Commitment

DiClemente, Carlo C., Addiction and Change

The first task of Preparation is creating the commitment for the upcoming attempt to change. Commitment is related to decision making. However, it is not an automatic consequence of the decision-making process. Although there are many reasons why I am convinced that I “should” do something, summoning the energy, resources, and dedication needed for acting requires another step. An additional step seems necessary even if the “should” motivating change is an internal one supported by solid decisional considerations. Commitment is a critical element of this transition.

In our research, we have measured a process of change called self-liberation that attempts to capture the choice and commitment elements of change emphasized in humanistic and existential models (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984, 1992; Prochaska & Norcross, 2013). Commitment represents the individual’s readiness to place specified change at the top of his or her personal agenda, to allocate personal time, energy, and resources to do the work needed to make the change. A miscalculation of the energy and effort needed undermines many attempts to change smoking, alcohol, and drug dependence despite goodwill and solid decision making. Creating commitment and engaging self-liberation, then, is a central task of Preparation.

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Commitment is essentially a matter of finding the time and energy to implement the plan. One of the most frequent reasons why individuals do not change is that they lacked the time and energy to do it. But it would be difficult to implement and sustain any change plan without a firm choice and sustained commitment.