What Are The Stages of Addiction Recovery?

Every year millions of lives are negatively impacted by drugs and alcohol.

Yet, despite the ability for drug and alcohol abuse to adversely affect an individual’s mental health, professional career, and personal life, substance use disorder rates are on the rise. With stress mounting in an ever-changing world, people are turning to alcohol and drug abuse to supplement for failing or lacking coping skills.

No person ever wants to become an addict. But for years, family members and friends have fallen victim to the allures of substance abuse. Their ability to live a productive life is robbed from them as their addictive behaviors grow out of control; many addicts and their loved ones fear that there is no chance of recovery once substance dependence settles into a person’s life.

But, at drug and alcohol rehab centers like St. John’s Recovery Place (SJRP), clients learn that it is possible to beat addiction and recultivate a healthy mind through hard work and dedication.

Substance Abuse and Addiction Are Not Curable, But They Are Treatable

Alcohol abuse and drug addiction are not curable illnesses that will disappear from an individual’s life at the drop of a hat. For most people struggling with a substance use disorder, the recovery process is complex. It can take a reasonable amount of time. Some individuals may need to consciously work through addiction recovery stages to stay sober successfully for the rest of their lives.

It may sound like a lot of work. Still, beating addiction and the disease’s adverse consequences on an individual’s physical and mental health is well worth the work.

Addiction may not be curable, but it is treatable.

It will take several stages of recreational activities and therapeutic interventions to recover. But, with the right rehab program, a sound support system, plenty of self-care, and therapy sessions, anyone can recover from addiction and resume living life alcohol and drug-free. Life does not have to stop because of drug or alcohol addiction. If you are serious about rehabilitation and are willing to make the significant changes it takes to heal, you and your loved ones can make a recovery and maintain sobriety possible.

Why Do People Resort to Drug Abuse?

To understand the importance of the healing and addiction recovery stages, we need to realize that everyone reacts to treatment differently because each individual develops an abuse disorder for different reasons.

Substance misuse has various onsets.

These underlying causes of abuse may not sound important as long as the overall issue is treated. But, to properly use treatment options and other resources to help a person obtain and then maintain sobriety, therapists in addiction rehab have to identify the source of the addictive behavior.

Possible Onsetting Factors for Substance Use and Addiction Include

For some people, addictive behavior develops by accident. They take drugs to combat an underlying illness or injury, begin taking the medication the wrong way due to a misunderstanding, and end up in a critical stage with a drug use problem. Other individuals may engage in problematic alcohol use patterns. Without realizing it, they are practicing abuse until they are at the stage where they cannot stop drinking on their own.

Some of the most common onsets of substance abuse and addiction include:

Regardless of the reason, substance use disorders are volatile mental health issues. The illness’ inner workings result in chronic abuse over time. But, with the help of treatment facilities like SJRP, addiction recovery and living a drug-free life without drinking is possible.

The Transtheoretical Model of Substance Abuse Treatment

Recovery, like addiction itself, is ultimately not a linear process. For a person recovering from a dual diagnosis to an individual battling singular drug addiction, different addictive substances in separate individuals will involve varying treatment stages and alternatives. Additionally, they will manifest various symptoms through the recovery journey.

Each Stage and Symptom of Recovery Can Be Different, But Generally Follow the Same Timeline

Yet, even though the recovery journey can look so different from one person to another, there are many similarities in the treatment practices offered. And it is frequently noted that symptoms in different phases of recovery can present many similarities from one individual to another. Like other treatment options being utilized for different stages of recovery, the individual steps of a person’s healing journey can at times resemble the same timeline as another. But, thanks to the Transtheoretical Model, the process of healing in rehab is much better defined. The Transtheoretical Model outlines recovery practices and general symptoms associated with each stage of healing,

Otherwise referred to as the five stages of rehabilitation, the Transtheoretical Model covers all phases of early recovery, self-care in treatment, and other stages of healing. Each step can be broken down as follows.

The First Stage of the Recovery Process

Frequently referred to as the pre-contemplation stage of healing, the first stage of recovery often occurs even before rehab begins.

During this stage of healing, an individual is often still in denial about their drinking problem or drug use. They may not see a need for addiction treatment and probably do not see their misuse as a problem that needs to be addressed because they still enjoy it. In this stage of recovery, a person is not ready for an addiction treatment program.

They must first begin to experience the adverse consequences of their drinking or drug abuse face-to-face to start considering they may have a problem.

Generally, these individuals are not open to hearing about addiction and its problematic side effects. Typically, individuals in the pre-contemplation stage fall into one of four categories:

  • Reluctant pre-contemplators
  • Rebellious pre-contemplators
  • Resigned pre-contemplators
  • Rationalizing pre-contemplators

The Second Stage of Healing

The second stage of healing, typically known as the contemplation phase, is where the individual begins to consider that they might have a problem.

An individual’s thoughts and feelings in this phase can vary drastically. Some individuals recognize that they have a problem and want to change. Others may only be just beginning to feel the adverse effects of their misuse. Regardless of their mindset, individuals in the contemplation stage are often more open to hearing about treatment and the damaging effects of chronic drinking or drug dependence. It is important to note that this phase can last for a long time, anywhere from a few months to even years. And in some cases, individuals may revert to their pre-contemplative state.

They may not be fully ready to jump into family therapy and self-help groups. Still, in this stage, they are more open to considering rehab.

Three Stages of Addiction Recovery

Still More Stages to Go, But Moving Through Recovery Just Fine

Still, one of the early stages of recovery, the third phase of healing, is often referred to as the preparation stage.

Not too much is going on yet regarding individual or group therapy sessions in the preparation stage. Still, in this phase, the individual is now fully committed to the idea of treatment. Now, they are ready to start rehab.

The Next Stage of Healing, The Fourth Phase of Recovery

Also known as the action stage of change, the fourth phase of healing is where the work begins, and behaviors start to alter. During the action stage of healing, the individual typically begins the first phases of their rehab program, like medical detoxification.

In this stage, a client begins their interaction with support groups and individual therapy sessions, making consistent progress through the next stages of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs. Here they come to understand more about themselves, learning valuable coping skills as they rekindle relationships and instill new habits to support a healthy mind. The fourth phase of healing is challenging and extensive, generally taking a client from six months to a year or more to navigate.

But, although the process may sound grueling and longwinded, the time passes fast as individuals make friends and discover new hobbies.

Fives Stages of Addiction Recovery

The last phase of the Transtheoretical Model, known as the maintenance stage, is the fifth period of rehabilitation and healing that focuses on relapse prevention and staying sober. Throughout the fourth stage of healing, the client has been building new coping skills and healing momentum to keep them motivated once rehab is complete.

In the fifth stage of rehabilitation, the client is graduating from their treatment facility and adapting to life outside of inpatient therapies.

Indeed, this is a time for clients to celebrate their achievements, rehab is challenging, and they should be proud of their progress. But, this is also a time when they must be careful to implement practices to help them prevent relapse and falling into old habits. Remerging into the standard method of the world can prove a culture shock for many individuals after rehab. The process can prove stressful. And unfortunately, many clients end up experiencing at least one relapse in their lives as a result.

The good news is that a relapse does not mean that the client or rehab has failed, just that they need a little more time to revisit their therapeutic practices to solidify their new coping techniques further.

Moving on to Staying Sober

There are Six Stages of Addiction Rehabilitation?

The ultimate goal of rehab is to help clients reach the point where they no longer need to revisit therapeutic intervention techniques to live life regularly. But since recovery is not a linear process, this final stage of healing may not look the same for everyone.

After years of practice and therapy, some clients can reach this goal. At the same time, some can obtain this level of self-stability in a few months. And still, others may need to make use of therapeutic interventions indefinitely.

In the end, there is no right or wrong way for post-rehab to look. As long as the individual can maintain sobriety and a healthy mindset, they can take on the world.

Treatment at St. John’s Recovery Place

The addiction recovery process can be challenging, even for the most well-prepared rehab goers. But the good news is, that it is possible to recover from drinking or drug abuse disorders, no matter who you are or what stage of healing you are in.

At SJRP, we help you learn to stand on your own two feet again, supporting you through every phase of treatment through holistic, traditional, and alternative practices. If you or a loved one is struggling with a drug or drinking dependence, freedom can be yours again. It may take time and practice, but SJRP is here to help through every triumph and setback on the path of rehabilitation.

Don’t wait another second. Call St. John’s today to see how you can start on your stages of healing at 1-833-397-3422. Or visit us online to learn more about our rehab programs. You’ll be glad you took a look, we promise!