Learn About MORE and Eliminating Opioid Dependence
Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an evidence-based treatment method that blends mindfulness training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and savoring practices.
MORE helps people struggling with substance use disorders (especially opioid addiction) reduce cravings and develop stress management skills. In doing so, they gain a sense of self-empowerment in recovery.
Catalina Behavioral Health is a JCAHO-accredited treatment facility in Tucson, Arizona. We use MORE as part of a customized, integrated treatment plan for clients who struggle with opioid misuse. Using the Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement framework, we help clients manage the emotional and physical challenges of restoring well-being after addiction.
Are you (or a loved one) looking for a long-term opioid therapy that will help achieve better mental health? If yes, we encourage you to continue reading and learn more about MORE and our comprehensive treatment offerings now.
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About Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement
Dr. Eric Garland, Ph.D., developed MORE after years of research in cognitive and affective neuroscience. The MORE approach teaches clients how to recognize their automatic reactions to cravings and stress, then shift their attention to healthier responses. As they observe their sensations and thoughts with curiosity instead of self-judgment, they feel greater control and stability.
MORE includes key components of mindfulness meditation, including breath awareness, along with cognitive tools to help clients manage the stressors that can trigger cravings or drug use. The techniques are helpful for opioid misuse because they target the emotional distress and neurological systems involved in pain sensitivity and compulsive use or cravings.
How MORE Helps People Living With Chronic Pain
Historically, doctors prescribed opioid drugs for treating long-term pain. However, current research shows how medication may actually increase pain sensitivity with extended drug use. MORE gives providers another option; it teaches people to observe their pain sensations, reducing the fear-driven reaction that often worsens physical discomfort.
A series of randomized clinical trial findings, published in outlets including JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that MORE can disrupt pain signals more effectively than cognitive behavioral therapy alone.
Research participants also returned to healthy pleasure, the natural ability to experience enjoyment without drugs.
Understanding the Link Between Opioid Misuse and Emotional Distress
Many people turn to opioid use to mask emotional dysregulation, a frequent result of anxiety, unmanaged stress, traumatic events, or loneliness.
MORE uses mindful positive emotion regulation to help people make space between the feeling and the urge to use drugs. That’s important because emotional reactivity is one of the key drivers of cravings that lead to a relapse.
How Does Addictive Behavior Develop in Opioid Use Disorder?
Opioid use disorder rewires the brain’s circuits, causing a neurological change that leads to valuing drug-related rewards over the positive everyday experiences of daily life. When that happens, opioid addiction becomes disproportionately powerful.
MORE integrates positive psychology and savoring practices that help retrain the brain to perceive joy and pleasant daily interactions again. As clients start noticing the satisfaction in daily life again, they make space for positive emotions to expand again, helping reset the brain.
Opioid Use Disorder: How MORE Supports Evidence-Based Treatment
Research on MORE has been partly funded by respected organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with multiple research trials at multiple academic teaching hospitals to evaluate how effective it is. Findings show that individuals receiving MORE reduce the chances of opioid misuse.
At Catalina Behavioral Health, we use MORE during medication-assisted treatment and in supportive group therapy. Our clinician team members also teach clients to use the strategy as a relapse prevention tool. Some clients also benefit from mindfulness-based therapy in addressing PTSD symptoms, which can cause great emotional pain
Addressing Major Depression, Addiction, Stress and Pain With MORE
MORE relies on cognitive and affective neuroscience. That gives clinicians a tool to regulate addiction, stress, and pain to help clients overcome the emotional suffering of depression and PTSD symptoms that can contribute to a relapse. Clients build new skills that allow them to:
- Recognize the first signs of emotional distress
- Pay closer attention to healthy experiences
- Understand painful physical or emotional sensations
- Rebuild trust and relationships
- Experience presence in the moment
MORE has been used in programs training clinicians across the United States, including mental health professionals and organizations providing mindfulness sponsored by institutions committed to improving drug addiction treatment outcomes.
Co-Occurring Opioid Misuse and Cognitive and Mindfulness Skills
Clients entering rehab may also have co-occurring opioid misuse along with a host of mental health conditions. We customize all treatment programs to suit each client’s specific treatment needs, including adding MORE to their recovery programs when appropriate.
When we integrate MORE with cognitive-behavioral therapy, clients gain greater insight into how their thoughts shape their emotional reactions, helping them stop relying on unhelpful ways of coping with mental illnesses to healthier ways of managing the stress of untreated mental health conditions. Treating the mental illness and addictive behavior simultaneously leads to lasting recovery.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions and the Science Behind MORE
MORE is a structured mindfulness-based therapy. It takes standardized exercises, clear goal-setting, a session-by-session framework, and therapist adherence to be most effective.
MORE blends traditional and modern concepts, such as mindful positive emotional regulation, which helps clients learn to shift into positive emotions instead of using substances for emotional relief.
Clients savor pleasing experiences, including calming music, sunshine, and warm conversations, to help the brain generate natural reward responses.
Up To 100% of Rehab Costs Covered By Insurance
Get Effective Support for Recovery from Opioids at Catalina Today
Have the ups and downs of substance abuse and related mental health conditions left you exhausted and ready for change?
Seeking help from a professional medical center is a great decision. Our team will support your needs from the moment you enter our facility until you are ready to implement your aftercare plan.
Call our admissions representative confidentially today to discover how our treatment options can support your return to a healthy everyday life.