Resolving problems associated with alcohol and drug misuse: understanding relations between addictive behavior change and the use of services.

"Natural resolutions" highlight how influences on addictive behavior change may differ from and interact with influences on the use of substance-related services. These distinct literatures are summarized and implicate extra-therapeutic environmental variables in both processes. Whether assisted by interventions or not, stable resolutions are surrounded by environmental contexts characterized by improved circumstances across several years that bracket cessation of substance misuse. Psychosocial problems associated with substance use increase help-seeking, and interventions enhance improvements that typically follow initial resolution. Implications for promoting help-seeking and behavior change and necessary revisions in conventional views about relations between the processes are discussed.