Motivational Interviewing

Deciding to get help for a substance abuse problem is only the beginning. Sobriety is a choice that people need to make every day and especially when treatment first begins, finding the motivation behind this choice can be a challenge. Motivational interviewing is one way to help those who are struggling along the way.

What Is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational interviewing is a therapy technique that looks to elicit change in those whose behaviors are hindering their progress in achieving a certain goal. A motivational interviewer will help the patient discover what is holding them back from making these changes as well as help them find the motivation to overcome these obstacles. Motivational interviewing techniques can be used to help those with physical health conditions like diabetes and heart disease as well as substance abuse disorders.

Motivation & Addiction Recovery

Just because a patient is in our residential rehab in Gilman doesn’t necessarily mean that they are ready to take all the steps necessary to get and stay sober. Some people are pushed by their loved ones to enter treatment, and now that they are left to stand on their own, their motivation to keep going is lacking. Other times, one setback in treatment could destroy a patient’s confidence and derail their progress. If this lack of motivation continues, it can severely hinder or even halt the recovery process. Those who are unable to overcome these internal hurdles may never be able to find lasting sobriety.

Along with helping patients find the motivation they need to continue their recovery journey, there are actually several benefits of motivational interviewing for substance abuse including:

Giving patients more self-confidence
Letting patients talk through their addiction problems
Increasing self-awareness
Visualization of a future without drugs or alcohol
Making patients more receptive to other treatment methods
Triggering necessary lifestyle changes surrounding addiction recovery
Decreasing the risk of relapse

Motivational Interviewing for Addiction Treatment

Addiction recovery is challenging. Many people will find that their progress stalls during treatment or they are not seeing the drastic changes that they hoped for. Because of these hurdles, we use motivational interviewing to help our patients overcome these challenges that may be holding them back during the recovery process.

Patients at our Iroquois County treatment center will work one-on-one with a trained therapist in a safe and judgment-free environment. The therapists will facilitate the conversation in a way that allows the patient to explore the obstacles that are preventing them from making more progress in their journey. Over time, the patient will find the confidence and motivation they need to overcome these obstacles and see more drastic results.

At Banyan Heartland, we also believe that addiction is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted solution. Because of its intricacies, our patients will participate in various rehab therapies and programming like motivational interviewing for addiction to aid them in the recovery process.

Together, these programs, activities, and evidence-based practices will help them work through the numerous aspects of their substance abuse problem and greatly reduce the risk of relapse after treatment is over.