Initially, addiction was considered a character flaw, and people struggling with it had nowhere to go for any reasonable or practical help, let alone compassionate care. They were institutionalized or jailed, blamed, and vilified for their disorder, and medical experts had not yet identified the concept of addiction recovery. Eventually, psychotherapists, physicians, and psychiatrists realized that addiction is a disease they could treat.
Today, based on research and evidence, there are many highly effective treatments that people can access in rehab centers. One of the more recent interventions introduced to rehab care is motivational enhancement therapy (MET). Denver, Colorado, motivational enhancement therapy services are available on an inpatient or outpatient basis at Mile High Recovery Center.
Regardless of new rehab interventions, the increase in addiction and overdose deaths in Colorado over the last decade is concerning. Unfortunately, ten Colorado counties do not have a single addiction treatment center serving them. Those counties have exceptionally high overdose rates. Fortunately, in Denver, Mile High Recovery Center is located a short distance from the historic Larimer Square. The center offers evidence-based inpatient and outpatient treatment to help anyone begin recovery at any stage of their lives.1
Ask the experts if you’re wondering what motivational enhancement therapy is or how effective MET is. Let the Mile High Recovery Center staff answer any questions about addiction treatment. Fill out our online form to be contacted by someone from our staff, or dial 303-268-2144.
Before MET, There Was Motivational Interviewing (MI)
One of the more recent additions to the canon of addiction treatment is motivational interviewing and its offshoot, motivational enhancement therapy. MI was developed in the late 1980s to the early 1990s by two therapists who worked with people struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs). William Miller and Stephen Rollnick understood that people want to feel they have a say in their own lives—not be told what to do, ordered around, or viewed as powerless and ignorant.
They developed MI to help people struggling with addiction who were ambivalent about change to identify their reasons for wanting change. People who feel invested in the treatment process because they make the choices have much better recovery outcomes.
Which Cases Are Ideal for MET?
Anyone having difficulty feeling motivated to make changes to their lives in pursuit of recovery can benefit from MET. People already onboard and heading to rehab, confident in the help it will provide, will not find MET beneficial.
People who undergo the very brief—usually one to four days—motivational enhancement therapy will typically seamlessly move from that into another form of therapeutic care, ready to put in the work.
Preparing for Motivational Enhancement Therapy in Colorado
MET preparation should be done by people struggling with a SUD who feel stuck in their situation because of feelings of ambivalence.
How do you know if ambivalence is present in your SUD case? Consider these signs:
- You question if you even have a SUD.
- One of your common refrains is that you can and will cut back when you want.
- You blame external factors for your addiction-related behaviors.
- You veer towards the excuse that everyone does it.
- You don’t accept responsibility for the havoc wrought by your SUD on those around you.
If you are a drinker, you may justify using alcohol because it’s a legal substance.
The truth is that if you have a SUD and have already decided to look into recovery options, then you are prepared for MET. Uncertainty in what you eventually want to do is a manifestation of your ambivalence.
The therapists at Mile High Recovery Center who provide this treatment are well-trained, compassionate, and laser-focused on helping you without forcing or patronizing you. In undergoing MET, you may find a wealth of motivation and resolve inside yourself you never realized was there.
What Is MET in Colorado? Find Out at Mile High Recovery Center
Reach out to Mile High Recovery Center for information about Denver, Colorado, motivational enhancement therapy services. We can play a part in breaking the cycle of addiction in Colorado. It doesn’t matter if you are on the fence, still in denial, or entirely unsure about rehab. MET can help you find your motivation for change.
Call us at 303-268-2144 or use our online form to connect with one of our staff members.
Footnote:
1Colorado Health Institute – Substance Use in Colorado
