What is the Matrix Model in Addiction Treatment?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Addiction

As part of the substance abuse program at October Road, our counselors work with the Matrix Model to incorporate proven therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help patients create new behaviors by changing their thought patterns. It involves restructuring and reframing, guided discovery, journaling and thought records, among other techniques that are deemed fit for the patient. Motivational Interviewing is a counseling method that encourages the patients to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior.

What is the Matrix Model of Addiction Treatment?

The Matrix Model is a structured treatment approach that is administered of a 16 week period. It is mostly used for people who are addicted to stimulants. The treatment program is highly structured and mostly made of group therapy sessions.

How the Matrix Model Came to Be

The Matrix Model was actually developed in 1984 by a nonprofit called The Matrix Institute on Addictions during the cocaine epidemic in Southern California. Outpatient treatments were not designed to sufficiently treat the ongoing stimulant addiction crisis. Addiction researchers found that individuals with stimulant abuse issues tend to have less experience with addiction, longer periods of abstinence, and show fewer instances of denial about their addictions. While the Matrix Model is most often used with patients who are addicted to stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine, it is a multifaceted program that can be used for any type of substance abuse issue.

The model combines various traditional components of addiction treatment and separates recovery into four stages:

• Early recovery: Patients who are at the beginning of their sobriety journey. Our counselors will equip them with the support and tools they need to manage their addiction. A routine and treatment regimen will be created and monitored throughout this time. We will also conduct individual therapy sessions in order to gain a better understanding of the patient’s situation and how we can best guide their recovery.
• Family education: This portion of the matrix model is dedicated to teaching family members and loved ones about addiction, its effects on the body and mind, and how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. Family members will learn the best ways to provide encouragement and support for their loved one.
• Relapse prevention: This is a chance for patients to learn and share their success stories as well as their struggles. It creates a sense of community and belonging and provides inspirational coping mechanisms. Relapse prevention sessions will help patients change behaviors and patterns of thinking, and allow them to connect with others and find programs for long-term involvement.
• Social support: The social support portions typically occur towards the end of the matrix model treatment. It is a time for patients to find sober friends, new activities, and set themselves up for success in their new, healthy lifestyle.

If you are struggling with an addiction, or know someone who is, call October Road today at (888) 201-5086 to learn about our Matrix Model approach as well as our other treatment programs.