If you're reading this page, it's likely that you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol problem.

You are probably also searching for the answer to one of the most common (and important) questions about alcoholism: "Can an alcoholic truly recover?"

The answer is yes. Recovery is possible.

• Research conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that more than 35 percent of those who entered a rehab program in 2001 and 2002 showed no signs of alcohol abuse ordependence after just one year of treatment.
• To some, 35 percent may seem low, but remember that's the number of people who were considered "fully recovered." It doesn't take into account those who were well on the way to recovery.
• In fact, the same study found that only 25 percent of those who had been in treatment for at least a year were still dependent upon alcohol.

Ting-Kai Li, M.D., Director of NIAAA said that the study's results "strengthen previous reports that many persons can and do recover from alcoholism."

Recovering from alcoholism or alcohol abuse can take time. In fact, some studies have found that the likelihood of recovery actually increases with time. In other words, the longer you're willing to stick with a treatment program, the more likely you are to become free of your dependence on alcohol.

The best thing you or your loved one can do is decide now, before you ever enter a treatment program, that you're not going to give up.

When you make the decision that you're going to continue on the road to recovery until you can honestly say that you are free from a dependence upon alcohol, you have just guaranteed the support of the most important person in your recovery program: yourself.