While the process of recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction is different for each person, there are certain stages that virtually everyone goes through. To help the people we work with at our Sacramento drug rehab know what to expect, we explain these phases to them.
The Five Stages of Recovery
The ultimate goal of the recovery process is to be free of your drug or alcohol dependency and enjoying a happier, healthier life with your loved ones. However, to achieve that objective, you’ll need to work through these five stages:
1. Awareness
In order to move forward, you have to acknowledge that you have a problem. Sometimes it simply hits you that it’s time to face the truth and take action. In other cases, family, friends, or coworkers may force you to see the problem you’ve been ignoring. Whatever the cause, awareness is key.
2. Contemplation
The next stage of recovery involves thinking about where you are today and where you want to be in the future. Often this includes recognizing how your behavior is impacting others. Ultimately, pondering your fate gives you the motivation to start addressing your problem.
3. Research
Next, your desire to make changes in your life will lead you to look into how you can do that. What programs are available? What kind of support can you count on from family and friends? These are important questions. Once you’ve answered them, it’s time to move into the next stage.
4. Initial Recovery
It’s important to be aware that “recovery” tends to come in two stages. The first is often referred to as “initial recovery.” This is the point at which you stop using drugs. It can be a very difficult point in your life, as many things are changing: your drug use, your group of friends, your goals for the future, etc. However, it’s also a very positive experience in that you can start to see that you can kick your dependency and achieve better mental, emotional, and physical health.
5. Established Recovery
When you reach this stage, you have the skills you need to stay clean and sober. It can be very challenging at times to keep from relapsing, and it will likely require a lifelong commitment, but the future is now bright as it is no longer clouded by the effects of drug and alcohol use.
Following the Plan
At our Sacramento drug rehab, we develop a plan for each of the people we work with to help them make steady progress through the stages of recovery. Please contact us at (800) 205-6107 to learn more about our programs.
Content medically reviewed by Vicky Magobet, PMHNP-BC, on November 11th, 2017.
