| One of the main things that I teach newly recovering | | | | can help the recovering person begin to repair the |
| alcoholics/addicts to do, is to identify the roles that | | | | damage caused in his life by addiction. To use this |
| chemicals play in their lives. This is especially important | | | | checklist, identify which problems you have, rank |
| since the chemical has occupied so many crucial roles | | | | them from most pressing to least pressing, taking |
| or functions and that removing it from a person's life | | | | into account the items as short term and long term |
| leaves big, gaping holes in their behavioral repetoire. | | | | goals. |
| When you identify the roles previously played by the | | | | The Problems Checklist |
| chemical, you then identify possible healthy | | | | Check the problems on this list that you have |
| alternatives to replace the roles with. Early on, it is | | | | currently. Identify whether you look at these items |
| usually simple things like meetings, prayer, meditation, | | | | as short term or long term goals. Rank the ones you |
| exercise, calling people for help, etc. Its pretty | | | | identified in terms of most pressing to least pressing, |
| difficult to learn sophisticated living skills when you are | | | | (i.e. #1, #2, #3). |
| hanging on by your fingernails. A little later in | | | | Check Rank |
| recovery, we are still working on replacing the roles | | | | ____ ____ Housing, or appropriate place to live |
| with healthy alternatives, but we are focusing more | | | | ____ ____ Medical or dental problems or need for |
| on developinig more indepth living skills, and working | | | | checkups |
| to solve the most pressing of problems. | | | | ____ ____ Regaining custody of children or finding |
| Often, by the time that someone finds his way to | | | | Appropriate childcare |
| recovery, he has focused so much on getting the | | | | ____ ____ Legal and court problems |
| next drug, using it, and getting over it, that they | | | | ____ ____ Relationship issues |
| don't have a full grasp of the disarray that his life is | | | | ____ ____ Social network problems (i.e. drug using |
| truly in. The bills may be stacked up and unpaid. | | | | friends/acquaintences) |
| There may be impending court dates. Extended | | | | ____ ____ Feeling management skills |
| family members may not be speaking to him. He may | | | | ____ ____ Education issues such as going back to |
| be unemployed or underemployed. He may lack | | | | school, GED, additional training, etc. |
| frustration tolerance, stress managment, feelings | | | | ____ ____ Psychololgical issues like anxiety, |
| expression skills, and inability to communicate and | | | | depression, mental confusion, mood swings, etc. |
| problem solve with others. The following problems list | | | | |