense of belonging to some people, joining a group of other recovering addicts that will give them a sense of belonging.
  • People that believe addiction is a disease that has to be worked on every day are more likely to reach out and help people going through the same process.

However like most things, there are also a few negative arguments to the use of “recovering addict”:

  • People who use the term “recovering addict” may develop a tendency to blame their ongoing disease or addiction for all their problems, when may actually stem from everyday life.
  • It may create a divide between recovering addicts and people who have never been addicts. The constant work of being in recovery may prompt individuals into them and us situations, where they believe people who have never been addicts can never understand them.
  • It does not create a clear boundary of past and present and therefore the addict may not get a sense of achievement or empowerment as they believe that will never be fully recovered.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each term,(if that is how you want to label them). But the freedom of choice between the two lies completely with the person themselves, and the most imperative thing is that it makes them feel comfortable, confident and able to stick to their addiction programme every single day. So let us not get stuck on labels. Instead, use your energy to focus on making it through another day sober. Another day recovered. Another day in recovery.

Get A Free Consultation
Search

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Alcohol Addiction Treatment
  • Behavioral Addiction
  • Blog
  • Co-occurring Disorders
  • Cocaine Addiction
  • Drug Addiction
  • Food Addiction Treatment
  • Gambling Addiction Treatment
  • Gaming Addiction Treatment
  • Infographic
  • Infosheet
  • Internet Addiction Treatment
  • Prescription Drugs Addiction Treatment
  • Reach
  • Recovery
  • Relapse Prevention
  • Rise
  • Sex Addiction Treatment
  • Trauma and Addiction
  • Video
  • Youth Addiction Treatment
Having-Fun-and-Staying-Sober
Infosheet | Recovery

Having Fun and Staying Sober at Social Events

Social events pop up frequently and many a time our calendars are filled with them. It may be your best friend’s birthday, your niece’s christening or simply a back garden barbeque. Whatever it is, most of us have some sort of social engagement to go to every now and then. Now, this really is not...
05/13/2015
austin eubanks columbine survivor
Blog | Trauma and Addiction

Columbine Survivor Austin Eubanks Opens up about Painkiller Addiction

Columbine survivor Austin Eubanks speaks out about his addiction to painkillers after witnessing the brutal murders and losing his best friend in the Columbine High School shooting of 1999. Now five years clean, he hopes he can help others by talking about his experience with trauma and addiction. Survivor of the infamous Columbine shooting, Austin...
06/24/2016
The benefits of an inpatient 28 day rehab programme
Blog | Recovery

The Benefits of an Inpatient 28 Day Rehab Programme

Making the decision to reach out for help with an addiction can be a daunting task. There are several types of treatment centres, programmes, and methods that are available; this can be overwhelming for an addict or their family on where to go. While the benefits of getting any kind of treatment outweigh not getting...
08/31/2013
The Cabin Logo

The Cabin Rehab Centre
9 Khua Mung, Saraphi District,
Chiang Mai, Thailand 50140

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Linkedin

OUR TREATMENT

  • Alcohol Addiction Treatment
  • Drug Addiction Treatment
  • Disordered Eating Programme
  • Gambling Addiction Treatment
  • Changing Pathways
  • Kintsugi Programme
  • Sunday Excursions
  • Relapse Prevention

ABOUT THE CABIN

  • About Us
  • The Professional Team
  • Why The Cabin
  • Our Accommodation
  • Admissions Process
  • What is Our Client Say?
  • FAQ
  • The Cabin’s Blog
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms and Conditions

CONTACT US

TH: +66 20 385 469
USA/CAN: 1 888 806 6776
UK: 0 808 189 0393
AUS: 1 800 251 994
HK: +852 3008 5841
SG: +65 3158 7621
Download Our Brochure

© 2023 The Cabin Chiang Mai. All Rights Reserved.

Get Help Today!
Getting the Help You Need Today!

If you require further information, Please do not hesitate to contact us.

  • TH : +662 038 5469
  • US : +1 888 806 6776
  • UK : +44 808 189 0393
  • AU : +61 1 800 251 994
  • HK : +852 3008 5841
  • SG : +65 3158 7621
close
Manage Cookie Consent

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Scroll to top
  • Home
  • What We Treat
    • Addiction
      • Alcohol Addiction Treatment
      • Drug Addiction Treatment
      • Amphetamine Addiction Treatment
      • Cocaine Addiction Treatment
      • GHB Addiction Treatment
      • Heroin Addiction Treatment
      • Ecstasy Addiction Treatment
      • Marijuana Addiction Treatment
      • Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment
    • Mental Health
      • Anxiety treatment programme
      • Depression treatment programme
      • Co-treating Addiction and Trauma Disorders
      • Dual Diagnosis/Co-Occurring Disorders
    • Behavioral Addiction
      • Co-Occurring Disordered Eating Treatment
      • Internet Addiction Treatment
      • Rehab for Gambling Addiction Treatment
  • Our Programme
    • Changing Pathways Addiction Programme
      • Physical Therapy
    • The Kintsugi Programme
    • Disordered Eating Programme
    • Continuing Care
    • Recovery House at The Cabin
    • Sunday Excursions
  • About Our Rehab
    • About the Cabin
    • Accommodation and Facilities
    • Gallery
    • The Cabin Group
    • Our Team
    • Client Testimonials
    • In The Press
    • Blogs
  • Admissions
    • Admissions Process
    • How Rehab Works at The Cabin
    • Online assessment
    • FAQ
    • Family Advice
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Referring a Client