When should you solve this?
You are worried about making it to the meeting tonight, as you don't have transportation lined up.
If the meeting is a priority for you, you should start asking around to obtain reliable transportation for the meeting as soon as you can.
Problem: Your roommate is leaving trash on the floor and you have asked them multiple times to pick up after themselves. This issue makes you anxious.
Solution: You give up and stop asking them, but hope they stop leaving trash out.
No. Nothing is going to get done from a lack of further action.
Instead: Talk to a house manager and explain your interventions so far, and ask for assistance.
Katie promised her friend that she would go to dinner tonight, but is now feeling sick.
Small problem - She should go home if she is too sick to go to dinner.
Role Play: There is a new hire who is going to share an office with you who you don't know. How could you start a conversation?
"Hi, my name is _________. What's your name?"
A peer appears to be under the influence while in group.
You should talk to a counselor or clinical director to ensure the safety of your peer, yourself, and others.
You are worried about your funding running out for staying in sober living in 3 months.
You don't have to act right away, however, you can start the process of securing more funding now.
Problem: You have a doctor appointment that requires you to miss the last 30 minutes of group.
Solution: You inform the facilitator that you had an existing appointment and will be leaving group early.
Yes. You explained your situation and notified the proper person.
You see some smoke coming from the building next door.
Role Play: You broke something of your partner's. They do not look happy. What do you say?
"I am so sorry that I was not respecting your things and it broke. It won't happen again."
Your spouse and you have been fighting and have not been able to hold a respectful conversation without it escalating to yelling.
You may want to involve someone else to act as a mediator between you two, such as a marriage counselor or a trusted friend.
A friend invites you to their birthday celebration at a location that you are not comfortable being in. They are asking you to RSVP by next week Monday.
You can start planning on how to let them know you won't be attending in the next couple days, in order to give them a notice ahead of time.
Problem: Your child is sick and you want to take them to Urgent Care to get them checked up on. You need to call in to work last minute.
Solution: You call your boss and explain that there is a medical emergency, letting them know you won't be coming in today.
Yes. You informed your boss of your situation, and are prioritizing your child's health.
Peter has to go out of his way to get gas in the morning and misses the first 10 minutes of group.
Small Problem - He can let the group facilitator know why he was running late.
Role Play: You were absent yesterday from work and missed a staff meeting. When you came back to work, you were really confused by some changes. What could you do?
"Hey ___, I was absent yesterday and I am not sure where to start. Can you help me when you have a minute?"
Your friend brought up an embarrassing story about you to your friends, and it has been brought up in conversation, making you feel embarrassed.
You can solve this issue between you and your friends. You can ask politely to stop bringing that story up because it makes you uncomfortable.
You see an event that you want to attend happening this summer. You currently don't have enough money saved up to attend.
You have time to plan to save for this event and do not need to take immediate action.
Problem: You haven't been sleeping well and have been feeling fatigued during the day, sometimes even falling asleep in group.
Solution: Do not make any changes to your routine and struggle to make it through group.
No. This is not addressing the issue and is causing you to miss out on group.
Instead: Talk with your counselor or medical practitioner and asking for help regarding this issue.
Greg went to the mall with his friends. He got lost and doesn't have a phone to contact them.
Medium Problem: He might need help to solve this problem. He could ask a security guard or find the help desk and call someone from there.
Role Play: You overslept and missed a previous commitment with a friend. You wake up to them calling you. How can you respond?
"I've been sleeping, I'm so sorry I slept through our plans. Can we reschedule? How can I make it up to you?"
Your friend told you that they were going to physically confront someone after group because of an issue they had that morning.
You may want to involve someone else. Because someone's safety could be in danger, this is an issue that may need to involve more than just yourself.
You are going to lead a meeting in 2 weeks and haven't started planning anything you are going to say.
You have some time, but can start planning your meeting now.
Problem: Your mother asks you to come over for Christmas, however she mentions there will be drinking.
Solution: You get very angry, and you call and yell at her that you won't be going because she clearly isn't thinking of your recovery.
No. This solution was not respectful and contained assumptions and anger.
Instead: Calling your mother when you are calm and explaining you won't be attending due to that being a triggering environment.
You were really nervous while leading a meeting. You messed up your whole plan and feel embarrassed.
Small Problem
Two of your friends are planning to hang out after group without you. This makes you feel jealous and left out. What do you say?
"Hey, I heard you were going to a meeting after group. Can I come with?"
Your coworker is talking loudly on the phone, and you can't concentrate on your work.
You can solve this problem between you two. You can ask your coworker to take their call somewhere else, or lower their voice next time.