As a component of your recovery, you may begin receiving individual counseling from a therapist. One of the techniques your therapist might employ is motivational interviewing, which is useful in helping people with addictions to move from a state of uncertainty into a state of action. This is accomplished by helping you to identify and pursue your goals. Ambivalence is a major obstacle in the treatment of addiction. You may have experienced this already, wondering why you never seem able to take the necessary steps to quit drinking or doing drugs, despite weeks, months, or even years of thinking about it. Or, you may have the motivation to quit, but lack a plan to do so. By working with a therapist trained in motivational interviewing, you can quickly begin to make headway in overcoming your addiction.
Benefits of Motivational Interviewing
The technique was developed by clinical psychologists William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the early 1980s. M.I., as it’s known for short, centers on the idea that human beings are fundamentally good – and fundamentally goal-driven, though they often need help in identifying their goals. In its current practice, motivational interviewing is non-judgmental and non-adversarial on the part of the therapist. Instead of confronting you about your drug or alcohol use, your therapist will instead help you to become aware of the risks and consequences caused by your addiction. Your therapist will help you to understand that you are a person of great worth and goodness, and will work with you to identify your goals for yourself. In this way, your therapist will also help you to see the ways in which your drug or alcohol use prevents you from achieving those goals. He or she will ask a great many questions and help you sort out the answers. With the right therapist, you’ll experience warmth, caring, and acceptance. Together, you and your therapist will uncover the motivation necessary for you to change.
Over the course of your treatment, you will begin to see a better future for yourself, and you will overcome the ambivalence that has held you back. You will soon begin to see there is more to fear in remaining in active addiction than in letting go of drugs and alcohol. Most importantly, you will know you have an ally in your journey.
The Stages of Motivational Interviewing
Getting treatment for addiction does not come overnight. Motivational interviewing requires time patience. It is broken down into stages to ensure the best results. The stages of motivational interviewing include:
Engaging
Doctors and patients need to build a relationship if they wish to make progress. Both parties must be committed and on the same page for this form of therapy to be helpful. Many doctors use OARS to help engage their clients. This stands for open questions, affirming the patient’s strength, reflecting what the patient wants to express but have not said, and summarizing what just took place.
Focusing
It is important to establish goals during the early sessions. These goals can help the patient and doctor work on what is most important for the patient and their wellbeing. Both the patient and therapist must be in agreement of the goals before starting.
Evoking
Once goals have been established, both parties must reach the point where the clients have an interest and motivation to change. Steering the clients towards saying they would like to change is an important part of the process. Doctors typically use open-ended questions to do this.
Planning
Once the previous stages have been achieved, it is important for the client to take control of their future. They need to take the proper steps to go back out into the world. This becomes their chance to make the right decisions moving forward.
Get Help From Oceanfront Recovery
Addiction does not have to control your life forever. Oceanfront Recovery offers a number of different treatment programs to help you or a loved one overcome addiction. Some of these programs include:
- EMDR Therapy Program
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Program
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
- Family Therapy Program
From start to finish, Oceanfront Recovery offers a strong foundation of recovery to men seeking residential treatment programs for addiction. We believe that when you change your story, you change your life. Start your story of recovery today by calling 877.279.1777 for more information.
