One model of recovery that follows the development of a typical recovering addict/ alcoholic is divided into six stages or steps in the recovery process.
It must again be stressed that recovery is a process, not an event that can be documented, and the process is ongoing for the remainder of the alcoholic's life.
Recovery is a process of growth, learning how to live without mood altering substances, and can be measured by the completion of certain life tasks.
As recovery unfolds and progresses the recovery task to be met by the affected will change according to the needs of their every day life.
The preceding articles in this series covered the first three stages in the developmental model of recovery.
The pre treatment, stabilization and early recovery stages were discussed in enough detail to hopefully allow the reader to understand the basics of the very difficult and complex subject, which is recovery.
If the first three stages have been completed with some degree of success being noted, the recovered person will have reached the middle recovery stage.
There is no time frame for the stages to be completed or arrived at.
Some recovering people will complete the first three stages within a month or a year, others may take a lifetime.
The middle recovery stage is reached when the new lifestyle becomes balanced.
Promises are made and kept.
The affected now understands that they are responsible for their actions, thoughts and feelings.
The repairing of the damage to self and others is being repaired.
Recovery at this stage is still not always made in a constant forward motion or in forward progress.
There are times when life events are still able to make the alcoholic revert to old behaviors.
Hopefully, two steps forward and only one step back, will eventually get the alcoholic to the last two stages.
The alcoholic, who is using the twelve step program, after any step, may run into an emotional road block that will prevent further progress to be made in their recovery journey.
The may give lip service to the step they are working, but within their heart and soul they are harboring reservations that will halt progress.
Clinically the term "Partial Recovery" is used for the addict/alcoholic who fails to complete the recovery process.
Although this event, partial recovery, can happen during the first three stages of the recovery model, it is much more prevalent and easier to diagnose in the middle stage of recovery.
More common during the first three stages the alcoholic will relapse because they are addicted, physically and mentally, and drinking is the most natural thing to do.
Some old habits are harder to break than others.
Partial recovery is usually precipitated by a recovery task that seems impossible.
To many alcoholics who use the AA twelve steps, step 4, "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves," is a task that brings instant fear and trepidation to a drunk.
The writers of the steps compared the moral inventory to a business inventory in that it is to be a fact-finding, fact-facing, truthful look at the character of the alcoholic/addict.
Just as the business inventory is to identify damaged goods that need to be discarded, the moral inventory is used to identify a flawed thinking process that leads to resentment, fear, guilt and remorse.
The same flawed thinking that justified the drinking habits.
In the book Alcoholics Anonymous, the anonymous author goes into specific details as to why the flawed thinking most be corrected if the alcoholic is to recover.
Also included in the chapter "How It Works", is an outline to guide the recovered person in doing the step.
Simple and precise, completed with the aid of a sponsor, the completion of the fourth step is vital if the recovering person wishes to proceed to the middle recovery stage.
In subsequent writings, from one of the founders of AA, more details are available to assist the recovering alcoholic clear the wreckage of the past.
Denial is another problem that can be a cause of partial recovery.
Denial blocks awareness that something may be wrong with the thinking or actions of the alcoholic.
Denial, fear, and procrastination cause stress.
Stress may trigger or intensify Post Acute Withdrawal Symptom in the recovering alcoholic/addict.
The symptom is an unusually strong craving to drink or use that appears suddenly and without obvious provocation.
The cause is a brain dysfunction caused by alcohol poisoning and drug abuse.
This brain dysfunction has been documented in 75 to90% of tested alcoholics.
Normally, PAWS is most common within the first week of recovery, however, the studies indicate that it usually takes 6 to 24 months for the nervous system damage to heal.
Complete healing is not a guarantee.
Many addicts/alcoholics have damaged their brain to the extent that permanent damage is obvious by memory loss, impaired reasoning ability and/or the ability to learn new concepts.
"Wet Brain," is a term used to describe those alcoholics who have damaged their brain to a point where they can no longer function in society and must be institutionalized for the remainder of their lives.
Healing can only be accomplished with the assistance of a healthy recovery program.
One drink or drug reverses the healing process immediately.
When the recovered person becomes consciously aware of the pain caused by stress, loss of control and fear, they are usually able to reactivate their recovery program and progress towards stable recovery is once again commenced.
Progress is usually made to a point where they hit the stuck point again and unless there is a decisive and willing change in thinking the relapse cycle could repeat over and over again.
Because the disease of alcoholism is progressive the relapses always become worse as they occur.
The drunk/addict needs more and more to achieve the same affects.
The amount of time to recover becomes longer and longer.
The saying among the recovered in AA is "We know that there is always another drunk in us, but we cannot ever be sure that we have another recovery in us.
" Middle recovery is also identifiable by the fact that the recovering person is now focused on normal life issues rather than focusing on not drinking or using drugs.
Most importantly, middle recovery includes growing in spirituality and finding a meaning and purpose for living.
The road to recovery is still not paved over and smoothed out.
There are many potholes remaining in the recovery road that may cause relapses.
The late recovery stage of the recovery model will explore those issues that lurk in the deepest part of the mind of every recovering alcoholic/addict.
Those issues and methods that can be used to take action against future relapses will be discussed in the next article.