Understanding Values
Principles or qualities that guide a person’s choices and behavior.
What are values?
An idea or assumption that a person accepts as true.
What is a belief?
The “S” in a SMART goal.
What is specific?
Health, honesty, stability, growth, and self-respect are examples of these recovery-supporting principles.
What are recovery values?
Attending treatment programming despite wanting to skip it is a choice that supports this value.
What is health?
Honesty, family, health, compassion, and responsibility are examples of this.
What are personal values?
This statement describes whether every personal belief is supported by objective evidence. (T/F)
What is false?
The “M” in a SMART goal.
What is measurable?
Telling the truth about cravings and asking for help demonstrate this value.
What is honesty?
Declining a risky invitation or suggesting a safer activity is an example of setting this.
What is a boundary?
This statement describes whether values must remain exactly the same throughout a person’s life. (T/F)
What is false?
The cognitive distortion demonstrated by the statement, “I made a mistake, so I am a complete failure.”
What is all-or-nothing thinking?
“I will attend three recovery meetings during the next seven days” is this type of goal.
What is a measurable goal?
Respecting boundaries, communicating honestly, and following through on commitments are actions that can support this value.
What is family?
Attending virtually, bringing a support, or committing to stay briefly are examples of this approach to an anxiety-provoking goal.
What is taking a smaller step?
This occurs when two important principles compete or someone’s behavior does not match what matters to them.
What is a values conflict?
A question that can help someone examine an unhelpful belief.
What is “What evidence supports this belief?”
Breaking a long-term goal into these makes it more manageable and less overwhelming.
What are smaller steps?
This frequently changes, which is why routines, accountability, and support are also needed to reach recovery goals.
What is motivation?
“Past relapses do not determine my future; I can learn and make different choices” is this type of belief.
What is a balanced belief?
The internal discomfort caused by behaving in a way that contradicts one’s beliefs or values.
What is cognitive dissonance?
This can be objectively verified, while a belief is an interpretation, opinion, or assumption.
What is a fact?
The missing SMART element in the goal, “I will call two sober supports.”
What is time-bound?
A temporary return to substance use or another unwanted behavior without completely abandoning one’s recovery goal.
What is a lapse?
Accepting this can help someone develop the skills and stability needed to become more independent.
What is support?