ABSTRACT
Several factors justify the need for an edited volume on the chemically dependent that embraces the concept of phases of treatment and recovery. This chapter will discuss these factors. A summary of historical and social trends that stimulated the evolution of the field of chemical dependency is presented, followed by an explanation of the concept of phases of treatment and recovery, as well as of how an integrated biopsychosocial theory (Wallace, 1991a) and a multidimensional view of relapse prevention serve as other key areas from which a main thrust of the book derives.
