Motivation to change

Confrontation is effective for increasing motivation to change. True or False ... 

One way to overcome our own biases about motivation to change is to consider change as a continuum, not just as an either-or proposition. Behavior change can happen in a wide variety of ways, perhaps in ways that may not even occur to us. I have worked with some clients who solved their problems in very creative ways that would not have occurred to me. Sometimes those pathways to change varied from what I had recommended, but ultimately worked well for the client in a manner that surprised me. Since changing a drug problem can happen in multiple ways, as illustrated in Chapter 1, it also is safe to assume that... 

There are several different ways to encourage motivation to change behavior that may be useful to a professional. Just as with matching the client to the appropriate referral, it pays to match the client to the appropriate style for encouraging motivation. The following section discusses different strategies to encourage motivation in clients in work and under different conditions. 

People are not usually motivated to change when they feel good. If you have taken no risks in your learning experience, you may have succeeded in avoiding the pain of making mistakes and the discomfort that comes from anxiety about whether plans will turn out as Intended. But you may now be lacking any Impetus to change. 

Motivation to Change Change without Formal Treatment Self-Help Groups Alcoholics Anonymous Other Self-Help Groups Models of Substance-Use Disorders Five Model Categories Biopsychosocial Model Professional Treatment Assessment and Goals... 

With this framework we can begin our presentation on treatment of the substance use disorders. Like Figure 15.1, we start with a discussion of problem recognition and motivation to change. 

Terms like motivation have been around as long as human behavior has been observed and interpreted. Motivation to change has been considered essential if there is any hope that treatment of a behavioral or psychological problem will be effective. In the context of substance-use disorders, motivation to change is discussed often and sometimes heatedly. For example, it frequently is asserted that the major barrier to change is the person s denial that he or she has any problem at all with alcohol or drugs. 

With problem recognition and a source of motivation to change, the next step is a decision about how change will occur. We consider in turn problem resolution on one s own, the use of self-help groups, and the use of professional treatment. services. 

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