Many addictions counselors, substance abuse counselors, nurses, and technicians that work in inpatient substance abuse treatment programs and detox programs have been certified to use remotivation. It has also been used as the primary education method in DUI driver education programs with superior outcomes to traditional lecture/discussion education methods.
Family members and significant others of addicted persons can also use remotivation to aid in the recovery process. Remotivation help people overcome denial and resistance to entering treatment. Remotivation is something you can do before the person recognizes their need for treatment.
Confronting the addicted person is the common response by health care professionals and family members. This can sometimes help in the beginning stages of dependency, but over time builds a defensiveness in the addicted person. This defensiveness must be overcome or undone to help the person move toward recognition of addiction and willingness to enter treatment.
Remotivation disarms the defensive person and helps you develop an open trusting relationship with the addicted person. Remotivation in non-judgmental and non-confrontive. You must intentionally move from a confrontive attitude toward the person to an accepting and appreciating relationship. This does not mean you accept and appreciate the addiction. It means you accept and appreciate the person. This allows you to avoid the conflict over the addiction and develop trust and rapport with the person. As you do this, the defensiveness and denial melts away and help the addicted person see the "reality" of their lives.
It can be difficult to switch from judgment and confrontation to acceptance and appreciation when the person has become defensive and has withdrawn from others into their addiction. But, to reach the addicted person, you must engage them in an objective, positive manner to develop the level of trust to help them to be willing to seek treatment.
