Dr. David Fawcett

In The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell,[i] the personal transformation of the protagonist, as in all great literature, begins with an invitation to adventure, which sets off a long, epic journey of transformation. It is a journey that is full of challenges and assistance from mentors and guides, and it results in rebirth of the hero. Essentially, the hero becomes a new person, with special gifts and talents that they use to make the world a better place.

The Hero’s Journey applies to addicts as well as fictional characters. For example, addicts are similarly called to action. Often, there are many such calls, which can be ignored for years on end until the addict hits bottom and finally relents. Such invitations can include numerous different types of messages such as an arrest, a car accident, the loss of a job, or an ultimatum from a loved one.

Typically, calls to action are ignored as long as possible because taking action involves taking a serious look at one’s addictive behavior and making difficult changes. Often, addicts refuse these invitations to change with statements like:

• I don’t need help with this.
• I just need to cut back.
• You’re overreacting.
• I’m just going through a tough time.
• I can quit on my own.
• I just need time to get this under control.

Over time, though, the consequences related to an addiction become more and more destructive, eventually tipping the scales toward giving up the addictive behavior. At that point, recovery becomes the logical and only solution.

Once the addict steps forward into recovery—once the addict embarks on The Hero’s Journey of recovery—there are noteworthy stages of behavioral change. These stages were first proposed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente as part of their transtheoretical model.[ii] This model outlines the progression a person takes in making behavior change. Any person, not just addicts.

The original transtheoretical model included five stages. A sixth stage, relapse, was added later.

It is important to understand that, as we see with many stage-based models, movement is typically not a linear process. Individuals may find themselves moving between stages in both directions, and they may even find themselves in more than one stage at a time. This is not unusual. Nevertheless, the goal is to move fully through the process into actual behavior change and maintenance.

The stages have been widely written about, but it is useful to review them as they pertain to addiction and recovery:

• Precontemplation: People may be unaware they have a problem, perhaps due to a lack of consequences. They are generally unwelcoming of advice to quit and often still enjoy their behaviors. A person in precontemplation needs to ask:
  • Is there anything I would like to change in my own behaviors?
  • Who do I think needs to make changes in this situation?
  • What would I like to do differently in terms of my behaviors?
• Contemplation: In this phase, the person begins to think about quitting or cutting down. They may be receptive to suggestions about behavior change, yet they can stay in this phase for an extended period. A person in contemplation needs to ask:
  • If I’m not satisfied with my life and could change one thing, what would that be?
  • What behaviors do I need to change to have fewer negative consequences in my life?
  • What would I like to do differently when I have negative emotions?
• Preparation: In this phase, the person begins taking action to create the behavior change identified during contemplation. Such steps include planning, assembling resources, and beginning to consider triggers and cues. A person in the preparation stage needs to ask:
  • What steps have I outlined to create change?
  • Is my plan realistic, appropriate, and likely to be effective?
  • How will I know if my plan is working?
• Action: This is the phase where real change begins to occur. Consequently, this stage can be stressful. In many cases, the individual determines they need more external support and a decision for treatment may occur. A person in the action stage needs to ask:
  • What action steps am I working on now?
  • How well is this change of behavior working?
  • What have I found to be either more challenging or easier than I expected?
• Maintenance: During this phase, the individual continues to maintain their behavior-change goals. This requires commitment. One of the dangers of maintenance is that, with time, people can become complacent, especially as the crises in their lives die down. A person in the maintenance stage should ask:
  • What can I do to keep this change happening?
  • What contributes to my success in maintaining this change?
  • To what extent have some of my new practices become automatic?
• Relapse: This can occur at any time after behavior change is begun. Should someone relapse, it is important to go back to precontemplation to better understand what occurred. A person in relapse should ask:
  • What led to the relapse and what are my plans for getting and staying back on track?
  • Have there been times when I felt like relapsing but didn’t?
  • What keeps me from having another relapse?

References

[i] Campbell. J., Cousineau, P. (ed. 2014). The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell). San Francisco, CA: New World Publishers.

[ii] Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: toward an integrative model of change. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 51(3), 390.

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