As addiction progresses, your substance of choice becomes the biggest priority in your life, which can cause you to neglect your responsibilities and stop pursuing your goals. The major changes to your brain chemistry can also impair your judgment and change your mood. During treatment, motivational interviewing and addiction therapy can help you learn the skills and tools you need to overcome a substance abuse problem. When you struggle with a substance abuse disorder, as over 20 million Americans do annually, your life can feel directionless and out of control. Addiction is a chronic condition that can affect anyone, as it’s a disease that doesn’t discriminate. Using substances even on a recreational basis carries the risk of addiction.
What is Addiction?
Drugs and alcohol are neurotransmitter inhibitors that impact your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Every time you use a substance, intoxication occurs because your brain releases more pleasurable neurotransmitters than it should. When intoxication ends, you have a depletion of neurotransmitters, which is responsible for the “come down,” effect. Because your brain connects your substance of choice with happiness and positive emotions, your pleasure and reward center rewards your substance use and punishes sobriety by controlling the release of neurotransmitters. When you’re exposed to triggers, which can be people, places, or things that remind you of your substance of choice, you deal with intense cravings. The longer you struggle with an addiction, the more damaging the consequences you experience become. Long-term abuse of substances can aggravate underlying medical and mental health problems and lead to organ and neurological damage. Several signs and symptoms of addiction include:
- Experiencing legal issues related to your substance use
- Having friends or family members confront you about your substance use
- Feeling guilt, shame, or remorse about your substance use
- Denying you have a substance abuse problem
- Dealing with withdrawal symptoms when you stop using
What is Motivational Interviewing and Addiction Therapy?
Motivational interviewing and addiction therapy focuses on combating ambivalence. During addiction, it’s common to stop pursuing personal, professional, and educational goals as drugs and alcohol become the central focus of your life. That’s why motivational interviewing and addiction therapy are a key part of substance abuse treatment. Inpatient and outpatient programs both utilize motivational interviewing and addiction therapy to improve your ability to move past a substance abuse issue. Finding realistic goals to pursue following treatment and during recovery is essential, as boredom can make you more prone to relapsing. Another reason motivational interviewing and addiction counseling is regularly incorporated in treatment programs is that it helps you plan for your future. Following treatment, you have to find employment, housing, and a stable source of income. Motivational interviewing and addiction therapy ensures that you have time to consider your goals and plans for the future. You can expect inpatient treatment to last for 4 weeks, although some residential programs offer long-term programs and additional services, like sober living options. Since the first step in the recovery process is withdrawing from your substance of choice, medically supervised detox programs limit the severity of your symptoms and improve your treatment outcomes. You can also involve your loved ones and family members in your treatment. Family and marital counseling are a great way to rebuild trust and establish healthy boundaries.
Finding Treatment Today
Don’t let addiction continue to control your life. Regardless of how long you’ve been using, or the length of your addiction, recovery is always possible. Treatments like motivational interviewing and addiction therapy ensure you have the support, guidance, and understanding you need to successfully recover. To find out more about your treatment options, contact us today at [Direct.]