The Changing for Good, by Prochaska,Norcross & DiClemente - Book Report/Review Example

Running Head: Changing for good Changing for good Name Institution Date Many people, time and again, fall prey to bad habits that require one to make a major change in lifestyle and completely lead a ‘normal life, changes such as quitting many years of smoking and remaining a non-smoker or shedding many pounds and managing to successfully keep them off. Setting and achieving such related goals in life requires deep commitment that can only be obtained from the clinically proven information and inspiration contained in the pragmatic self-help book changing for Good. In this book, the authors have identified and comprehensively explained six stages that those struggling to overcome their bad habits can follow: Pre-contemplation; Contemplation; Preparation; Action; Maintenance; and Termination. The following is a summary of the stages as explained by the authors as well as essential principles such as strategies that can help one avoid temptation that can be of great help to those serious about successfully changing that nasty habit or improving their well-being in general. Pre-contemplation Stage This is the stage when people with a problem such as alcohol use, smoking, or overeating deny that they have a problem, especially when people close to them keep on trying to get them to change the habit. The authors write that denial is a major feature of pre-contemplators, “who place responsibility for their problems on factors such as genetic makeup, addiction, family, society, or destiny, all of which they see as being out of their control” (p. 41) In addition to denial, pre-contemplators also engage in rationalization and intellectualization behaviors, often justifying their behaviors or themselves with facts that favor themselves. The biggest obstacle is not indeed the fact that they cannot see the problem, or they cannot understand what they are wrong about. So as to counter this problem, it is important to raise one’s consciousness by reflecting on the situation and engaging in fact-finding. It is important that one engages in practices that raise the awareness of one’s own defenses. This is essential because it helps increase information about the problem and about self. Listening to other’s successful stories also helps a great deal, because they make one want to affiliate with others and reach out for help, leading to the second stage of contemplation. Contemplation This is extremely important as it lays the foundation that propels one to be successful in the change process. A person in this stage intensifies their awareness of the problem and of themselves as started in the last phases of the pre-contemplation stage. By declaring one’s intention to change, to oneself or others, but not having the courage to take immediate action is characteristic of people in the contemplation stage. Prochasca et al assert that such people want to be absolutely certain about themselves and the problem as well as preferring to wait for the perfect moment before they can take action. Other behaviors characteristics of this stage include grieving the losses as a result of the bad behavior and a display of psycho dramatic behaviors. Many people who try to take action and change their lifestyle in this stage in most cases fail, because of the lack of sufficient preparation and the knowledge of how best to tackle the issue. One of the fundamental steps that one needs to undertake in the contemplation stage is seeking the help of trusted people, and letting them know that they are contemplating change. It is also important to clarify and be clear about the help wanted, which involves asking the right question, in addition to being patient and understanding during the stage. Using individual goals, one should also collect the correct information that can enable them understand what leads to the problem behavior. Decision making is also very important in this stage, as the person should make a decision considering the consequences of change to be taken to themselves ad to others. It is also in this stage than one should make a list of the issues in favor of the life change considering making as well as a list of the issues against the life change. When helping somebody in the contemplation stage, it is critical not to criticize the person but to instead provide empathy and warmth, focusing on offering unconditional support as opposed to making the person guilty of themselves. This is essential as it propels one to embrace the following stage: the preparation stage. Preparation The preparation stage is the pillar of the six stages, since it is preparation that determines if one is successful in changing their behaviors or they will just make a short term gain and go back to old behaviors. This stage should also be seriously taken into consideration because it enables the decision made in the contemplation stage get implemented into simple steps that are needed to be carried out in the action stage. The common defences by people in this stage include, for example, the failure to understand what change will constitute and coming up with a weak case for the change. However, as one gathers more and more information, shifting their focus from the problem towards changing the problem, their confidence grows the more, thereby diverting from self criticism to future vision. Prochasca et al state that it is possible to determine somebody in this stage because of comments such as “I am intending to take action after two weeks”. People in this stage will also exhibit a rehearsal for action. In this stage, commitment is the most important ingredient to be successful. One should commit his or her necessary energy to change, as well as making change a priority. This should involve tough choices, remembering that it takes a long period of time to acquire a behavior and since the behavior is already established in one’s daily routine, this should carefully be undertaken so as to encourage success. Appropriate preparation should also involve ways that one can deal with setbacks and temptation. The temptation to smoke, for example, can be substituted with engaging in another similar but beneficial action practicing to relax, calm down, and focusing on the future, non-smoking person that one wants to be. The authors also state that one should be engaged in the following actions: turning away from old behavior; taking small steps and most importantly, announcing a date. What follows is announcing intent and creating an action plan, which sets the stage for the peak of the change process: action. Action Before taking action, the authors state that making a commitment is very important. This is the reason many weight loss programs that promise quick weight loss and that feature fad diets; because of the failure to commit. Lack of commitment is also the reason many quit smoking programs have low success rates. Strong commitment results from proper planning practices that make one visualize elements such as how one will look, feel, in addition to the new respect that one will earn for themselves and others. However commitment, just as it is important, is not adequate enough to guarantee long term success. So as to avoid a short tem goal and going back to the old habit, the initial commitment to self discipline requires strategies to deal with the following four elements: alternatives to bad habits, temptations and bad habits reward a lifestyle change and strategies for changing for good. To successfully change a lifestyle, it is paramount to establish appropriate alternatives to the bad habits of a person’s old problem. The most important principle to remember is that, according to clinical research, there is not one alternative that cannot fail, thereby people should feel free to engage in trial and error, with the following options being the most commonly used: exercise; identified as the best alternative because of it provides mental as well as physical distraction required as alternatives. In addition to exercise, relaxation and choosing to think another thought are also successful alternatives that can make one divert their attention to a better future. Further action that should be implemented include avoiding situations that can include the behavior one is intending to change, as this makes one avoid being tempted to test themselves. A commitment to lose weight, for example, should be accompanied with avoiding all-you-can-eat restaurants, remembering that avoiding temptation is a sign of strength as opposed to be a sign of weakness. Rewarding a lifestyle change is a very motivational element that people should constantly engage in, as a reward even for making a small success goes a long way in enabling one to successfully embrace his or her new lifestyle. Maintenance The difference between short term success and long term success is determined by Maintenance, a very important stage that s characterized by someone who had made change and maintained the made change. Although it can be easily seen as an ‘easy’ stage, the authors assert that maintaining a life style even as other life issues come to the vanguard can be as challenging just like the initial change made. James Prochaska examines a New Year's resolution research that seeks to prove wrong the long held myth that after a long period of concentration, and achieved success, it is just natural to celebrate the success assuming that one has won and that he or she should now rest and live normally.. According to the research, just after six months, many people who set New Year's resolutions hardly keep them, because up to sixty percent were reported to have failed. The research also indicated that just one out of five life resolution initiatives is deemed to last two years. Such failure is because, Prochaska affirms, in spite of the destructive effects of bad behaviors, people continue to harbor them since they provide benefits such as stress reduction and anxiety relief. He further provides that people who often go back to bad habits do so in situations such as a crisis hit or when one receives bad news that he or she thinks may never be able to make it without the relief of for example smoking, spending, eating or drinking. This stage, Prochaska et al emphasize, requires even greater energy, considering the new challenges that one face; in spite of the motivation that one may get by looking at positive results such as lost weight, or a habit that is lost and kept off, this is also when people stop praising somebody and making positive remarks. So as to retain success, the authors recommend undertaking the following steps: making a list of the negative aspects of the bad behavior; a continuous reminder of the reason of deciding to change the lifestyle in the first place; noting the difficulties one has faced and overcome; renewing the commitment and remembering that the new life style is a priority; and constantly giving oneself credit for the success made. Termination. The authors provide the following lessons that people should learn from relapse: that few people who change their behaviors terminate it in the first time; trial and error is not efficient; that the cost of change is more than budgeted for; that using the wrong process at the wrong time involves becoming misinformed, misusing willpower and substituting one bad behavior for another; that one should always be prepared for complications; the path for change is seldom a straight one; a lapse is unlike a relapse; small decisions lead to big decisions; distress encourages relapse; and that learning translates into action. Although the studies examined are focused on smoking, alcoholism,and and obesity, this book had numerous principles that can be used to successfully change the following behaviors that have been addressed in the book: depression, out-of-control spending, anxiety, Procrastinating, gambling, emotional distress, high-risk behaviors, violent behaviors,addictive behaviors, panic disorders compulsions, and interpersonal problems. Changing for Good is a great book. The authentic, relevant information as well as the exploratory charts used have been of great help and can be used by others in helping clients understand ways that they can get on with making changes that regard bad behavior in their lives. In many cases, when someone is struggling with a bad habit, she r he may become discouraged when they fail to progress as far as they desired and in the shortest time possible. This book will be of great help to such because it has underlined the value of taking small steps in making change. It is indeed an extremely versatile self-help book that will be of help to many generations to come. I highly recommend this book. References Prochaska, J. O., Norcross, J. C. & DiClemente, C. C. (1994). Changing for good: the revolutionary program that explains the six stages of change and teaches you how to free yourself from bad habits, New York: P Morrow. Read More

One of the fundamental steps that one needs to undertake in the contemplation stage is seeking the help of trusted people, and letting them know that they are contemplating change. It is also important to clarify and be clear about the help wanted, which involves asking the right question, in addition to being patient and understanding during the stage. Using individual goals, one should also collect the correct information that can enable them understand what leads to the problem behavior. Decision making is also very important in this stage, as the person should make a decision considering the consequences of change to be taken to themselves ad to others.

It is also in this stage than one should make a list of the issues in favor of the life change considering making as well as a list of the issues against the life change. When helping somebody in the contemplation stage, it is critical not to criticize the person but to instead provide empathy and warmth, focusing on offering unconditional support as opposed to making the person guilty of themselves. This is essential as it propels one to embrace the following stage: the preparation stage. Preparation The preparation stage is the pillar of the six stages, since it is preparation that determines if one is successful in changing their behaviors or they will just make a short term gain and go back to old behaviors.

This stage should also be seriously taken into consideration because it enables the decision made in the contemplation stage get implemented into simple steps that are needed to be carried out in the action stage. The common defences by people in this stage include, for example, the failure to understand what change will constitute and coming up with a weak case for the change. However, as one gathers more and more information, shifting their focus from the problem towards changing the problem, their confidence grows the more, thereby diverting from self criticism to future vision.

Prochasca et al state that it is possible to determine somebody in this stage because of comments such as “I am intending to take action after two weeks”. People in this stage will also exhibit a rehearsal for action. In this stage, commitment is the most important ingredient to be successful. One should commit his or her necessary energy to change, as well as making change a priority. This should involve tough choices, remembering that it takes a long period of time to acquire a behavior and since the behavior is already established in one’s daily routine, this should carefully be undertaken so as to encourage success.

Appropriate preparation should also involve ways that one can deal with setbacks and temptation. The temptation to smoke, for example, can be substituted with engaging in another similar but beneficial action practicing to relax, calm down, and focusing on the future, non-smoking person that one wants to be. The authors also state that one should be engaged in the following actions: turning away from old behavior; taking small steps and most importantly, announcing a date. What follows is announcing intent and creating an action plan, which sets the stage for the peak of the change process: action.

Action Before taking action, the authors state that making a commitment is very important. This is the reason many weight loss programs that promise quick weight loss and that feature fad diets; because of the failure to commit. Lack of commitment is also the reason many quit smoking programs have low success rates. Strong commitment results from proper planning practices that make one visualize elements such as how one will look, feel, in addition to the new respect that one will earn for themselves and others.

However commitment, just as it is important, is not adequate enough to guarantee long term success. So as to avoid a short tem goal and going back to the old habit, the initial commitment to self discipline requires strategies to deal with the following four elements: alternatives to bad habits, temptations and bad habits reward a lifestyle change and strategies for changing for good.

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