Coping Skills
This practice involves writing down your thoughts, feelings, and daily experiences to process emotions and track progress in recovery.
What is keeping a journal?
(or What is reflective writing?)
Talking to this type of professional can help you manage emotions, triggers, and mental health while in recovery.
What is a counselor or therapist?
This is the process of receiving professional help to address substance use, manage cravings, and learn skills to maintain sobriety.
What is treatment?
These intense desires or urges to use a substance can be triggered by stress, emotions, or environmental cues and are a normal part of recovery.
What are cravings?
Experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance after trauma may indicate this disorder.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Engaging in this regularly can produce endorphins/dopamine, improve mood, reduce stress, and lower the risk of relapse.
What is exercise?
Participating in this type of group can offer shared experiences, coping strategies, and encouragement in recovery.
What is a support group or 12-step group?
This physical and emotional response to challenges or triggers can increase cravings and, if unmanaged, raise the risk of relapse.
What is stress?
Experiencing this does not mean treatment has failed; it is often part of the recovery process.
What is relapse?
This feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease can increase cravings and make managing recovery more challenging if left unmanaged.
What is anxiety?
This practice involves paying full attention to the present moment, noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.
What is mindfulness?
These are people in your life who encourage sobriety, accountability, and positive choices.
What are supportive friends or family?
These two medications are commonly used to treat opioid use disorder by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms while supporting recovery.
What are methadone and Suboxone?
These are people, places, or situations that can spark cravings or urges to use substances, making it important to have a plan to handle them.
What are triggers?
This mood disorder is characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and low energy, and often co-occurs with substance use disorders.
What is depression?
This skill involves knowing your limits and communicating to others what is acceptable for your time, energy, and personal space to protect your recovery.
What is setting boundaries?
Many people in recovery find community, spiritual guidance, and a sense of purpose by attending this type of gathering place regularly.
What is a place of worship (acceptable: church)?
This type of treatment can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms for opioids, alcohol, and nicotine.
What is medication-assisted treatment (MAT)?
This neurotransmitter is released in the brain’s reward pathway when substances or behaviors are used, creating feelings of pleasure and reinforcing the behavior.
What is dopamine?
This skill involves recognizing, controlling, and expressing strong feelings in a healthy way to prevent conflicts and support recovery.
What is anger management?
This strategy involves imagining the likely consequences of giving in to a craving before deciding how to respond, helping you make healthier choices.
What is playing the tape (forward)?
This organization provides support and resources to family members and friends of people struggling with alcoholism.
What is Al-Anon?
This type of program allows individuals to attend therapy, counseling, or support sessions while continuing to live at home and maintain daily responsibilities.
What is outpatient treatment?
This hormone, released during stressful or exciting situations, triggers the “fight or flight” response by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy availability.
What is adrenaline?
Extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels that interfere with daily life can signal this disorder.
What is bipolar disorder?