Mellor R, Lancaster K, Ritter A., et al. - In order to situate experiences of recovery in social contexts and broader life narratives, this study was undertaken to describe the lives of those who resolved their alcohol problems without treatment. In this study, "minimal treatment" was given to eligible patients for an alcohol use disorder: fewer than three sessions in an outpatient treatment program or nine sessions with mutual‐aid groups (e.g. AA), or having accessed mental health treatment for problems other than drinking at least 2 years prior or 1 year after having resolved an alcohol problem. This study's findings demonstrate that people who resolve an alcohol use disorder with little to no treatment or mutual aid seem to describe their recovery in terms of at least four different life narratives: emancipation, discovery, mastery, or coping. According to the findings, social contexts and cultures outside the treatment setting, and the various identities and narratives they serve, shape change processes.