Changing perceptions about self-change and moderate-drinking recoveries from alcohol problems: What can and should be done?

Despite abundant indications that resolutions from alcohol problems without treatment are common, there appears to be little awareness that such recoveries occur and a general skepticism regarding their possibility. This paper presents results from a study investigating the impact of hypothetical newspaper articles about self-change and moderate-drinking recoveries on subjects' beliefs. It is concluded that newspaper articles do not appear to have much impact on the public's perceptions. The importance of modifying the general public's knowledge about recoveries from alcohol problems without treatment are discussed.