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With Addictions Awareness Week at the end of this month, it feel appropriate to discuss topics related to managing, dealing with, and healing from addictions.
To start, let's talk about change.
Often when we discuss change we think there should be immediate action. When, in reality, there are three steps prior to any action being taken.
First there is the pre-contemplative, the “ignorance is bliss” stage.
Next is contemplative, which are ambivalent thoughts about changing - in a month or two or more.
Next is preparation, which is testing the waters to see what plans need to be made to make the change.
Then it’s action, followed by the ongoing stage of maintaining the change.
Note that relapse from the change can happen at any point (and we’ll discuss that more next week).
While I appreciate the Stages of Change model, I also want to include Virginia Satirs model of change, which is all about changing the status quo. There is our current status quo, which will remain constant until we take action.
After taking action, the foreign element, uncomfortable chaos ensues as we begin to navigate the change we are trying to make. It’s difficult. Things often get worse before they get better when we incorporate change. But when we have our epiphany and the change transforms us, we reach a new, better, status quo. There is always hope.
Making changes are difficult. You don’t have to do them alone. There are several self help groups in the community: https://ekass.com/storage/literature/Self%20Help%20Group%20Schedule-March%202021_TsFlUN8.pdf
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