The stages of addiction recovery: A step-by-step guide 

April 18, 2025

1:18 pm

road to recovery

Recovering from addiction is not an overnight phenomenon but anyone can help someone caught up in it. We are here to give free, confidential and impartial advice. If you need to find a rehab centre UK, need 24-hour addiction help and/or free clinician drug advice: call or email.  

There are differing theories on how to help. The transtheoretical model (TTM) of change (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997) is the most widely used. This model purports that those caught up in addiction can move along the continuum, sometimes moving forward and, sadly, sometimes moving back. Let’s look at the six stages of the model:  

Stage one: Precontemplation  

Denial. The person doesn’t believe that their dependency is problematic and may well try and justify their use.They may have stopped their prescribed medication for anxiety and depression because they believe that street drugs provide more relief. The person views stopping their dependency as a negative, rather than a positive. For example: “If I stop drinking, I will get ill” Essentially, they rationalise their use and why they cannot stop. 

Stage two: Contemplation  

The person is beginning to understand and appreciate there is a problem and that may some behavioural changes are necessary. However, they may well bring up multiple reasons as to why it would be more appropriate to continue with their dependency than stop. For example, those with alcohol dependency will rationalise the idea that to have treatment will be costly, take time and stop them from working/studying, etc. Contemplation may take up to six months before someone comes forward to seek help. A persons deep seated shame or feelings of guilt can prevent them from seeking assistance.  

Stage three: Preparation/determination  

This is when someone crosses the divide of thinking about doing something about the problem and reaching out for help.  While those in this phase have good intention, this stage can be the most problematic. It is here where some will try and sort the problem out for themselves. For example, someone with a physiological dependency on alcohol who merely stops drinking places themselves at extreme risk of withdrawal, seizures and even death. The adage that someone with a heroin addiction can simply be locked in a room with a bucket and a roll of toilet paper is simply not true. Many, at this stage, will say things like “I go to the gym”, “I will have my family around me” or “I am not a typical addict”: whatever that means!  

Stage four: Action  

This is what it says: Someone takes positive action to address their addiction and reaches out for professional help. This is where find me a rehab can help. We offer free clinician drug advice through 24-hour addiction help to find a rehab centre UK. This period, when someone is willing to make this shift, can last between three and six months.  

Stage five: Maintenance 

After successful treatment, the, now, recovering addict continues to engage in treatment. This could be a weekly attendance at a 12-step group or attending post discharge groups at the centre they went into for treatment. Ordinarily, this period can last between six months to five years.  

Stage six: Termination (relapse)  

Some relapse it happens. However, there also those who stop treatment (i.e. complete residential treatment and drop off from attending support groups) and stay abstinent. Those who do start using again, within this model, go back to stages three or four: preparation and action.  

There is much you can do for someone caught up in addiction, at every stage. Remember, you cannot force someone into treatment, it must be their decision. 

Stage one: (precontemplation)  

The most important element of supporting someone at this juncture is to remember that it is not your role to change the person’s mind. Apply coercion and or pressure, and you are likely to do far more harm than good. Indeed, it can really help to solidify their spark of wanting to make change if you keep a distance and reinforce that it is their decision: and no one else’s. There is nothing wrong with giving information such as website links, leaflets, phone numbers etc. If you know someone who has been in a similar position and got into active recovery, use their example and share it with the person you are concerned about.  

Stage two (contemplation)  

As with stage one, and at every stage, it is not your role to try and get them to plan or force change. There is nothing wrong with validating that they are undecided, and it is entirely appropriate to remind the person that the decision must come from them and no one else. At this point it can help to share the experience of others and to explore the positives, and well as considerations, of getting into treatment. For example, the positives of getting treatment for cocaine can mean saving money and not having to deal with the come downs. The negatives can be having to take time out from work/study/care commitments to get treatment.  

Stage three (preparation)  

This is when you can help the person to start to identify different sources of support, identify obstacles and how to solve problems. The most important element is to keep expectations realistic and small steps: only.  

Stage four (action)  

Here it is important to support the person in the realisation that change can be very difficult: even more difficult than maintaining the addiction. Perhaps you can explore with the person other situations in their life when they had to overcome difficult problems. Giving up an addiction can lead to a sense of loss and you can help the person to overcome this by identifying the long-term benefits of making positive changes.  

Stage five (maintenance)  

While your input, now, will be less it is important to help the person realise how far they have come and the impact of recovery. The most important element here is to help prevent relapse. Perhaps help the person with a relapse prevention plan and identifying triggers.  

Stage six (Termination/relapse)  

When someone falls out of treatment they may feel like a failure. It is important, here, to explain that they haven’t failed but just need to get back on track and help them back to stage three: preparation. There may have been triggering events, some unexpected barriers but this doesn’t stop a renewed commitment to change! 

Free clinician drug advice is available, alongside 24-hour addiction help. Call find me a rehab for free, confidential and impartial advice.