Substance abuse is the source of significant financial cost to our society and of more indirect interpersonal costs. It is estimated that only about 18% of people classified with either substance abuse or dependence in 2012 received treatment (SAMHSA, 2013). Drawing from the existing theories of motivation to change, theories regarding the contribution of effective coping skills, and various explanations of what motivates substance abuse recovery, this study investigated the phenomenon of natural recovery. Klingemann, Sobell, and Sobell (2010) described natural recovery as being when a patient interrupts problematic behaviors or experiences improvement in his or her condition without formal intervention. Despite the existing body of research on many substance-abusing populations, there remains little research focusing on motivation to change for adolescent methamphetamine users who recover naturally.

This study utilized a grounded theory design, as outlined by Maykut and Morehouse (1994), to retrospectively examine the experiences of emerging adults (18–28) who recovered without the use of formal treatment in order to identify factors related to motivation to change. Participants were required to have been formally diagnosed or met criteria for methamphetamine abuse or dependence between the ages of 12–18. This study included 10 participants. By attempting to understand the experiences of emerging adults, this study hoped to expand upon the understanding of motivations for those who recover naturally from methamphetamine abuse.

Participants needed to have at least 12 months of sobriety from methamphetamine use. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with participants in order to highlight the factors motivating change in recovery and discover overarching themes as they relate to motivation to change and change behaviors. These themes were integrated to illustrate the complex interaction between participants’ motivation to change. The results were also compared with current relevant substance abuse treatment literature. This study will help to expand existing knowledge regarding motivation to change and methamphetamine abuse, as well as adolescent substance abuse treatment. Future investigations could attempt to apply these characteristics to adolescents who are at risk of or actively involved in a substance abuse treatment program.