During the pre-contemplative stage of change, people are not considering a need for change and are therefore uninterested in seeking help. Relapse is returning to the old behaviour and abandoning the new changes. But it is an important aspect of it. The stages of change are a cycle. The Stages of Change model is useful in helping treatment professionals and family members better understand an addict’s motivation for recovery. One of the stages of change is relapse. It sometimes leads a recovering person to revert to an earlier stage of change. Relapse is a time for your loved one to figure out that what he is doing isn’t working. Maintenance: • Definition: Clients/offenders in the maintenance stage have achieved their initial goals and are working to maintain the changes made. Almost everyone needs to move through the cycle several times before they are stable in recovery. Stages of Change Worksheet- Preventing Relapse by Considering Pros and Cons of Treatment Adherence . Stage V – Maintenance: In this stage, the person has developed a level of efficiency that allows them to change their behavior and may have firmly established new behavioral patterns. Studies of change have found that people move through a series of stages when modifying behavior. These individuals are still working on change, but they have become proficient at whatever actions they need to make in order to change the behavior. This final stage in the relapse process is the part that people generally associate with the word “relapse.” If a mental relapse cannot be stopped, the physical stage will follow shortly after, and the individual will return to using drugs or alcohol, breaking their sobriety. Alcoholics who relapse learn from the relapse. While the time a person can stay in each stage is variable, the tasks required to move to the next stage are not. Rather, they cycle through the five stages several times before achieving a stable life style change. Relapse. During the Action stage, when people are working to strengthen their commitment to the change, external support is critical, says Prochaska. Consequently, the Stages of Change Model considers relapse to be normal. People at this stage of change are armed with a variety of relapse prevention skills. Stage One: Precontemplation. “This stage is where all those small steps, small choices, and mini sacrifices make a huge difference,” notes Larsen. Relapse is not a stage of the cycle of change as such. How the Stages of Change Model Works. Relapse is still possible, but a person in the maintenance stage feels more confident in their ability to stick to their change in behavior. While relapse can be discouraging, the majority of people who successfully quit do not follow a straight path to a life time free of self-destructive bad habits. Temptation will continue to pop up during this phase. PHYSICAL. • Goals: Reinforce the client/offender’s commitment to change and support the client/offender in: o Managing relapse triggers o Creating a coping plan for relapse prevention Stages of Change 8 It is important to note that the change process is cyclical, and individuals typically move back and forth between the stages and ... Taken from Integrating Motivational Interviewing, the Stages of Change Model and Treatment Planning, Gavin and Hoffman. If you want to avoid a relapse, it’s important to know that these temptations exist and have a plan to avoid them. Certain principles and processes of change work best at each stage to reduce resistance, facilitate progress, and prevent relapse. Relapse is the condition in which an individual may come back to the behavior he was previously indulged in. They know where to get the supports they need.