On
the road to recovery and a life without the influence of drugs or alcohol,
there are several phases that a person will go through. Learning to live without the use of mood
altering substances is challenging, and it is a skill that must be practiced
and learned just like any other.
The
first phase that a person will encounter is referred to as unconscious
incompetent. This period of time is
actually not one of recovery, but happens before an individual even knows that
there may be a problem. The
“incompetent” refers to a person’s behavior, in that it is potentially harmful
and damaging. The “unconscious” refers to the individual’s awareness, in that they
don’t even know that what they are doing may have dire consequences. In this period of use, a person is using
chemicals, but is yet to have any consequences.
They have not had any trouble with the law, lost a job, or had to drop
out of school due to their drug or alcohol consumption.
The
second phase that an individual will enter is called the conscious incompetent phase. Just like the first stage, the “incompetent”
refers to the person’s behavior. They
are acting in a way that is unhealthy and potentially dangerous. The difference between this and the first phase
is that they have now become “conscious” of the fact that their actions are
harmful and there may be consequences.
This awareness can be brought on by many different situations, but it
alerts the user to the fact that what they are doing has become a problem. An example of this would be someone getting
arrested for a DWI or having a friend overdose from drug use. This could also be brought on by something
more subtle such as a friend commenting that they seem different or certain
people not wanting to spend time with them.
There is a switch in thinking during this phase from a more carefree way
of drinking or using, to one in which a person now realizes that their behavior
is starting to have consequences.
For individuals
that seek help with their addiction, they will move into the third phase, which
is called consciously competent. In this
period of recovery, a person is starting to learn skills and techniques that
will help them to stay sober. They have
stopped using and are taking steps to change their behavior and thinking
patterns. The “competent” refers to
their behavior being non-destructive and healthier than in the past. This part of recovery takes a lot of focus on
the part of the individual, and is referred to as “conscious”, as it is
something that they will have to think about quite a bit in order to be
successful. An example of actions in
this phase would be attending 90 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in 90 days, or
calling a sponsor twice a day. During
this time, it is common for a person to avoid difficult situations or people
that may trigger cravings or a relapse.
Each person is different, and recovery varies for everyone, but the
concept during this time is that in order to be successful, a person really has
to devote some time and energy into making it happen.
The
fourth and final phase of this process is called unconsciously competent. Like the previous period, the “competent”
refers to a person’s behavior. In this
case, the behavior is such that it is not causing any harm or doing any damage
to an individual or those around them.
They are able to live in a productive and healthy manner without the use
of alcohol or other substances. The
“unconscious” in this section points to a person behaving this way without
having to concentrate on it too hard.
These actions have been practiced and improved upon, and in this phase
are almost done automatically. This is
similar to the 11th promise of Alcoholics Anonymous, which states,
“we will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle
us.” A person that is living in this
part of recovery has transformed their life to the point that new ways of
thinking and living have completely taken over their former destructive
behaviors. Behaving in this new way has
now become the norm, and making healthy, rational decisions has become easier.
These
four different phases of substance use and recovery describe several areas that
individuals may experience, but that doesn’t mean that it always moves in a
forward motion. These stages do not
outline the steps to a cure, and a person is able to move between them at any
time. It is quite possible for an
individual in the consciously competent stage to have a relapse and move
backward into the consciously incompetent stage. It is also a possibility that a person living
in the final stage may have to pay more attention to their sobriety during
certain parts of their life. For
example, when a person goes through a difficult time or tragedy, it may be
necessary for them to spend more time thinking about and focusing on their
sobriety.
Every
situation is different and there are as many recovery programs as there are
people. It is important to recognize
that there are no time limits or guidelines as to how long a person may spend
in one part or another. The essential
thing to keep in mind is that there is hope for recovery, and with practice,
making the right decisions will become easier and eventually be made
unconsciously.
