Recovery Basics
Recovery involves more than simply stopping substance use. Name one other area of life that may need to change.
Relationships, coping skills, routines, thinking patterns, emotional regulation, environment, etc.
What is a trigger?
An internal or external cue that increases thoughts, emotions, cravings, or urges associated with substance use or unhealthy behavior.
Name one healthy coping skill you can use when feeling overwhelmed.
deep breathing, exercise, temperature change, grounding exercises, meditation, etc....
True or False: Setting a boundary means controlling what another person does.
False
Name three emotions besides happy, sad, and angry.
Anxiety, guilt, shame, disappointment, loneliness, excitement, jealousy, fear, etc.
What does HALT stand for?
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.
Name one internal trigger and one external trigger.
Internal: anger, anxiety, loneliness, boredom. External: people, places, substances, conflict, social events.
In DBT's STOP skill, what does the S stand for?
Stop.
What is an example of a healthy boundary?
Various appropriate answers accepted.
What is one difference between guilt and shame?
Guilt focuses on behavior ("I did something bad"); shame focuses on identity ("I am bad").
True or False: Having a craving means that you are failing at recovery.
FALSE
True or False: Relapse usually begins with the moment someone uses a substance.
False. Warning signs and emotional/behavioral changes can occur well before substance use.
What's the difference between a coping skill and avoidance?
Coping helps someone manage an emotion or problem effectively; avoidance is an attempt to escape the experience without addressing it.
What's the difference between being supportive and enabling?
Support encourages healthy behavior and accountability; enabling protects someone from consequences or makes unhealthy behavior easier to continue.
What does it mean to practice radical acceptance?
Acknowledging reality as it currently exists without approving of it or fighting against the fact that it happened.
What is the difference between abstinence and recovery?
Abstinence means not using substances; recovery involves making broader behavioral, emotional, relational, and lifestyle changes.
You notice you've stopped attending meetings, you're isolating, and you're thinking, "I've got this now." What might these be?
Early warning signs of relapse/complacency.
You're angry after an argument and immediately want to text something you'll probably regret. What skill could help?
STOP, PAUSE, take a beat, etc...
Someone becomes angry when you set a boundary. Does their anger automatically mean your boundary was inappropriate?
No
You have an entire Saturday with nothing planned and notice yourself becoming bored, lonely, and restless. Name three healthy ways to manage the downtime.
Plan an activity, exercise, attend a meeting, practice intentional rest, complete a hobby, contact support, get outside, volunteer, etc.
Name three things that can strengthen someone's recovery.
Examples include support meetings, therapy, routine, healthy relationships, coping skills, exercise, medication adherence, spirituality, hobbies, boundaries, etc.
Your old friends invite you to a party where you know substances will be present. Give three parts of a relapse-prevention plan for this situation.
Decline the invitation, bring sober support, have an exit plan, drive separately, attend an alternative activity, contact a sponsor/support, use coping skills, etc.
Name five coping skills that don't require another person.
Deep breathing, grounding, journaling, exercise, mindfulness, music, walking, distraction, meditation, hobbies, etc.
Turn this into an assertive "I" statement: "You never listen to me and you don't care!"
Example: "I feel dismissed when I'm interrupted, and I need an opportunity to finish what I'm saying."
Name seven things that can put recovery at risk.
Isolation, complacency, unhealthy relationships, unmanaged mental health symptoms, lack of routine, poor sleep, romantic conflict, stopping treatment, high-risk environments, dishonesty, boredom, untreated stress, etc.