"Recovery Impatience"

Let's hope that the concept of "recovery impatience" does not catch on. Keep in mind that this is in the context of a country with a big emphasis on methadone and 60% of the methadone recipients have expressed a preference for abstinence based treatment.

“We are now seeing the emergence of a culture of “recovery impatience”: the demand for people to move quickly to a drug-free lifestyle while denying the significance of other factors – such as low income and life in neglected communities – which make rapid achievement to a drug-free life impossible for the majority,” she said.

“The combination of totally unrealistic expectations, along with the demonisation of drug users, is having a trickle-down effect on practice, with “firmer” responses becoming more acceptable.

“We are in danger of harking back to the days when those seeking treatment were labelled as feckless and chaotic, deemed as having given up their right to be involved in their own treatment or to be treated with the dignity, respect and quality of care afforded other vulnerable groups in society.”