This paper discusses the autonomy of subjects engaged in substance misuse (SM). After examining the concept of autonomy of subjects engaged in SM, based on medical, psychological and moral paradigms that range between understanding SM either as a compulsion or a choice, we discuss the psychopathological aspects involved in SM, i.e., the experience of temporality and its implications regarding the autonomy of these subjects and their recovery process.
Key words:
Psychoactive substances; autonomy; temporality; personal recovery