Motivation plays a critical role in alcoholism treatment. It influences an alcoholic to seek, complete, and comply with treatment and make long-term changes in their drinking habits. The motivation to get treatment and stay committed to being sober varies from alcoholic to alcoholic. It can be extrinsic, like getting imprisoned, or intrinsic, like improving one’s health.
Unfortunately, most alcoholics lack this critical motivation to change their addictive behaviour, which poses serious health, safety, legal, and financial risks. So, that’s where motivational interviewing comes in. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a technique for helping people find and build their motivation for change.
What Is Motivational Interviewing?
Definitions of motivational interviewing vary. Some refer to it as a counselling method. While MI is an effective modality for one-on-one counselling and group therapy, its focus is not on offering professional advice about the issue at hand. Rather, MI focuses on helping the individual explore and resolve their ambivalence about change.
MI is a way of conducting conversations about change to strengthen a person’s motivation and commitment.
Motivational Interviewing was introduced by psychologist, professor, and author William Richard Miller in a 1983 article and in the first edition of the book Motivational Interviewing, which he co-authored with psychologist Stephen Rollnick.
MI was originally developed to support patients with substance use disorders but is now being used to help people turn the corner on their longstanding self-destructive habits. It has become a staple of training in medical settings like primary care.
How and Why Does Motivational Interviewing Work
Quitting alcohol involves change. Change is hard, especially if you don’t have the resources to help you understand what and why you need to change and reliable support during the process. You may not want to change a negative behaviour or habit, even if it is causing problems, because you’re getting something out of it.
People generally will not make a change unless or until they are motivated to do so. In quitting alcohol, motivation varies from person to person. Some common facilitators of change for alcoholics include alcohol-induced illnesses, which often develop after prolonged, excessive alcohol use, and other serious alcohol use consequences.
Most alcoholics lack the motivation to change. Motivational interviewing can help them find that.
The principles of MI emphasize a collaborative therapeutic relationship between the MI practitioner and the client or patient. The MI practitioner guides clients toward change instead of getting them to change. They draw out the person’s values, wisdom, and priorities to explore possible reasons for change, also called evocation. Throughout the MI session, MI practitioners show compassion and express empathy. They honour the client’s autonomy and respect their decision about making a change or not.
Motivational interviewing has four fundamental processes that describe the flow of the conversation. Note that these processes are not linear.
1. Engaging
Engaging is usually the first step of the MI, and it aims to establish a working relationship between the patient and the person providing the treatment. A strong, established relationship is necessary for building trust. Trust is critical in getting someone to talk about their values, feelings, and perceptions.
In the MI process, a relationship is established through reflective listening, affirming the person’s strengths, and supporting their autonomy.
2. Focusing
Some people come into treatment without knowing what they want to achieve. When a person doesn’t have a clear goal, an MI practitioner can work with them to find what they wish to focus on. However, the MI practitioner or counsellor will only lead the conversation. It’s the client who must come up with the answers.
Some people may find a clear direction and goal in the first minute of the first session, while others may need many weeks. It does not matter because there’s no timeline for finding a particular goal in the MI process.
3. Evocation
Evocation is when the counsellor or MI practitioner draws out the client’s “change talk” about the focus. This is where the counsellor or MI practitioner helps the client uncover and understand their motivation to get sober. This is one thing that differentiates motivational interviewing from other counselling approaches.
4. Planning
Planning is optional and often only needed when the client is ready for the change and achieves their goal. For example, a client has completed a treatment and is ready to transition home. They can make a plan on how to remain sober, as a recovering alcoholic most likely has to deal with challenges and triggers outside the treatment facility. They become vulnerable and at risk of relapse.
In the MI planning process, the plan is based on the person’s expertise and insights. The MI practitioner’s role is to support the person to consolidate their commitment to change. They don’t instruct or advise the client.
If the client decides to make a change for their own reasons, they are most likely to succeed. After all, change has to start with oneself, not others.
Many studies have proved the effectiveness of motivational interviewing. For example, a study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that MI was effective in treating adolescents suffering from substance abuse disorder.
Find Your Why for Change at HARP
Finding the motivation to get treatment is just the first but critical step in an alcoholic’s journey to long-term sobriety. You must take many other steps, like getting rid of the substance from your body, attending counselling sessions and other therapies, dealing with post-rehab challenges, etc. It can be a long journey, and the driving force you uncover through motivational interviewing can help you stay on track.
HARP luxury alcohol retreat will assist you from the very beginning to the end of your alcohol recovery journey. The facility does its best to ensure you’ll get into rehab only once. HARP employs a holistic approach to alcohol treatment, gathers qualified specialists, and equips the facility with top-notch amenities to guarantee each client’s comfort while recovering.
Are you ready for a change? Talk to our compassionate staff to find out how HARP can help.
