Substance Abuse Treatment and the Stages of Change Model
Despite the proliferation of empirically grounded treatment approaches, the "Six Stages of Change" developed by psychologists James O. Prochaska and DiClemente is a recommended model for individuals with substance use disorder who face tremendous challenges in altering longstanding patterns of thoughts and behavior. The research on the process of addictive behavioral change helps the professionals and teachers more effectively conceptualize and address the needs of particular clients. It offers concrete guidance for tailoring interventions to clients with varying levels of motivation or readiness to change.
The Six Stages Recovery from Addiction illustrates the specific clinical issues and tasks that are devised for clients and therapists at each stage, from recognizing that a problem exists to developing and maintaining effective behavioral change skills.
Source:
Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1984) The transtheoretical Approach:
Crossing traditional boundaries of treatment. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-
Irwin.
(Recovery Stage)
Condition of drug abuser/ rehabilitating drug abuser
• Not currently considering change.
• Ambivalent; self struggle; feeling the problem.
• Thinking about making change;
• Being engaged in the change process;
• Being on the verge of taking action.
• Being decided to make change;
• Willing to follow suggested strategies and activities to change.
• Normal living;
• Master addiction by relapse prevention.
• Repeated use of drugs.
Drug Abuser/ Rehabilitating abuser need to learn
• Being consciously aware of costs of drug addiction;
• Being alert on self and others' reaction;
• Being alert to consequences of drug use.
• Seeking to evaluate and understand their behavior;
• Evaluating pros and cons of changing the present situation.
• Getting information for treatment;
• Following through on the action option they choose.
• Taking action;
• Formulating a treatment plan.
• Selecting healthy activities;
• Evaluating trigger for relapse;
• Leaving early relapse intervention technique.
• Paying effort and strength gathering motivation enhancement to restart from 'falling down'.
Suggestions to family members
• Money management and put pressure on the drug abusers to enable them to realize the price they pay for drug abuse;
• Setting healthy boundary and affirming own needs;
• Maintaining good health for the long run.
• Emphasizing family relationship;
• Money management;
• Collecting information for action e.g. enquiries to drug treatment;
• Considering to seek help from social workers etc.
• Giving confidence and encouragement (accompany drug abuser to meet social worker, participate in organization gatherings for drug treatment);
• Co-operating with social worker on harm reduction.
• Re-establishing family relationship;
• Co-operating with the organizations;
• Setting rehabilitation plan/ contract with the recovering person and treatment staff.
• Improving family relationship;
• Emphasizing trust and communication. (with the help of urine test service for the recovering person)
• Proper handling of own emotions;
• Encouraging the drug abusers to learn from the experience and walk forward.
Therapeutic tasks
• Instilling techniques on how to get along between drug abusers and their family members.
• Assisting clients to make evaluation pros and cons between drug taking and being drug free;
• Fostering and communication mutual support among drug abusers and their family members;
• Empowering change.
• Assisting the drug abusers to formulate and implement their treatment plan;
• Matching clients to suitable treatment services;
• Doing harm reduction work.
• Instructing various life skills and relapse prevention skills;
• Problem solving skills training;
• Assisting family members to have related preparation for the aftercare.
• Providing recreational programs for recovery and to build up new social network;
• Providing urine test to monitor the progress;
• Instructing risk factors management and relapse prevention skill.
• Viewing change as a process rather than an event encourage reevaluation of current problem;
• Providing family members with emotion support and encourage positive actions.