Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) in Durham, NC – (919) 267-1662

Developed in 1988 as a tool to help habitual offenders learn to live within the limits of the law, moral reconation therapy, or MRT, has since been widely used to help foster healthy, socially conscious behaviors and attitudes in drug and alcohol addicts. The therapy is based on the principle that addicts are driven to seek pleasure – or the ‘high’ that comes from using – and avoid pain in the short-term, regardless of long-term effects on themselves or others. There are many different underlying reasons that an addict may adopt such destructive beliefs, but MRT can help each individual address the causes and triggers of their own addiction and find ways to replace destructive thoughts and behaviors with positive ones.

How Does Moral Reconation Therapy Work?

As a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, MRT aims to show addicts how their beliefs and thought patterns (cognition) directly affect what they do (behavior). Understanding the beliefs and thought processes that lead to addiction is central to the success of any addiction treatment. Without this understanding, the chances of relapse are significantly higher, because the underlying psychological causes haven’t been addressed, even if the physical dependence has been broken with medical detox.

Once you begin to understand the negative beliefs that led to your addiction in the first place, you can learn to replace those beliefs with a more positive outlook, a higher respect for yourself and others, and a new sense of purpose. In addition, studies have shown that MRT can help improve reasoning skills, teach recovering addicts healthier ways to express emotions such as anger or frustration, improve an addict’s ability to take care of him or herself, and reduce potentially dangerous behaviors like reckless driving.

Therapy with an Inner and Outer Focus

Any addiction recovery starts with honesty. As long as an addict continues trying to deceive himself about his addiction or his own personal responsibility for the addiction, true recovery will not be possible. However, MRT looks at more than just the inner aspects of addiction recovery. For most people, a changed view of themselves will also lead to a changed view of the world and the people around them. Learning to view the world and the people in it more positively can mean the difference between a recovering addict who feels loved, supported, and needed, and a relapsed addict who still feels targeted and threatened in a hostile world.

MRT is conducted in a group setting with some individual exercises included. This group setting is often key to developing empathy, and can help you learn to view the world with a more positive outlook. It will also give you the chance to meet people who are going through the same struggles you have experienced, and even to begin helping others through their addictions.

Moral reconation therapy is one of many proven therapies that we recommend at Durham Drug Rehab Centers. Contact us today at (919) 267-1662 to find out more about MRT, our addiction recovery treatment programs, and how you can find a greater sense of peace and confidence in a drug-free lifestyle.