Millions of American in recovery from substance use disorder, data shows

Justin Garrity knows most of the people who come through the door at Healing Transitions. He knows their names, and he knows their stories. There is Kurt – who has more than two years in recovery – and Courtney – who recently bought a house.

The director of recovery services at Healing Transitions' men's campus relates to the people walking through the door in other ways too – he’s been there himself. He just celebrated 10 years of recovery.

"Recovery happens with hope," he said. "Usually we think you have to hit some terrible rock bottom but a lot of people hit rock bottom after rock bottom. A lot of times, folks are wrapped in this cycle of hopelessness."

While the opioid crisis continues to grip communities and hundreds of thousands of people die annually, research shows that millions are also finding recovery. A 2023 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey found that a staggering 29 million American adults – or almost 9% of the adult population – live with substance use disorder. The same survey went on to find that more than 7 out of 10 of those people consider themselves in recovery. That’s more than 20 million people in the country who are in recovery.

For four months, Adam Trum has been one of them. This week, he spoke to a Wake County coalition about how medication-assisted treatment and peer support has helped him.

"It’s been a hard road for me staying clean," he said. "I’ve had a lot of relapses over the years."

Garrity says the work he is doing is challenging, but when someone he is working with finds recovery – like Adam, Kurt, Courtney or others – he feels hope.

"I want to make the big things change so people don’t have to experience what I have had to experience and they get care and treatment," he said.