AIMS:

A substantial literature demonstrates that natural recoveries from substance use disorders not only occur but are a common pathway to recovery. This article reviews selectively and comments on the current state-of-the-art in natural recovery research. METHODS:

Basic concepts in natural recovery research are presented, and topical and methodological trends and changes in self-change research over time are discussed. CONCLUSIONS:

Although considerable progress has occurred in natural recovery research, several topics deserving of further research are identified, and implications for policy practice are discussed.