What are the 6 steps to recovery?

Recovery is a process. A lifelong journey, as those in recovery know well. But for those new to the idea, or still contemplating treatment, that can feel mysterious and daunting. 

What kind of journey is it? How does it work? Do other people follow a similar path during treatment and recovery? 

Everyone is unique, which means each person has different needs and considerations for addiction treatment and what recovery looks like in their life. There are patterns, though, and stages that everyone goes through in some way or another. 

What are the 6 Stages of Recovery?

According to The Developmental Model of Recovery (DMR) developed by Terence Gorski, there are six stages people go through during recovery: transition, stabilization, early recovery, middle recovery, late recovery, and maintenance. 

The DMR is meant to be flexible and help people prioritize their problems while in recovery. It also gives individuals a way to process issues as they relate to each stage rather than stopping all recovery activities to deal with a problem that arises. 

Transition

Transition is the time during recovery when someone recognizes they have an addiction. The individual must acknowledge the problem, and become motivated to get treatment and change their life. 

It’s a time of realization that drug or alcohol use is a problem they can’t control (although often not for lack of trying). The person in active addiction decides to get help, although they may not yet want to or fully believe it will help. 

Stabilization

During stabilization, individuals begin to recuperate from withdrawal symptoms. There’s a large focus on the physical and psychological damage addiction has caused, as well as coping with any imminent crises in their life. They also learn how to stop addictive thought patterns called addictive preoccupation. 

This step teaches people in recovery to manage stress without substances, and begin to live an abstinence-based lifestyle. Although they’re not thinking clearly and their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions aren’t well controlled, recovering individuals begin to become hopeful that recovery could work.

Early Recovery

The early recovery stage is all about working on changing thoughts, particularly addictive thoughts. When thoughts change, behaviors must change too, which often brings out strong emotions. People in recovery often feel guilty and ashamed of how they’ve behaved. Part of the journey is to understand and accept that addiction is a disease they have, and that it’s okay to have the disease.

As these changes in thoughts and feelings occur, individuals begin to shift their values to those they’ll need to live a sober lifestyle. They also continue to learn to cope with issues in their life without using drugs or alcohol. 

Middle Recovery

In middle recovery, recovering individuals begin creating a new lifestyle. Addiction is a family disease, and affects everyone around the person who was using. A big component of recovery is for the individual to evaluate these relationships and offer to repair them however they can. Many times this includes figuring out ways to rebuild trust. 

This stage of recovery is also the time when jobs and other lifestyle elements must be critically analyzed. There are typically job and relationship changes to create a balanced life. The recovering person also attends 12-step community events and often becomes involved in the community in another way outside of their workplace. 

Late Recovery

In late recovery, an individual may have trouble managing their new sober lifestyle because of habits they learned as young people. To move forward, they must reflect deeply on what these behaviors are, when they occur, and why they happen the way they do. They should get help from a counselor or therapist to work through these long-standing childhood issues. 

When the habits have been identified, there’s a choice to make: whether the person will continue to do the same things they’ve always done or change how they respond and show up in their lives. Many of these changes require assistance, and part of being successful is to make a plan and set achievable goals of how to make the necessary adjustments. 

Maintenance

Maintenance is the stage most people think of when they think of recovery because it’s the part where the new thoughts and patterns have been created, the lifestyle changes are beginning to be made, and now must be maintained on an ongoing basis. 

The hallmarks of the maintenance stage are the ability to react to problems that come up without turning to a substance, choosing to grow and develop as a person, and continuing to be part of a recovery program. People who are doing maintenance on their recovery are also able to accept the changes going on in their life in terms of growing older and having appropriate expectations during different stages of life. 

Where Did the 6 Stages of Recovery Come From? 

Terence Gorski developed the six stages of recovery, called the CENAPS model of relapse prevention. He was an internationally-recognized advocate and expert on substance use and recovery.

Similarly, Psychologists James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente developed a method in the 1970s for changing behaviors that’s also used in the recovery world. This model, the transtheoretical model (TTM), has six stages, and is also often used in the recovery world. 

We utilize Gorski’s model for our program here at Tara Treatment Center. 

Whether you need help or are trying to get help for a loved one it’s useful to know what the stages of recovery are. Reaching out to get help is a courageous act, and although recovery is a long, arduous process, it’s doable. You’re not alone. We’re here when you’re ready. All you have to do is call (800) 397-9978 or contact us through our website. 

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