Quitting Addiction - How Many Attempts Does it Take?
Posted on July 18, 2025
How Many Quit Attempts Are Needed to Be Successful?
By Tom Horvath, PhD
It is common knowledge that abstaining from a substance that has become problematic is difficult and may require multiple attempts to be successful. But how many attempts does it take to succeed in quitting addiction?
One effort to answer this question, based on the International Quit & Recovery Registry, was recently published. Subjects were 344 individuals who have registered with this registry. The substances studied were pain meds, opioids, stimulants, alcohol, tranquilizers, inhaling, anesthetics, cocaine, cannabis, nicotine, and hallucinogens. They are listed here in the order of most attempts to fewest attempts.
How many quit attempts is complicated not only by the specific substance, but also...
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