Admitting that you have a problem with addiction is one thing, quitting alcohol or drug use is another. Finding the motivation to get clean or sober is incredibly challenging. Despite the negative consequences associated with substance abuse, many people continue taking their addictive substances of choice. If you’ve been battling addiction and have unsuccessfully tried quitting before or are just struggling to find the motivation and courage to quit, motivational interviewing may help you jumpstart things.
At Impact Outpatient Program, we use motivational interviewing along with other therapeutic approaches in our addiction treatment programs. This technique is especially useful for those who need to gain clarity to overcome their fears and uncertainty about making the changes that come with quitting drugs or alcohol.
Effective Motivational Interviewing in Addiction Treatment
Unlike in other therapeutic techniques, in motivational interviewing, the therapist doesn’t delve into the root causes of your addiction. Instead, they encourage you to identify and solve problems for yourself. You and the therapist are collaborators in this process and the aim is to give you autonomy over your treatment and recovery. Being in charge of your actions and owning your recovery process empowers and motivates you to strive for long-term sobriety.
The therapist will ask you open-ended questions during the sessions and will recognize and affirm your progress. As the sessions progress, they’ll actively listen and guide you by reflecting on what you’ve said and recapping what’s been discussed.
The motivational interview process involves:
Engaging
The therapist starts by establishing a trusting and respectful relationship. The goal is to make you comfortable to encourage open and honest dialogue while reducing your uncertainty about therapy, treatment, and recovery.
Focusing
Next, the therapist will work with you to identify the specific behaviors you want to change or improve. This helps you get focused on your treatment. Instead of telling you what to do, the therapist will help you determine what you hope to achieve from treatment.
Evoking
Once you’ve identified what you’d like to change, the therapist will then ask you about your motivations for change. In other words, why do you want to get clean or sober? It could be to repair and improve your family and other relationships or for health and financial reasons.
Planning
At this stage, you and your therapist start ironing out how you’ll achieve the changes you want. This often involves coming up with a plan of action outlining the practical steps you’ll take to implement these changes in your life.
Reach Out Today
Don’t wait for addiction to destroy your life. Help is available at Impact Outpatient Program where we provide a range of treatment programs to beat addiction. Through our telehealth option, we are committed to helping clients receive affordable, evidence-based treatment at their convenience. Contact us today if you’re ready to start your journey to sobriety.