Gorski’S Early Warning Signs Approach:

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Gorski’s biopsychosocial model of relapse prevention therapy (as opposed to his counselling model) is, perhaps, the most widely available current relapse prevention approach, and is based on his developmental model of recovery (DMR) (Gorski, 1989a). The model incorporates the roles of brain dysfunction, personality disorganization, social dysfunction, and family-of-origin problems to combat the problems of recovery and relapse (Gorski, 1995). Gorski’s developmental model of recovery posits six stages which are explicitly linked to the philosophy and operations of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he also lists five phases to his comprehensive relapse-prevention process made up of a total of 15 core “processes” which in turn are made up of several “parts” or individual exercises. Phase 3, for example, which is the Warning Sign Identification phase, brings both therapist and client ‘into the heart of the relapse prevention process’ and helps the client identify (in his or her own words) the three “critical warning signs” which are then managed in phase 4, and integrated into the client’s individual recovery plan in phase 5 (Gorski, 1995). Gorski believes that the duration of, and severity of relapse can be limited. In other words it can be stopped quickly with the preparation of three plans: 1) the client plan, 2) the therapist plan, and 3) a significant other plan (Gorski and Kelley, 2007). Gorski's relapse prevention approach has no scientific or research basis and is based on his work as a chemical dependency counselor for several years. It consists of Gorski's personal observations of the recovery process among patients he has known. In essence, it is a restatement of the traditional 12-Step (AA) approach to treatment aided by structured written exercises. It has not been evaluated scientifically. The stages of recovery in Gorski's Development Moeld of Recovery are

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