Another aspect important for behavior change is one's attitude to the problem. Here we look at the person's attitude to the problem and his awareness of its negative impact on his life. Based on the work of two psychologists who worked in this area -Prochaska and Declemente - we can classify people on a continuum from lack of awareness to full awareness. This can be understood as stages in 'the wheel of change'. The stages are as follows. It has to be realized that one can remain in any of these stages for a long time in the absence of effort to change.
1) Pre-contemplation: A person who has not even realized that his behavior (or addiction) has become a significant problem. Often we hear alcohol users trying to convince us that 'Drinks are not a problem for me. i can easily quit anytime '. But everybody else around knows that this is false.
2) Contemplation: Here the person knows that there is a problem but is ambivalent about changing it or thinks he is helpless.
3) Determination: In this stage the person knows that he has to change, has decided to do something about it, but keeps postponing things. 'I will surely meet a doctor and take treatment after this deal is over'. This is repeated over and over again.
4) Action: Only in this stage does the person starts to take the necessary steps to effect the change.
5) Maintenance: In this stage the person maintains the beneficial effects of the successful action taken.
6) Relapse: This is another stage in the 'wheel of change'. So it should not come as a shock or surprise. Things may not always be rosy. Cracks start showing and relapse occurs during times of stress.
From this stage the person enters back into stage 4. He has to taken appropriate actions to end the relapse and go back to the stage of maintenance. In drug / alcohol addictions a person has to go through this cycle 6 or 7 times before exiting for good. For other problems like risky driving, gambling, overeating etc also this is true. It is even true about our refusal to wear helmets and seats belts while biking or driving. For these behaviors punishment acts as deterrent.
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2 weeks ago
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Behaviour and punishment.in the backdrop of alcohol.
Let me start with a simple doubt...Is Alcohol consumption a behaviour?
? behaviour of an individual ,a society!
It is a substance that make people happy and bold for a limited time ,as it takes away social inhibitions for few hours, by it's action at neuronal level;
As it has a property to produce addiction in some individuals , historicaly a section of the society had nurtured a sceptical view on it's consumption and trade.
It is a powerful competitator of social prejudices and conditionings, making it a common enemy of intolerant beleifs enforced in large scale on people.
History of alcohol is rich is collective attacks ,bans and oppressions by powerful leaders and religions against the use of alcohol .
Survival of the fittest.
Even with the all these concerted efforts and punishments by the ruling class and religions alcohol managed to survive by percoalating though generations of human beings without open support even from those who opposed religions or governments.It is a paradox that the success of alcohol or it's survival through centuries of struggle ,owe much to it's notorious ability to produce addiction than it's many positive outstanding qualities!
Last prophet's changing stands on alcohol and finaly it's ban, at different stages of his political carreer is an interesting piece of history to read with .Many of his relatives including Fathima's uncle, a powerful and respected charecter, in the history of Mohammed were heavy drinkers!
Coming back to the topic of behaviour;
all the efforts including social alienations,manipulation of education, threats of cruel punishments during life and after death etc.have not succeded in burying the habbit of drinking,which had so far no organised supporters.
To conclude... what is the moral of the story of alcohol?
Majority of things or issues in the world are not very simple and Generalisation of them as Good or bad is not a sign of maturity.
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