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Time for a Change?
Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
Originally from express article 30 August 2006
By Di from Auckland Community Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS)
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| Di from CADS talks about Time for a Change? |
We live in a changing world. Change is a part of life, we all have to get used to constant change, at home, at work, but do we like it? Hell NO!
The type of change we like least is changing our behaviour. In fact our first response is resistance. This resistance comes with plenty of justifications even when we know that the behaviour is harming us.
The best example of this is smoking. Most people who smoke know that it is doing their body harm, but are unable or unwilling to stop. Yes it is highly addictive (in fact it is the most addictive drug available today), but a lot of people are able to give up. What is difference for these people?
The answer was discovered by two researchers James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente. In 1982 while researching smoking they found that the people they were studying seemed to go through quite distinct stages in their process of change.
The 6 stages are:
- Precontemplation not thinking about change
- Contemplation ambivalent about change
- Decision making a decision to change
- Action doing the change
- Maintenance keeping the change
- Relapse/lapse reverting to previous behaviour either fully or partially
(please note: people can and do change behaviour without relapsing or lapsing)
Prochaska and DiClemente called this the Wheel of Change as people tend to cycle through the stages many times before behaviour is changed for good. In fact it has been found that smokers go through the stages 3 to 7 times, before finally quitting for good.
The good news is that the 6th stage relapse/lapse rather than being the end of the line or failure, can be seen to be helpful. With each lapse/relapse there is the opportunity for insight. The trick is to utilise this insight and make a plan for managing whatever triggered the relapse remembering you maintained the change before, so you can do it again!
If you have concerns about your own or someone else's alcohol or other
drug use, or if you'd like more information, contact CADS on 845 1818 or www.cads.org.nz or if you live outside Auckland contact Alcohol and Drug
Helpline 0800 787 797.
About express
express is NZ's newspaper of gay expression. It contains
information on NZ news, Community news & events, World news, Editorial &
reader feedback, Health, Travel, Food, Arts/Books, Living, Entertainment
& scene, GABA newsletter, and Personals.
For more information, visit their website:www.gayexpress.co.nz
> More items from Di's Drug Column
