Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Substance Abuse

Motivational Interviewing for Addiction Recovery at Changes

Motivation plays a huge role in breaking the pattern of drug abuse. On this page, we’ll look at Motivational Enhancement Therapy for substance abuse to understand what it is and how it might be able to help you take meaningful steps forward in your recovery process.

Substance use disorders are notoriously difficult to break. And, even when an addiction is broken through successful treatment, ongoing attention and care must be provided to avoid a relapse.

As proven by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), tools like Motivational Enhancement Therapy are an excellent way to fight this battle and thrive over the long run.

Turn to Changes Healing Center today to get started on your recovery journey. Our professional team is fully qualified and ready to serve you. Give us a call now to learn more.

Building Motivation

This stage features guided conversations that give you an opportunity to explore the reasons you want to change your habits. Finding the right underlying motivations is critical. Having a powerful “why” for breaking that pattern of addiction is what you’ll be able to call on when things get difficult.

A deep well of motivation doesn’t mean you’ll never encounter difficult moments during your recovery journey. Those moments are inevitable for everyone in recovery, and having plenty of motivation on your side is what will help you stay on track toward lasting sobriety.

Developing a Change Plan

Motivational interviewing will then move into the process of creating a change plan. This plan will serve as the road map for reducing or eliminating substance use. The plan and goals established during these sessions will be designed to be achievable and practical.

Without the help of a professional therapist, you may find yourself setting goals that are too ambitious and destined to fail from the start. Goals that require you to change habits gradually while remaining feasible to reach will be the best path toward the progress that has eluded you to this point.

Ongoing Support and Follow-Up

Progress will be monitored as time passes and adjustments can be made to the change plan as necessary. At the same time, alcoholism treatments or drug abuse treatments will likely be underway, as well.

Keeping client motivation high during this time by paying attention to intrinsic motivation and returning to some of the earlier lessons of MET can help avoid any bumps in the road that threaten to throw your recovery off track.

Understanding the Core Principles of MET

Motivational Enhancement Therapy, or motivational interviewing, has proven to be a successful tool because of its underlying principles. These principles guide how therapists treating individuals with addiction issues use MET.

You don’t need to be an expert on them to benefit from the treatment, but it might be helpful to understand the general approach that Motivational Enhancement Therapy promotes.

Empathy and Understanding

There is no judgment towards you on the part of the therapist when going through a MET treatment. Of course, this is a common theme throughout all types of therapy and counseling. A trained therapist will aim to create a supportive and safe environment that allows you to feel free to engage in open discussion.

Motivational interviewing techniques can only thrive when honesty is present and a trusting relationship is established between therapist and client.

Avoiding Confrontation

The goal of MET is not to pressure individuals into changing their behaviors. Rather, it is designed to encourage self-exploration so you can land on the need for change in your own mind. This personal realization is far more powerful than someone else telling you that change is required. It may be helpful to think of the therapist in this setting taking on the role of a supportive friend rather than an authority figure.

Strengthening Self Efficacy

It helps to build confidence in the recovery journey. Part of MET involves helping you create a sense of self efficacy that you may have lost years ago. Feeling like you are in control of your own life once again will put you in a powerful position to steer your recovery over the long term.

You may struggle to find feelings of self efficacy without the guidance of a professional to utilize change talk in a way that makes something click in your mind.

Identifying Discrepancies

There is likely a large gap between your current substance abuse issues and your life goals. Motivational Enhancement Therapy can help you understand that gap and see how substance use is taking you farther away from where you want to be.

Using the key techniques from the Motivational Enhancement Therapy manual, your therapist can make it easier for you to see how your current actions are only getting in the way of the life you want to live.

Is Motivational Enhancement Therapy the Right Choice for You?

For as powerful as this treatment tool can be, it’s not the right choice for every situation. All individuals are unique and the behavioral treatment methods used should be based on the specific challenges they face. If you don’t fit the profile of someone who will benefit from the use of MET, other types of substance use disorder treatment sessions should be deployed instead.

So, who is a good candidate for Motivational Enhancement Therapy? The following points provide a general outline, although it takes a trained professional to make a designation on a case-by-case basis.

• Early stages of addiction treatment. Typically, MET is an option that is used early on in the treatment process. Individuals who are just getting started facing their alcohol use disorder or drug abuse issues can benefit from focusing on the motivation that will be needed to navigate the roads ahead. This is where Motivational Enhancement Therapy is often applied and where it can make a big difference.
• Struggling with ambivalence. Some people who work with MET therapists need assistance in finding an authentic reason to work on quitting. Whether it’s drinking or other substance use disorder problems, authentically wanting to quit is a big hurdle to clear. That’s the treatment focus of Motivational Enhancement Therapy, so this is a natural fit for anyone lacking the drive to make a lasting change.
• People with co-occurring mental health conditions. The presence of a diagnosed mental health condition along with substance abuse adds an additional challenge to the recovery process. An individual with co-occurring mental health conditions may be recommended for Motivational Enhancement Therapy to get their mind in a good position to take on the difficult challenges that are awaiting.

There is no one template for which people are going to benefit from Motivational Enhancement Therapy. The list above is a starting point for understanding who might be a good fit but the decision will ultimately be made by those who are providing you with care in the rehab process.

Using MET Along with Other Addiction Treatments

MET is an excellent treatment option and it can promote behavioral change all on its own. It’s unlikely that this will be the only treatment utilized, however.

Developing self-motivation is important but not the only tool that is required to make meaningful progress on a challenging addiction.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and MET

For example, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another outstanding tool that has been proven to offer great results for many individuals in this situation. The core focus of CBT is changing negative thought patterns and turning them into productive, healthy ways of thinking. A CBT therapist will work with you during sessions to develop coping strategies that avoid falling into the thought patterns that may lead back down the road to addiction.

Medication Assisted Treatment and MET

Medication-assisted treatment is also commonly used in these situations. Also known as MAT, this treatment strategically employs various medications to ease withdrawal symptoms and cut down on cravings.

While MAT can be very useful, it has to be used cautiously and only under the close supervision of a medical professional.

Recovery Support Groups and MET

One of the leading tools available to individuals who are overcoming addiction is 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Both AA and NA have a history of supporting long-term recovery by providing a supportive group setting where people can share their struggles and learn from each other.

This type of peer support has a value that cannot be overstated. Recovery is a road without a finish line and attending meetings regularly becomes a trusted, valuable ritual for many in this situation. While AA meetings and NA meetings are clearly different than MAT, they do offer a similar benefit in terms of providing motivation and helping maintain or grow feelings of self efficacy that can keep an individual on track.

Holistic Therapy and MET

Finally, there are many different types of holistic treatments that also deserve to be mentioned in this section. These can take on many different forms but in their own way can all improve self-efficacy and overall motivation to strive for new habits and a different life.

Some examples of the many possibilities include mindfulness practice, meditation, physical activities like running or yoga, and countless others. Finding something that you enjoy and that provides a different perspective on life can only mean good things.

Often, these holistic treatment sessions also support improved physical health, which is an excellent side effect.

Find Your Motivation at Changes Healing Center Today

Drug abuse and alcohol abuse have the potential to ruin lives. Don’t let your life continue down that same path any longer. The right addiction treatment can turn things around and give you a new perspective on what is possible. Through the use of Motivational Enhancement Therapy and other treatment methods, a bright future is still in front of you.

The first step is to call Changes Healing Center to talk about our drug addiction treatment programs. We customize all of our services to meet the needs of our clients and you’ll never be judged for your substance abuse problems or any other issues you are facing.

Reach out today for an initial assessment. Recoverysuccess could be just around the corner.