Moral Reconation Therapy in Staten Island, NY

Moral Reconation Therapy is a cognitive-behavioral therapy option that can help a person to overcome their addiction to drugs or alcohol through the cultivation and development of higher reasoning skills and the building of a positive self-image.  The underlying idea of Moral Reconation Therapy is that a person with an addiction is motivated by a desire to avoid unpleasantness or discomfort at all times and feel pleasure instantaneously (i.e. hedonism), without regard to the consequences of such actions.

The Effectiveness of Moral Reconation Therapy

Moral Reconation Therapy first came about in the year 1988. However, it was not originally intended for use in the treatment of addictions. Instead, it was designed to be used to treat prison inmates and develop their moral reasoning skills to reduce recidivism rates once they were released from prison. However, the idea of developing higher moral reasoning turned out to be appealing for therapists who treat drug and alcohol addiction. Now today, Moral Reconation Therapy is used more prevalently in addiction treatment than anywhere else.

Studies have been performed to evaluate just how effective Moral Reconation Therapy is at treating drug and alcohol addictions. As it turns out, it is a highly effective treatment option. One of the biggest benefits of Moral Reconation Therapy is the fact that it greatly increases a person’s self-esteem and helps them to identify a purpose in life. These are issues that are universal to all people suffering from addiction and need to be effectively addressed before a person goes back out to face the real world on their own.

How Moral Reconation Therapy Works

Moral Reconation Therapy works by first helping a recovering addict to learn to be honest. Honesty with themselves and honesty with others is the only way to overcome an addiction to drugs or alcohol. The reason that honesty is so important is that in order to overcome an addiction is that it is next to impossible to really examine oneself and discover what motivates a person if they are not willing to be honest with themselves and the people who are trying to help them through the process. As such, honesty is the first issue to be dealt with in Moral Reconation Therapy.

With honesty comes growth. A person is able to reflect on their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and identify those that are negative or self-destructive in nature. They can then start building positive behaviors and habits to replace those negative ones all while developing a positive sense of identity. Moral Reconation Therapy builds positivity first and foremost and then seeks to get rid of negativity.

How Moral Reconation Therapy Fits Into Holistic Treatment

Moral Reconation Therapy is one of many treatments and therapies that all work together to create a holistic treatment program. It is highly effective at helping a person see themselves in a positive light and shed much of the negative self-talk and self-destructive tendencies that a person has when they are abusing drugs or alcohol.

In order to successfully recover from an addiction, though, it is necessary to treat the mind, body, and soul in a variety of ways. It is important to remember that Moral Reconation Therapy is only effective is a person has already broken their physical dependence on drugs or alcohol through detox (preferably medical detox). Some of the positive habits that replace negative ones in Moral Reconation Therapy can also be cultivated in other treatments like meditation and art therapy and then incorporated into the MRT plan.
Contact Staten Island Drug Treatment Centers at (929) 575-5202 with any additional questions you have about moral reconation therapy.