The changes in the lives of recovering people tend to occur in stages, from not being ready to acknowledge that a problem even exists, to actively doing whatever it takes to solve the problem.
The stages of change are:
- Precontemplation—consequences to behavior are experienced but not yet acknowledging that there is a problem behavior that needs to be changed.
- Contemplation—acknowledging that there is a problem since consequences appear to be linked to behavior; but not yet ready or committed to making the necessary change.
- Preparation/Determination—determined to change while preparing to change; in the process of committing to change hoping to discover what is necessary for authentic change to occur.
- Action—Changing behavior; not only willing to commit to what it takes for authentic recovery but actively doing whatever it takes to change.
- Maintenance—maintaining the commitment for behavioral change, continuing to do daily what it takes for authentic recovery.
The precepts of FREEdom from MEdom Project is that we need to continually be in the active place of surrender in commitment to relationship with God in order to maintain recovery into the new life experience that is real freedom. To guide participants through the stages of change that lead to recovery, NLX 101 takes a look at two revealing Psalms of King David (38 and 51) to provide examples of a recovering person moving from a Pre-contemplative stage of change into Contemplation, through the Preparation Stage into the Action Stage of authentic recovery.