Every September, National Recovery Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate people in recovery, recognize the families and communities supporting them, and increase awareness that recovery from substance use disorder is possible.
The latest national data provides an encouraging place to begin.
According to SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among 31.7 million adults who reported that they had ever experienced a problem with alcohol or drug use, 74.3%—approximately 23.5 million people—considered themselves to be in recovery or to have recovered.
That means millions of recovery stories are unfolding every day in our families, workplaces, schools and communities.
The Need for Support Remains Significant
While there is much to celebrate, National Recovery Month also calls attention to the barriers that can make recovery more difficult.
In 2024, 48.4 million Americans age 12 and older—16.8% of the population—had a past-year substance use disorder.
Approximately 52.6 million people were classified as needing substance-use treatment, yet only 19.3%, or 10.2 million people, received treatment during the year.
There are also significant gaps in access to evidence-based medications. Among the 4.8 million people with opioid use disorder, approximately 17% received medication for opioid use disorder. Among the 27.9 million people with alcohol use disorder, only 2.5% received medication for alcohol use disorder.
These gaps remind us that needing help and receiving help are not the same thing.
Cost, availability, readiness, trust, awareness and other factors can all affect whether someone receives care. Stigma can compound those challenges by making people feel ashamed to disclose a problem, ask for support or remain engaged in treatment.
Changing the Way We Talk About Recovery
Reducing stigma starts with recognizing substance use disorder as a health condition rather than a moral failing.
It also means paying attention to the language we use.
Person-first language such as “person with a substance use disorder” recognizes an individual before a diagnosis. Terms such as “in recovery” are preferable to labels that define someone solely by their past substance use.
These may seem like small changes, but creating a culture of recovery means creating environments where people feel respected, supported and able to seek help without fear of judgment.
There Is Encouraging Progress
The national overdose picture is also beginning to move in a positive direction.
CDC provisional data estimated 69,973 overdose deaths in the United States in 2025, nearly 14% fewer than in 2024. Opioid-involved overdose deaths also declined, from 55,296 in 2024 to 44,564 in 2025.
The decline is significant, but it does not mean the overdose crisis is over.
Every number represents a person, a family and a community. Millions of Americans continue to experience substance use disorders, and millions who could benefit from treatment do not receive it.
That is why National Recovery Month matters.
It gives us an opportunity to move the conversation beyond addiction and crisis and toward hope, connection, treatment, recovery and possibility.
Recovery happens every day. By reducing stigma, expanding access to evidence-based care and creating communities where people feel supported throughout their recovery journeys, we can help make it possible for even more people.
