A Plan for Quitting! Recovery Worksheets

[Done_With_It!]

Client Worksheet 20

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Those Ugly Reminders

If you find yourself thinking about those "great" times when you used stimulants or fantasizing about being able to control your stimulant use, you may benefit from what can be called "ugly reminders" about your stimulant use. These can help you to remember that your stimulant use included some fairly serious negative consequences and problems.
But don't go overboard. It is important to remember the kinds of problems that your stimulant use caused. You don't, however, want to beat up on yourself. Rather, when you experience the warning signs of selective memory and fantasies of control, remind yourself about the dark side of your stimulant use.
• Make a list of all the people who were hurt as the result of your stimulant use. List the friendships that were damaged as a result of your stimulant use. Put down friends' names and mention at least one specific way in which they were hurt because of your stimulant use. When you feel cravings, fantasize about controlled use, or begin to daydream about how nice things were when you used stimulants, review the names on this list and call one of them.
• Do you have some visible reminder of the negative consequences of your stimulant use? This can include an eviction notice, a job termination notice, divorce papers, a car repair bill, notices from bill collectors, or a hospital bill. Take one of these and put it inside a table-top picture frame. Whenever you feel cravings, have selective memories about the positive aspects of stimulant use, or fantasize about controlled use, put the ugly reminder where you will see it for the next couple of hours.
• Make a list of all of the things that you lost as a result of your stimulant use. These can include lost jobs, opportunities for advancement, relationships, cars, money, and memories. Keep this list handy and look at it when you begin having cravings or thinking about the stimulant highs.
Client Worksheet 21

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Recreational and Leisure Activities

When you were using stimulants, there were times when your life focused on obtaining, using, and recovering from the effects of the drugs. There were times when your life was probably chaotic, out of control, and without structure. Recovery is an opportunity for you to develop a structure to your life and fill it with healthy activities.
Recreational activities are experiences in which you actively participate in an organized activity, generally with others, to have fun and enjoy life. They include participation in sports, arts and crafts endeavors, and table games, as well as sober dances, bowling, touch football, and card games. Some involve physical exercise. Leisure activities are things that you do primarily for relaxation and pleasure, and which don't involve much work. These include taking walks, having friendly conversations, reading books, watching movies, or watching sports activities.
• Before you began using stimulants, what type of recreational activities did you enjoy? What type of leisure activities did you enjoy? What were some of the benefits that you obtained from these activities?
• On Client Worksheet 22, Examples of Recreational and Leisure Activities, there are lists of recreational activities. Which of these do you find interesting? What are some of the benefits that you might obtain from these activities? In what ways could you incorporate these into your recovery program?
• On Client Worksheet 22 there are lists of leisure activities. Which of these do you find interesting? What are some of the benefits that you might obtain from these activities? In what ways could you incorporate these into your recovery program?
• Do you have any healthy hobbies? Do you see anything on Client Worksheet 22 that grabs your attention? Can you think of something else that would be personally satisfying?
Action plan

• Which recreational and leisure activities would you like to do within the next couple of weeks? Where would you go? When would you go? With whom would you go?
• What obstacles do you think you might encounter? What do you need to do to overcome these obstacles?
• What steps do you need to take in order to engage in these activities? Do you need help to organize the activities? When can you take the first step?
Client Worksheet 22

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Examples of Recreational and Leisure Activities

Recreational activities, leisure activities, and hobbies are all ways in which you can have fun, enjoy being with others, and add healthy activities to your life. They can also help you take your mind off drugs, add structure to your life, and maybe even learn something new. They can help you avoid being bored and restless. They can help you reduce stress and anxiety.
Recreational Activities Leisure Activities Hobbies
Backpacking Attending auctions Amateur radio
Baseball/softball Attending auto races Aquarium making
Basketball Attending concerts Arts and crafts
Billiards/playing pool Attending plays Astronomy
Bowling Attending sports events Auto repairing
Camping Bicycling Carpentry
Canoeing Bird watching Ceramics/pottery
Checkers Coin collecting Coaching Little League
Chess Crossword puzzles Computers
Dancing Dining out Cooking/baking
Golf Driving Electronics
Ice skating Fishing Flower arranging
Playing cards Hiking Gardening
Sailing/boating Horseback riding Genealogy
Shuffleboard Listening to music Home decorating
Skiing Painting Hunting
Skindiving Picnics Model building
Surfboarding Playing video games Photography
Swimming Reading books Playing music
Table tennis Roller skating Sewing
Touch football Sightseeing Singing
Volleyball Sunbathing Stained glass making
Weightlifting Talking to friends Volunteering
Other: _____________ Visiting museums Woodworking
Walks in parks Other: _____________
Watching movies and TV
Writing
Other: _____________