Although levels of motivation at the start of therapy have no effect on treatment outcomes, improving a person’s motivation to change during treatment improves the likelihood of treatment success, the key lies in them believing change is possible. Improving an individual’s self-efficacy, in other words, a person’s belief in their capacity to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task has been found to improve treatment outcomes.
This is blog number 8 in the series 20 things you should know about rehabilitative treatment: What works. This list was compiled by the European Association for the Treatment of Addiction, according to the latest evidence.
Improving motivation
It does not make a difference if a person is willing and motivated to attend rehab at the start of treatment but improving a person’s motivation to get clean and sober during therapy improves the chances of success.
One way to improve an individual’s drive to change is through a type of therapeutic strategy called motivational interviewing or motivational enhancement therapy. Motivational interviewing refers to “a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change” and “is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion”.
Wanting to change, and believing that change is possible, is important for addicts and alcoholics in treatment
Research has found that two sessions of motivational interviewing delivered in a rehab setting significantly improved treatment involvement and outcomes compared to no provision of this kind of therapy.
Other strategies that have been found to increase a person’s enthusiasm to change include
- Providing feedback from assessments regarding the impact of substance use on physical, social, and psychological functioning.
- Providing direct advice about the need for change and how it may be accomplished.
- Attempting to remove significant barriers to change.
- Suggesting or providing alternative approaches from which the individual can choose to achieve change.
- Decreasing the attractiveness of substance use through increasing awareness of the negative consequences and risks associated with it.
- Utilising external pressures to enhance commitment.
- Developing a clear set of personal goals for change and maintaining periodic contact.
On the 7th February 2007, I found a place that cared as much for me and my recovery as I possibly do today. I met with Sheryl and completely removed all the masks I had worn for years.
★★★★★Thank you for all the help on my recovery. It really makes a huge difference in my life. Changes has provided me with everything I need to navigate my new, sober life and actually live again.
★★★★★My son was on the brink of destruction, but Changes stepped in. Their comprehensive approach and dedicated staff transformed him into a person I never thought I'd see again. Thank you for giving me my son back.
★★★★★I was fortunate to be a patient at Changes for 90 days. I did treatment at the primary and secondary facility and it really changed my life! I am forever grateful for the help I received.
★★★★★In the dark days leading up to finding Changes, I never knew the journey I was about to embark on. I had no idea what rehabilitation really meant and always had a stigma about addiction.
★★★★★I was done with life and reached out to rehab centers. Within 5 minutes, Changes called back, confirmed my medical aid authorisation, and after a week of being admitted I finally felt hope.
★★★★★A friend of mine was at his lowest point and after going through Changes, his life has turned around completely. Thank you, Changes, for all the help you provided him during his recovery.
★★★★★I just wanted to say thank you to the Changes Family for everything that you did so far to assist with my son. In the beginning, I felt like a terrible mom, but you guys have been truely incredible.
★★★★★When we found out that our daughter had an addiction problem, we were devastated and just wanted to get her the best possible help. After some research, we came across Changes. We couldn't have asked for better.
★★★★★Safe, confidential and thorough treatment helped me through a very difficult period in my life. Changes provided me with tools and skills to manage my illness and introduced me to a supportive network of people.
★★★★★Filled with love and rules, Changes will get you on the straight and narrow and help you find the real you. The structure and support they provide are truly life-changing, I am a very different person today.
★★★★★I cannot thank Changes enough for all the support, help and encouragement they have given my son. From primary to secondary to the halfway house, he has been treated with respect and care throughout.
★★★★★Improving self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief that they have the capacity to achieve their goal – in this case achieving long-term sobriety. Many clients who come into treatment have little confidence in their ability to change and quit using drugs or alcohol. Improving their belief in their ability to change improves the likelihood that they will, in fact, achieve the desired changes.
People with a high level of self-efficacy are both more likely to survive dangerous situations without drinking or using as well as return to sobriety quickly after a slip instead of a slip turning into a protracted relapse.
But how exactly is self-efficacy enhanced in treatment? Strategies that focus on relapse prevention have been found to increase self-efficacy. Aftercare programmes have also been found to improve an individual’s confidence in terms of successfully abstaining from substances. Other therapeutic strategies like cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational enhancement therapy have been shown to improve self-efficacy.
Are you looking for a treatment option geared at improving the drive to change as well as the confidence of achieving that change? Contact us today.
- Rehab Services including Assessments, Detox and Costs Of Treatment
- Private Rehab Facilities including Residential Inpatient, Long-Term Rehabs and Sober Living
- Counselling including Family Support, Outpatient and Dual Diagnoses
- Treatment Phases including Relapse Prevention, Aftercare and Stepwork