The Four Levels of Transformation
1 - Unconscious Incompetence
2 - Conscious Incompetence
3 - Conscious Competence
4 - Unconscious Competence
Level 1 - Unconscious Incompetence:
The definition of unconscious incompetence is the human state in which there is something wrong with a person, and they are unconsciously aware of its existence. Usually this is the result of denial. Untreated addicts and alcoholics, in the midst of chaos, fall into this level.
...
This person's life is truly unmanageable, and they don't even know it. Denial, being the brain's defense mechanism, prevents this person from feeling the pain associated with reality and truth.
If you ask this person if alcohol or drugs are affecting the quality of their life, they will most likely answer "no"! And follow-up with statements like," it's my spouse that has a problem," or "my job sucks - that's the real problem."
Some forms of Denial related to Unconscious Incompetence:
Avoidance - "there is no wrong"
Deflection - blame others
Reflection - blame the accuser
Minimizing - "I'm not that bad"
Rationalization- "If you were me"
Uniqueness - "I am different"
Eventually, the consequences of denial, "unconscious incompetence" becomes too devastating and the person becomes conscious of their problem.. However, a person with a true dual-diagnosis personality disorder may have a more difficult time becoming honest enough to get past this stage.
To enable movement into the next level people may experience moments of clarity. These people are not ready to take action; they are simply no longer oblivious to the problem.
Level 2 - Conscious Incompetence:
This is the initial conscious awareness that some facets of life have become unmanageable. Not possessing true clarity, at this point in time, the person is still behaving incompetently. It's the recognition of being lost in the woods without a clue of which direction to walk.
...
This is when the negative consequences of a person's behavior really start to surface. Health issues start to arise, along with loss of self-esteem and integrity. The downward slide seems to pick up momentum once the person climbs on the elevator to go down:
The elevator going down usually looks something like this:
Ground floor = Extreme lows and highs. The ego speaking firsts and loudest. Planning the next high, or cleaning up the wreckage of the last intoxicating event, takes priority over living in the present. "Look out below!"
1st floor down - Family
The family knows there's a problem with the person they love (or used to love). It has become the proverbial elephant in the room. Once the family actually recognizes the problem, they will usually take one of two courses of action - neither are correct:
1. They do nothing hoping that the problem will just go away. They fear discussing the elephant in the room.
2. They nag, which always makes things worse. It causes more stress with the abuser and adds on the already low self-esteem. In order to numb this pain, the abuser will drink or use.
They haven't a clue how to deal with the person becoming insane right in front of their eyes. The person abusing drugs and/or alcohol is now conscious that there is a problem at home, although most will rarely admit that they are the source.
2nd floor down - Friends
Healthy friends distance themselves from the chemical abuser, and the unhealthy friends are attracted to the abuser. The addicted person seeks "lower companionship" or they totally isolate. Sane acquaintances want nothing to do with them.
3rd floor down - Finances
It's expensive being addicted. The cost of the booze and drugs alone should be alarming. The cost of missed opportunities also comes into play. The poor financial decisions due to the compulsive behaviors, result in financial turmoil. The cost of legal consequences soon arises for most.
4th floor down - Legal
Speeding tickets, stop sign violations, reckless driving, driving under the influence and accidents repeatedly place addicted people in front of a judge.
Throw in some domestic violence and trespassing and even the previously squeaky-clean citizen find themselves making trips to the courthouse. Courtrooms are full of druggies and boozers.
5th floor down - Career
This is the turning point for many, especially people who worked hard to get their career. Addicted people tend to be really good at faking it - so for many of them, it takes a legal problem to jeopardize a person's career. Despite an active company Employee Assistance Program, EAP, I chose to avoid "those people" at all cost. After my arrest for possession, and facing the loss my aviation career, those EAP people became one of my favorite resources.
6th floor down - Jails and Institutions
These fine facilities are full of people with "untreated" or "unwilling to be treated" alcoholism and drug addiction. For some, this loss of freedom is worse than death.
7th floor down - Death
I ask my patients and clients to picture themselves in a casket. I ask them to think about what will be said at their funeral. I asked them if they think they will die if they don't accept help - more than 80% raise their hands.
My personal bout with "conscious incompetence" brought me to believe I was hopeless, and I was simply going to die an addict. My blind uniqueness told me that: "No rehab would work for me" and "AA was for quitters!" I can totally relate to an addict or alcoholic that truly believes that they just can't stop. Many die rather than move on to the next phase. A person may be stuck on this level for a long time. The old saying applies:
The choices are being:
LOCKED UP
COVERED UP or
SOBERED UP.
Level 3 - Conscious Competence:
Becoming aware that we have choices is instrumental in "conscious competence." We recognize the need for change, we become consciously aware that we are not alone on life's journey. We find satisfaction in helping others. We take responsibility for our thoughts and actions.
...
People experiencing conscious competence are not only aware of their addictions; they remind themselves every day of their addictions. People new to a 12-Step program and people completing treatment who have become honest, open-minded and willing are firmly planted in this stage.
Many of these folks love how they feel with their newfound appreciation for life, as God intended. Certain promises start to come true usually around completing Step -9 of the twelve steps:
The Promises, can be found on page 83-84, of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
THE PROMISES
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
These promises are integral in recognizing the results of our commitment to sobriety. However, there is still plenty of room for growth after the promises start coming true.
I am very protective of the 12-Step Process. Nevertheless, one of the complaints posed by Licensed Mental Health Professionals and Cognitive Behavioral Therapist about twelve step programs is that: after achieving long-term sobriety, many Twelve Steppers tend to dwell on how sick they are. This criticism has some merit.
Some people in recovery may be permanently stuck in this phase of their development. And that is not a totally bad thing - it beats living chemically addicted. On the other hand, others continue to move forward in their recovery. They are able to gain self-esteem and still maintain humility. These folks rarely use negative self-talk when sharing their experience, strength and hope. These are the people that have what I want.
An example of being stuck at this phase is when a person with over 20 years of sobriety states they are still powerless over alcohol. They seem to be comfortable living in the problem. There is a tendency to place too much emphasis on "drunk-a-logs and on how pitifully sick we are," as opposed to how well we become while living in the solution.
People whom stall in Level 3 "conscious competence" make recovery more work than necessary. They truly believe they are still living in the throws of Step 1. They will argue that the first step implies that we never recover from being powerless. To me, this is an effective defensive tactic if you like "low scoring games".
At this point in recovery, I prefer to be on the offense. I like high scoring games and I wish to experience all the grace that comes my way in recovery.
There are many great teachers in twelve step programs. I am not drawn to those who claim they know the answers, but instead, I am drawn to those seeking truth. The truth seekers tend to read, pray, meditate, and journal more than others. Rather they know it or not, they aspire to become unconsciously competent.
Level 4 - Unconscious Competence
Every person achieving "unconscious competence" spent a great deal of time in the "conscious competence" phase. We can only find ourselves in Level 4 by experiencing the repetition required in Level 3 to maintain sobriety. Like miracles, unconscious competence comes to us - we don't go to it.
As stated in the introduction of this article:
"There is an unconscious state of competence that means we are on autopilot in God's world. This degree of vigilance requires a willingness to relinquish everything except God's will; this takes a great amount of effort -until it takes no effort at all."
People who live their lives in the flow of doing what is right, without consciously thinking about it, experience "unconscious competence." For these people prayer, mediation and being of service is all part of daily life. The reward is in the service. They tend not to take things personally nor do they cave in to the weight of their egos. This is spiritual recovery in the highest form.
...
Living life on this level may be the result of any of the following:
1 - Having had a Spiritual Awakening as a result of the 12- Steps
2 - A profound spiritual experience such as a "near death" experience
3 - A massive shift in personal values
4 - Remission from a terminal disease
5 - Years of living clean and sober
The person who has thoroughly experienced the 12-Steps and has had a "spiritual awakening" referred to in Step 12, will most likely agree with the premises:
- Today, alcohol and drugs have no power in my life, in fact, I rarely think out drinking or using. I have a God of my understanding, the fellowship of a 12-Step program, and I work daily on the maintenance of my spiritual well being. I am "unconsciously competent" about avoiding people, places and things that are not on my spiritual path.
- I no longer allow my ego to challenge God's will for me by accepting only One Voice to speak to me.
- I recognize steps like these are simplified ways for humans to digest God's will slowly. God's accomplishments are not gradual, nor do they ever change. With God, time is meaningless because
it is eternal.
- As half-measures avail us nothing when in comes to recovery from addiction, half-measures also avail us nothing when it comes to willingness of accepting God's will for us.
- Intuitively knowing how to handle situations that used to baffle us,
correlates to the state of "unconscious competence discussed here.
Here are my suggestions for maintaining "unconscious competence:" I strive practice these simple steps each morning when I awake.
1 - Read something of a spiritual nature
2 - Talk myself into a self-guided meditation on the lesson I choose to receive from my spiritual reading.
3 - Journal on the experience of the meditation
The time allotted for each step varies. At times, I only read a paragraph, other times I read a chapter. I find it helpful rereading the same spiritual message over and over, before I meditate. I also find that journaling is much easier after meditation.
In may not sound like it, nevertheless we are very present in the moment when experiencing "unconscious competence". This is because our minds are free of the fear and anxiety created by our egos.
