Motivational Interviewing: Stages of Changes

A Look at the 5 Stages of Change Achieved in Treatment at Icarus

Are you struggling and looking for new hope? Have you tried to heal your substance abuse disorder to no avail? If more traditional therapies have not brought you long-term success, please don’t give up. The next best move for you could be the motivational interviewing: stages of change therapy model.

MI is an innovative way of addressing the distinct challenges of drug and alcohol addiction. This counseling technique isn’t more of the status quo. Instead, it’s a compassionate and empowering way to use intrinsic motivation to get – and stay – clean and sober. These five stages of change are powerful motivators that focus on each client’s ability to change.

MI means meaningful conversation that assists individuals in resolving ambivalence. It also means aligning your actions with your values and goals. One frequent barrier to a client’s commitment to recovery is reluctance to change. This change process can become an essential tool, guiding you during recovery. It also helps in finding the inner strength.

Keep reading. You’ll learn more about this change plan and how our team at Icarus Behavioral Health can help you change your life. And this time, it can be for good.

JR Needed to Turn His Life Around

JR was a married man with two children – a family guy who had received many wonderful opportunities throughout his life. But after a rough patch in his marriage, he started to feel distracted. That led to making mistakes at work, and losing his job would only worsen his current situation at home.

A co-worker gave him some Adderall, telling him how it would help him focus while on the job. When he took the pill, he stayed actively involved at work, boosting his self-confidence and getting the job done. He was no longer worried about a job loss. He and his wife had regained their balance and had smoothed out their differences.

But he realized he had a bigger problem. Because he had developed a tolerance for the Addys, he started to take more. He visited his doctor and explained that he’d been taking them for his self-diagnosed ADHD. The doctor explained that JR did not have ADHD. Instead, the doctor suggested that he start exploring a drug treatment center.

JR resisted that – who was this guy to tell him what to do? But after he realized how badly he’d lost control, he started to identify some behaviors that told him the doctor might have been right. JR came clean with his wife and family. They decided to call Icarus Behavioral Health to ask questions about treatment. They learned that JR’s health care plan covered the expenses. While his wife was not happy, she would not let him fall. With social support from his wife and family, JR went to Icarus. He had immense motivation to move past this situation.

They helped him with motivational interviewing, or change talk. JR learned how to change his behavior, build self-efficacy, and get clean again. He learned coping strategies to ensure he can have more balance moving forward. Today, JR is back to work and enjoying living again, with his wife and children at his side.

JR found help for his behavior at Icarus – will you be our next success story?

Understanding Motivational Interviewing and the Change Process

Motivational interviewing is incredibly helpful for combatting substance use. However, it has wide effectiveness beyond addiction treatment. It offers significant benefits in encouraging positive behavioral changes and helping people with both mental and physical health conditions. For example, it can also help a compulsive overeater change their eating habits or try more physical activity to lose weight. Another example is how it can assist smoking cessation efforts; once the person understands why they light up, they can often stop smoking.

From altering lifestyle habits to addressing mental health concerns, MI helps you understand why you want to change. Once you understand your own why, you can make the best-informed decisions. You’ll also then be ready to take proactive steps.

The primary aim of MI is to encourage you to explore and discuss unresolved feelings. These difficult conversations are important for paving the way for positive change.

In the context of a substance use disorder, MI creates a safe space for you to discuss your struggles. As a result, you discover the root causes of your triggers. You also start to understand better what motivates you.

The 5 Stages of Change Model (Transtheoretical Model)

The Stages of Change Model, or transtheoretical model, can help you see how this therapy is effective in behavioral health, especially in recovery from substance use.

These stages of change are not linear but cyclical. Knowing this rise and fall allows for a more realistic representation of this behavior change.

1) Precontemplation Stage of Change

People are not yet considering a change in the pre-contemplation stage. They may be unaware of the negative aspects of their current behavior. They might even deny it. In the context of addiction, this might manifest as not recognizing there’s even a problem.

2) Contemplation Stage

Individuals identify the problem and start thinking about change during the contemplation stage. However, they may not be ready to commit to making any changes. It’s an important stage. Still, it’s a time of internal conflict between the desire to change and the challenges or fears.

3) Preparation Stage

People start acknowledging the need to reclaim their lives as they enter the change preparation stage. Plans may include asking key questions about treatment options. As a general rule, this questioning comes from a place of genuine curiosity. Clients in this stage start to set the intention to make those changes.

4) Action Stage of Change

People actively engage in behavior that leads to change in the action stage. In addiction recovery, this could mean you enter treatment. But it might also be attending support groups like AA or SMART Recovery or trying to avoid using on your own. This stage can be challenging, as some clients try to quit using on their own before reaching out for support. That’s okay – it’s part of the process.

5) Maintenance Stage: The Final Stage of Change

This stage focuses on sustaining the new behavior over the long term and preventing relapse. The maintenance stage involves continued commitment. It’s also the time to find strategies to maintain sobriety and cope with temptations with greater confidence.

Understanding each stage can help you see the effectiveness of this therapy. Thus, you better understand how the stages of change can help you get (and stay!) clean and sober.

MI Strategies and Addiction Treatment

Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of MI in treating substance use disorders. Its empathetic, non-confrontational approach can break through in individuals who may be defensive or unaware they need to make changes. MI’s change talk and reflective listening portions help individuals develop their motivation to change. That can make an enormous difference in a successful recovery.

MI Techniques and Long-term Behavioral Changes

Beyond immediate treatment outcomes, MI can help you make long-term behavioral changes. It focuses on personal goals and values. Besides that, it helps you find strategies for coping with possible setbacks. As a result, it translates to a lower likelihood of relapse. The skills and insights gained through MI will help you manage your behavior more effectively in the long run.

Motivational Strategies and Empowering You

One of the things you might appreciate most about MI is how it empowers you. MI makes you part of the solution. Its collaborative nature means you’re part of decision-making. This empowerment translates to increased ownership and self-efficacy throughout your recovery.

Make Needed Changes and Get Lasting Recovery at Icarus

Motivational interviewing gives you a compassionate and effective path to overcoming addiction. The client-centered approach respects your reasons for change. Our health professionals use MI as a tool to help you get clean and stay clean – for good. We also have many forms of therapy that can complement this one, each custom-suited to each client.

Are you ready to change? There’s no better time than today to make the commitment. Contact us today. Together, we can help you find a healthier, more fulfilling new life.