CLIENT WORKBOOK

Welcome to the Recovery Institute of America! Through our

exclusive program, you are provided the opportunity of
recovery. You are about to obtain the appropriate tools to
change your life and build a better future. In this book you will
discover what makes our program unique, and learn the skills
to overcome your addiction.
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Table of Contents
TAKE A-P-A-R-T YOUR DISEASE ...................................................................... 3
TREE OF FEELINGS ........................................................................................... 4
THE ART OF FEELING ........................................................................................ 5
LIFE’S PURPOSE ................................................................................................ 6
WHO AM I ASSIGNMENT....................................................................... .…......10
WHO I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME ASSIGNMENT .......................................... 11
20 CONSEQUENCES ASSIGNMENT................................................................ 12
THE FIRST STEP ............................................................................................... 16
THE SECOND STEP .......................................................................................... 31
THE THIRD STEP .............................................................................................. 34
FAMILY MEMBERS PROBLEM LIST ASSIGNMENT ....................................... 36
PERSONAL INVENTORY ASSIGNMENT ......................................................... 33
20 RESENTMENTS ASSIGNMENT ................................................................... 37
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION ASSIGNMENT ................................................. 41
PERSONAL AFTERCARE PLAN ...................................................................... 41
PERSONAL SOBRIETY PLAN .......................................................................... 43
WORKBOOK ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION CHART....................................... 44
CO-EXISTING DISORDERS SECTION ............................................................. 45

This Book Belongs To:

(First Initial, Last Name Only)

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Recovery Institute Of America

CLIENT WORKBOOK
WELCOME TO RIOA, YOUR NEW LIFE BEGINS TODAY!

There are four unique characteristics of RIOA that are not found in any
other program in the World.

The first is “Take A-P-A-R-T Your Disease”, the second is the “6 Basic
Feelings”, the third is the “Art of Feeling” and the fourth is “Life’s Purpose”.

Take A-P-A-R-T Your Disease

ACCEPTANCE: You must accept your situation for what it is. You have
a disease which has changed the way you interact with the world and with mind
altering substances in the past and future.

PLAN: Once you come to terms with your addiction, you can start to make a
plan for life without mind altering substances. Whatever the circumstances that
brought you into treatment, they do not define your life in recovery.

ACCOUNTABILITY: In order to live that plan, you must take full

accountability for the behaviors and attitudes that led you to treatment. This will
empower you to deal with the consequences.

R ESPONSIBILITY: Once you take accountability, you can accept

responsibility for your behavior. This may take many forms. Ultimately, you must
be willing to do whatever it takes to compensate those you have harmed or
damaged as a result of addictive behaviors.

TIME: You must allow patience because it takes time to recover. You
didn’t become addicted overnight and you will not recover overnight. RIOA’s
hypothesis is that it takes a person one month of “involved intention” (treatment,
follow-up, ongoing therapy or 12-step recovery programs) for every year you
have lived to recover. For example, if you are 21 years old, plan on 21 months of
“involved intention” in order to regain emotional balance in your life.

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TREE OF FEELINGS
The six Basic Feelings are a critical part of the communication process. You
will process feelings throughout your life, and it’s important you learn to
communicate feelings accurately. People often say “I feel”, but express what they
think. One example would be the statement, “I feel like it’s going to rain.” “It’s
going to rain” is not a feeling, it’s a thought. An appropriate expression would be
“I feel MAD because I planned a picnic today and now I have to cancel.” In other
words, “I think it is going to rain. I feel mad.” You can’t think your way out of
something you felt your way into.

The six Basic Feelings form the tree from which all other feelings are “rooted”. As
follows:

SAD
MAD
GLAD
AFRAID
ASHAMED
HURT
Every word or phrase that you can use to describe your feelings always boils down
to one of these six. Any other feelings “branch” off from these. Just as the
branches are interconnected, we all feel all of these feelings at any given time.
They are coded into our DNA.

These six basic feelings are very simple and they take the guesswork out of what
you are truly feeling. These six words are difficult to rationalize, minimize, or
manipulate, therefore, they hold you responsible for your feelings.

It is important that you take responsibility for your feelings, because if you don't,
you will never resolve the core issues behind them.

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t control your feelings. You can, however,
control your thoughts and behaviors associated with your feelings, as you will learn
in the cognitive behavioral therapy provided by RIOA. Your actions or reactions
are dictated by your feelings, by how you deal with them or fail to deal with them.

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THE ART OF FEELING

HOW TO “DEAL” WITH YOUR FEELINGS

1. Recognition
2. Experience
3. Acceptance
4. Expression
5. Resolution

1. RECOGNIZE your feeling(s). First you must memorize each of the 6 Basic
Feelings. MAD, SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT. Once you do, it
becomes second nature to recognize them. Once recognized, you can move
on to EXPERIENCE.

2. EXPERIENCE your feelings. Close your eyes and imagine where you
physiologically experience your feelings. For instance, when you are Mad, do
you feel tension in your shoulders? Does feeling Hurt affect your heart in some
way? Is feeling Glad a tingling sensation in your head? The point here is to
identify the sensations attached to your emotions. It confirms that they are real
and live inside you. They have a purpose. This will help you identify the
dominating feelings of any given moment, leading you to ACCEPTANCE.
Once you recognize and acknowledge the feeling(s) you are experiencing in
the moment, you are likely to accept your current emotional state.

3. ACCEPTANCE is when you no longer try to hide, minimize, rationalize, deny,

or manipulate your feelings. It's when you surrender to the way you are feeling
and you allow yourself to be okay with your emotions. Upon actually accepting
the way you feel in that moment, you can move on to EXPRESSION.

4. EXPRESSION is when you let others know that it's okay to feel the way you do
by sharing your feelings with them. Expressing your feelings to another person
you trust permits the listener to share his/her feelings in return. Sharing one’s
feelings with someone safe (trusted friend or therapist) solidifies the emotional
bond between people and builds intimacy. Intimacy fuels trust, which creates
emotional safety. Once you express your feelings directly and verbally to
another person, you will generally move into RESOLUTION.

5. RESOLUTION comes when you have expressed your feelings via the above
process. This allows you to process through the feelings and move forward
with your life. Resolving a current feeling that is connected to a specific person
or event will help you to regain control of that energy, which in turn will alter
your perceptions or decisions in a positive manner.

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Above all, you will discover that the 6 Basic Feelings are natural and legitimate
under any circumstances.

Life’s Purpose
(RIOA’s Intensive “Life’s Purpose Workshop” is available to you if you are seeking a higher
level of self-awareness, as well as significant specialized parenting skills, once you’ve stabilized
in your sobriety/recovery).

Life’s Purpose represents your enthusiasm for life. Children tend to approach
life with innocent curiosity. Rather than dreading rainy or snowy days, they look
forward to the experience as new and exciting. They don’t worry about money
and trust implicitly that the world will keep spinning and that responsible authority
figures will solve any problems. Life’s Purpose is about recapturing your
innocence and enthusiasm and helping you to set boundaries in your adult life!

Life’s Purpose is an educational process, as well as a journey of personal self-

discovery. The old adage, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.” is far from the
truth. RIOA’s notion is, “What you don’t know runs you.” This process will create
a new and healthy perspective about you and will assist you in developing strong
personal boundaries.

Life’s Purpose will help you to begin to uncover subtle unresolved issues in your
life that contribute to repetitive destructive behaviors or relationships. You will be
“heard and acknowledged” in ways you didn’t believe possible. Additionally, you
will acquire the natural skills to deal with difficult people with ease and
understanding.

All of us have “emotional triggers” from our earlier years that at times erupt for no
apparent reason. It could happen when meeting a new person, dealing with an
authority figure, or simply addressing a family member. Life’s Purpose will
provide insight into such uncomfortable events, as well as provide you with the
tools to minimize your reactions to people and things that once controlled you.

Life’s Purpose is exciting and enlightening. It also makes for one of the most
powerful parenting tools available today.

CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR Life’s Purpose

Your Life’s Purpose is comprised of eight characteristics. On the following page
is a brief description of the characteristics of your Life’s Purpose. Our staff will
assist you in rebuilding your Life’s Purpose by identifying and repairing the
aspects that never properly developed. Our ultimate goal is to assist you in
obtaining a healthy Life’s Purpose that will enhance your life and the lives of
those around you.

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THE 8 HEALTHY CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR Life’s Purpose

1. Spontaneous – This characteristic allows one to act at the spur of the

moment. It is not impulsivity, but rather a healthy ability to engage in
activities without the need to micromanage every detail. This behavior
comes from witnessing caregivers (mom, dad, sibling, clergy, teacher,
relative, or other major caregiver) modeling healthy adult spontaneity to a
child during his or her formative years.

2. Worthy – A person with this characteristic possesses a natural, organic

sense of worthiness. One instinctively feels that one’s attempts to
contribute to people in the family are appreciated. This characteristic
comes from being acknowledged as having worth as a child, without
having to prove oneself as such to one’s caregivers.

3. Healthy Dependence – This is a set of boundaries that naturally

occur as a result of caregivers (mom, dad, sibling, clergy, teacher, relative
or other major caregiver) modeling healthy adult interdependency to a
child during the formative years. Our staff will assist you in determining
codependence from interdependence.

4. Idealistic – This characteristic encompasses an innocent perception of

life in which one lacks critical, negative judgment of others. This
characteristic accepts most people as wondrous, good, and trustworthy.
This comes from caregivers (mom, dad, sibling, clergy, teacher, relative,
or other major caregiver) shielding children from the struggles of adult life
which would be inappropriate during the formative years. It is also a result
of setting and modeling healthy adult boundaries for a child during those
same formative years.

5. Vulnerable – This characteristic comes from a caregiver (mom, dad,

sibling, clergy, teacher, relative or other major caregiver) modeling
appropriate vulnerability to a child during the formative years. The adult
expresses his or her feelings and thoughts appropriately and the child is
allowed to express feelings without consequence or persecution. Healthy
communication encourages vulnerability while maintaining age
appropriate boundaries. The child will understand that no one is perfect,
and he or she can make mistakes and grow from them.

6. Curious – This characteristic allows a child to explore the world with

wonder and curiosity. It comes from caregivers (mom, dad, sibling, clergy,
teacher, relative, or other major caregiver) modeling their own curious
excitement about new things to the child during the formative years.

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7. Needy – Healthy neediness comes from caregivers (mom, dad, sibling,

clergy, teacher, relative, or other major caregiver) modeling and allowing a
child to express their natural human needs (closeness, sharing of feelings,
disappointing news, etc.). Neediness is not a childish behavior, unless
expressed in a childish manner by an adult. Healthy neediness solicits
and acknowledges that one’s needs be met. Once healthy needs are met
by another human being without resentment and without a sense of
shame, the need is put to rest. Children that observe their caregivers
meeting each other’s needs internalize the healthy process of meeting
their own needs.

8. Valuable – This characteristic is instilled in a child based upon how a

caregiver (mom, dad, sibling, clergy, teacher, relative or other major
caregiver) treats a child during the formative years. If the child is
validated, acknowledged and listened to by his/her caregivers, he/she will
develop a natural sense of value.

DAMAGED Life’s Purpose

If any component of a child’s Life’s Purpose is stifled during the formative years,
the child will internalize and carry this damage throughout life. Many times, the
result of a damaged Life Purpose presents itself in an adult in the form of
addiction, mental health issues, abusive relationships, depression, anxiety,
isolation, co-dependence, abuse of their own children, and the list goes on.

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Life’s Purpose SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT

Identify and begin the healing process within your Life’s
Purpose

You are to explore at least two characteristics of your Life’s Purpose which you
feel were damaged during childhood. In 100 words or fewer, please explain your
current understanding of how this healthy characteristic may have been stunted
during your formative years. Be VERY SPECIFIC in your examples and include
our feeling words in each (MAD, SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

EXAMPLE: CURIOSITY

My mother used to stifle my curiosity as a child. She

would prevent me from seeking out new friends who were
different from me. She would also make statements such as
“curiosity killed the cat you know”. This was meaningless
to me then and now, yet, it still stifles me. It prevents me
from trying new things and taking healthy risks that I see
“normal people” take. I feel SAD and ASHAMED.
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WHO AM I ASSIGNMENT

In 500 words or fewer, please write how you would introduce yourself to a new
group of people. Try to write about who you are rather than what you do.

Example:
My name is Mary Jones. I’m 31 years old. I live in
Ohio. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Who I am today
is…
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WHO I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS:
In 500 words or fewer, please describe who you would like to become. Where do
you see yourself in six months or a few years from now?

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20 CONSEQUENCES ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTIONS:
Please list twenty consequences of your drug, alcohol and/or chemical abuse.
Use specific examples in which you received an undesirable result from your
drug, alcohol and/or chemical abuse. At the end of each example, write how you
feel (MAD, SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT) about each particular
consequence.

Regardless of how long ago you experienced the consequence, write it in the
“here and now” as though it just occurred.

You MUST have the following four elements in each consequence:

1. You are required to begin each example with the three words “Because of
my” and continue with (Alcohol, Benzodiazepine, Pain Pill use).

2. Include what happened and BE SPECIFIC.

3. Include the consequence for your behavior. This could include going to
jail, divorcing, losing your children, paying a fine, etc. BE SPECIFIC.

4. Add how you FEEL now as a result of this consequence. Use one of our 6
Basic Feelings (MAD, SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

HOW TO WRITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

Because of my abuse of Xanax, I was arrested for “driving

under the influence”, I was ordered to 6 months in jail and
I had to attend rehab. I Feel MAD, SAD and
ASHAMED.
The above example includes all four required elements. 1) Because of my abuse
of Xanax, 2) What happened is “I was arrested”, 3) The consequence was “I had
to spend time in jail and rehab”, 4) The feelings I have now are “MAD, SAD and
ASHAMED”.

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20 CONSEQUENCES
PLEASE KEEP EACH CONSEQUENCE BRIEF, AND NUMBER THEM:

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20 CONSEQUENCES (continued)
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20 CONSEQUENCES (continued)
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THE FIRST STEP

The First Step as described in the original 12-Step Recovery Program of

Alcoholics Anonymous is:

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our

lives had become unmanageable.”
We all know people who have become addicted to the mood-altering effect that is
produced by alcohol, drugs, sex and gambling, as well as people, places and
things. Regardless of the substance or the situation, addiction can be boiled
down to a simple description: a person uses a drug (or thing listed above), it
causes problems in his or her life, yet, the person continues to use the
drug despites its consequences.

In this exercise, one must ADMIT he or she has an addiction. To assist you in
assessing that possibility, RIOA has created some exercises that were designed
around the original program of Alcoholics Anonymous.

FIRST STEP ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS:
In this section, please list the mood-altering substances that you have used;

SUBSTANCE AGE OF FREQUENCY AMOUNT OF DATE OF

USED FIRST USE OF USE USE LAST USE
ALCOHOL
MARIJUANA
METH
HEROIN
COCAINE
BENZOS
OPIOIDS
ECSTASY

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In 25 words or fewer, describe what addiction means to you:

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THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS OF

THE FIRST STEP

1 – POWERLESSNESS 2 – UNMANAGEABILITY

POWERLESSNESS
In this aspect, you will be writing about the following elements of Powerlessness:
Blackouts, Destructive Behavior, Attempts to Control and Pre-Occupation.

BLACKOUTS

A Blackout involves loss of memory during an episode of chemical use. It may

include forgetting bits and pieces of a conversation while under the influence or
forgetting an entire evening, week or month as a result of using chemicals.
“Passing out” is considered an overdose and is not considered a Blackout.

When writing is this section, or any other section in this workbook, please always
use specific incidences and at least one of the 6 Basic Feelings (MAD, SAD,
GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF A BLACKOUT:

I attended a party in June of last year. I drank a 6 pack
of beer and smoked a large amount of marijuana. I woke
up the next morning and didn’t remember how I got home.
I feel AFRAID, SAD and ASHAMED.

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Incident 1:

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Incident 2:

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Incident 3:

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DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

This section includes suicide attempts, and verbal or physical abuse of friends,
family members or others. It may include behaviors such as destroying property,
threatening others, stealing, lying, or taking unreasonable risks while under the
influence of mood-altering substances.

When writing is this section, or any other section in this workbook, please always
use specific incidences and always use one of the 6 Basic Feelings (MAD,
SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR:

On Halloween of last year, I was under the influence of

Methamphetamine and I thought my girlfriend was
watching me for the FBI. I threatened to have her
kidnapped. She left and has not spoken to me since. I
feel ASHAMED, SAD, HURT and AFRAID.
Incident 1

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Incident 2

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ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL

This could involve telling yourself you “will never do it again” while finding
yourself back out using drugs a short time later. It may be that you’ve made
promises to your spouse, parents, children, or boss, and find you were unable to
keep these promises. (ADDICTS DON’T MAKE PROMISES THEY DON’T MEAN; THEY
MAKE PROMISES THEY CAN’T KEEP.) It may include “switching from Scotch to
Brandy” in an attempt to convince yourself it was the chemical, not the person.

When writing is this section, or any other section in this workbook, please always
use specific incidences and always use one of the six Basic Feelings (MAD,
SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL:

It was New Year’s morning last year, when I woke up and

was as sick as I have ever been. I told myself I would
never drink again and found myself at a party drinking less
than 8-hours later. I feel MAD and ASHAMED.

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Incident 1

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Incident 2

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Incident 3

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PRE-OCCUPATION

Pre-occupation with using substances when you should be involved in life-

sustaining activities such as work, caring for your children, or another important
task. It could also encompass planning, scheming, lying, or conning people to
obtain money to get drugs, looking forward to getting high, hiding drugs, or
fantasizing about using when you are or should be involved in other important
activities.

When writing in this section, or any other section in this workbook, please always
use specific incidences and always use one of the 6 Basic Feelings (MAD,
SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF PRE-OCCUPATION:

I loved my job at Beck Foods, however, in mid-summer
2014, I smoked marijuana at work and was caught by my
supervisor. I was fired on the spot. I feel MAD and
ASHAMED.
Incident 1

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UNMANAGEABILITY
In this aspect, you will be writing about the following elements of
Unmanageability:
Family Life, Social Life, Academic Life, Professional Life, Spiritual Life, and
Physical Life.

You will be exploring times in which your chemical use has interfered with,
damaged, or destroyed significant areas of your life. Whether directly or
indirectly, it is important to explore all these areas of unmanageability. Many
times, the subtle problems your chemical abuse has caused hold more significant
consequences than the obvious outward signs and symptoms. Be open to
looking at all aspects of your abuse and its consequences.

When writing in this section, or any other section in this workbook, please always
use specific incidences and always use one of the 6 Basic Feelings (MAD,
SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT).

Incident 1

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FAMILY LIFE

This section includes fights with parents, spouse, siblings, children, or relatives.
Examine and describe the pain you may have caused family members as a result
of your substance use. For instance: distrust of one another, loneliness,
disrespect, breaking family rules, blaming family members for your abusive
behavior, etc...

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF FAMILY LIFE:

The police escorted me home last July and several of the
neighbors witnessed me arguing with and offending the
officers, while I was slurring my speech and having
difficulty walking. My wife was humiliated. I feel
ASHAMED.

Incident 1

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SOCIAL LIFE

This section includes loss of loved ones or friends as a result of your behavior
due to substance abuse, seeking out “lower” companions to “party” with, being
evicted from bars for unruly behavior, and/or developing a “bad” reputation
amongst people who once admired you.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL LIFE:

I attended my boyfriend’s birthday party and drank several
shots. I flirted with one of the guys at the party and left
with him. My boyfriend broke up with me the next day. I
feel HURT, SAD and ASHAMED.
Incident 1

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Incident 2

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Incident 3

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SCHOOL LIFE

This section includes tardiness or absences as a result of your substance abuse,

suspensions, expulsions, or generally deteriorating performance in school as a
result of your substance use. Describe times you became “high” before or during
school. You may want to describe general loss of enthusiasm for your studies as
a result of your substance use.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF SCHOOL LIFE:

I carried a 4.0 GPA for the first two years of college.
In my third year, I began using Methamphetamine to help
me study and focus, was caught with it at school and was
expelled. I was a disappointment to my family. I feel
SAD, ASHAMED and MAD.
Incident 1

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PROFESSIONAL / JOB LIFE

This section includes stealing on the job, dishonesty with co-workers, borrowing
money and neglecting to pay it back, spending a majority of your income on
drugs or alcohol, or becoming upset that your job/career is interfering with your
substance abuse.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF PROFESSIONAL / JOB LIFE:

I was caught falsifying a random Drug Test at work and
was terminated. I feel SAD, ASHAMED and
MAD.
Incident 1

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SPIRITUAL LIFE

This section includes “giving up” on your belief in “God” or your “Higher Power”,
even though you once believed. Maybe you became angry with your Higher
Power for not “being there” for you when you were in need. It could involve
participation in “hate groups” or organizations that attack people with differences.
It could include deep loss and loneliness with zero support system.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE:

I prayed to my Higher Power to get me out of jail for
using drugs. I promised God that I would never get high
again. The day I was released from jail, I celebrated by
smoking Meth and drinking. I feel ASHAMED and
MAD.
Incident 1

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PHYSICAL LIFE

This section includes hangovers, car accidents that injured you, overdosing on
drugs, trips to the hospital, physical ailments as a result of long-term drinking or
using (e.g., Cirrhosis of the liver, heart problems, Hepatitis C, sexually
transmitted diseases, etc.).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL LIFE:

I was driving home from a movie and I was on prescription
medication (Ativan). I had taken double the dose because
I was unusually anxious that day. I nodded off and drove
into a parked car. I lost my driver license for one year and
was sentenced to “DUI School”. I feel MAD, SAD
and ASHAMED.
Incident 1

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Incident 2

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REGRETS
Please list ten things you regret about your substance abuse:

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________________________

8. ___________________________________________________________

9. ___________________________________________________________

10. ___________________________________________________________

FIRST STEP SUMMARY

I have come to believe that I am Powerless over my substance usage and that
my life has indeed become unmanageable due to substance abuse because:

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

AWESOME
YOU’VE COMPLETED YOUR FIRST STEP!!!

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THE SECOND STEP

The Second Step as described in the original 12-Step Recovery Program of

Alcoholics Anonymous is:

“Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves

could restore us to sanity.”
This step brings two issues to mind:

1. That I was insane or did crazy things as a result of my chemical usage.

2. That I am unable to recover on my own.

For those who did believe in “God” or a “Higher Power”, yet have lost faith
somewhere along the way, you must exercise your efforts to regain this contact
and realize that your belief will help to restore you to rational sanity in your life.

For those who have never believed or subscribed to a “God” or “Higher Power”,
you must begin to look at the possibility of the existence of such a power. It has
been said “God works through others”, therefore, in an effort to establish a belief
in a “Higher Power”, please work through the following exercises:

List five people you believe have experienced some sort of miracle:

PERSON MIRACLE

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What do you think is the basic “force” behind these miracles? Explain:

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Next:

a) Read chapter 4, “We Agnostics”, from Alcoholics Anonymous.

b) Read Step 2 from 12 Steps and 12 Traditions.

Think of five sober people whom you admire. Which “Higher Power” do they use?

PERSON HIGHER POWER

List five important people in your life whose chemical use you thought was
insane:

1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________

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At this point, consider the following:

Your best thinking landed you here. In your First Step, you recognized that your
chemical use was out of control and that everything you attempted to do to stop it
or minimize its consequences ended in failure.

The Second Step is to develop a belief that the possibility of a power greater than
yourself does indeed exist or you would likely not be in recovery at this point.

BELOW:

List five people or things that you believe are more powerful (in a positive
manner) than you are right now. This may include 12 Step Meetings, group
therapy, people, etc.:

1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________

Below, explain what you believe to be your “higher power” at this time in your life.

________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________

YOU’RE MAKING PROGRESS

YOU’VE COMPLETED YOUR SECOND STEP!!!

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THE THIRD STEP

The Third Step as described in the original 12-Step Recovery Program of
Alcoholics Anonymous is:

“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to

the care of God as we understood him.”
This step may be a difficult one for you as you, like many others who suffer from
addiction, may have lost faith in your “higher power” at this time.

How do you restore FAITH? Let’s look closely at the words in Step Three.

First part of Step Three:

“Made a decision to turn our WILL”

WILL is described in the dictionary as “the power of making a reasoned choice or

decision or of controlling one’s own actions.”

WILLPOWER is defined in the dictionary as “Strength or will. Mind or

determination. Self-control.”

Now review Step One again and you should realize (according to the dictionary
definition) that your own WILL does not work! You’ve already attempted to
control your chemical use with “willpower.” Therefore, you might want to
consider using someone else’s “willpower” to help you through this.

Second part of Step Three:

…”and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.”

Turn your life over? What is that supposed to mean? Go back to Step One again
and review how your life was “unmanageable” and still is!

Engage your newly found “higher power” as your life’s manager. Believe your
manager will do a good job, regardless of how it may appear on the surface or if
things don’t change as quickly as you would hope. Remember, when you were
managing your life, things became a whole lot worse. You may have expected
everything to be done on in the manner in which you desired. WRONG!

… ”turn our WILL over” - Let your higher power make all of your decisions for a
while.
…”turn our LIVES over” - Let your higher power manage your life for a while.
ALL of it!

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COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING FOR STEP THREE:

In Step Two you “came to believe” in a higher power. Please explain who or
what your higher power is:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

I have FAITH that my higher power can:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Still undecided? Consider this:

You are dying of a terminal illness; the doctor comes in your room and tells you
that you have one minute to live. What do you do?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

EXPLAIN:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

CONGRATULATIONS
YOU’VE COMPLETED YOUR THIRD STEP!!!

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FAMILY MEMBERS PROBLEM LIST ASSIGNMENT

Please indicate if a member of your family of origin engages in or has engaged in
any of the following behaviors. Use the Key below to indicate the person:

M = Mother SF = Stepfather
SM = Stepmother PGM = Paternal Grandmother
MGM = Maternal Grandmother PGF = Paternal Grandfather
MGF = Maternal Grandfather LG = Father’s Live-In Girlfriend
LB = Mother’s Live-In Boyfriend S = Spouse
F = Father P = Your Live-In Partner

# PROBLEM BEHAVIORS PERSONS

1 Drinking episodes
2 Illegal drug use
3 Prescription drug use
4 Compulsive gambling
5 Obesity
6 Anorexia
7 Bulimia (Binge & Purge)
8 Compulsive working
9 Serious mental health disorder
10 Violent behavior
11 Sexual abuser
12 Sexually promiscuous
13 Shopping/spending addiction

Rate the socio-economic class of your family:

Lower class _____ Middle class _______ Upper class _______

How close are you to your mother?

Very close___ Mildly close___ Mildly distant____ Very distant___

How close are you to your father?

Very close___ Mildly close___ Mildly distant____ Very distant___

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PERSONAL INVENTORY ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS:
This assignment requires that you address fourteen statements and/or questions.
Please complete this exercise in writing and return to group to share your
responses. As always, at the end of each response, write how you feel (MAD,
SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT). This is an inventory of personal
discovery: “the good, the bad and the ugly”.

1. Describe the substance abuse of ALL your family of origin members.

2. Describe your current relationship with your mother.
3. Describe your current relationship with your father.
4. Describe your current relationship with each of your children (include
names).
5. Describe your current relationship with each of your siblings (include
names).
6. Describe your current relationship with your best friend (include his/her
name).
7. Describe yourself physically (in detail). Do you like yourself or not?
8. Describe any abuse, neglect or harm done to you as a child and/or adult.
9. Describe three significant events that have had NEGATIVE effects on
your life.
10. Describe three significant events that have had POSITIVE effects on
your life.
11. Describe the major support person in your life right now.
12. Describe three things that were said to you in your life that have helped
you.
13. Describe any major physical/psychological issues in your family (past or
present).
14. Describe your religious upbringing and whether you still practice this
belief.

PERSONAL INVENTORY

Please number your answers to correspond to each question:

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________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________

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PERSONAL INVENTORY (continued)

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PERSONAL INVENTORY (continued)

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PERSONAL INVENTORY (continued)

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20 RESENTMENTS ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTIONS:
Please write out 20 resentments you hold towards significant people in your life
(spouse, partner, parents, siblings, child, etc...). Resentments are simply
unresolved feelings and not necessarily about anger. Resentments include any
feeling that you hold inside which is unresolved from the past. Feelings that
need to be expressed as resentments include the 6 Basic Feelings (MAD, SAD,
GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED, HURT). Remember that all feelings are healthy in
their organic state. Resentments need to be resolved in order to bring emotional
balance back into your life.

Regardless of how long ago it was when you experienced the resentment, write it
in the “here and now” as though it just occurred. You may go back as far as you
can remember. However, write them out as though they just occurred yesterday.
While writing your resentment towards the other person, always focus on the
incident and that person’s behavior. Never attack the person’s identity.

You MUST include the following three elements for each Resentment:

1. Identify the person by name (our name is our initial identity and it gets our
attention). (i.e., “Mary, I resent it that / when / how…”).
2. Describe a SPECIFIC event.
3. Finally, include how you FEEL now as a result of this resentment. Use
one of our 6 Basic Feelings (MAD, SAD, GLAD, AFRAID, ASHAMED,
HURT).

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FOR 20 RESENTMENTS:

Greg, I resent that you screamed at me in front of my co-
workers at the picnic last 4th of July. I Feel MAD,
HURT and ASHAMED.

20 RESENTMENTS
PLEASE KEEP EACH RESENTMENT BRIEF AND NUMBER EACH ONE:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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20 RESENTMENTS (continued)
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20 RESENTMENTS (continued)
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20 RESENTMENTS (continued)
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LETTERS OF APPRECIATION ASSIGNMENT

DOCUMENT TWO PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE IN A POSITIVE
MANNER. WRITE A LETTER OF APPRECIATION TO EACH OF THEM.

Name ____________________________________
Address ____________________________________
Phone ____________________________________
Reason ____________________________________
____________________________________

Name ____________________________________
Address ____________________________________
Phone ____________________________________
Reason ____________________________________
____________________________________

On a separate sheet of paper, please write your letter of appreciation

to each person listed above. Share these letters in your group.

PERSONAL AFTERCARE PLAN

The people I will not associate with are:

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________

The places I will avoid are:

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________

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If I get into relapse mode I will:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

If I relapse (use more than once) I will:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

On weeknights I will fill my time by:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

On weekends I will fill my time by:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

My problem behavior is:

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

I will continue to work on my problem behavior by:

1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________

I promise my family (significant other) __________________________________

I promise myself ___________________________________________________

Committed this ____ day of ________, ______.

_________________________ _________________________
Client Signature Staff Signature

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PERSONAL SOBRIETY PLAN

My 3 commitments to sobriety are:

1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________

The specific recovery meetings I will attend are:

DAY TIME LOCATION MEETING TYPE

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY

12-Step Sponsor’s Name ______________________ Phone________________

I plan to live ______________________________________________________.

I plan to live with __________________________________________________.

SOBER CONTACT NAMES: PHONE NUMBERS:

_______________________________ __________________________
_______________________________ __________________________
_______________________________ __________________________

Committed this ____ day of ________, ______.

_________________________ _________________________
Client Signature Staff Signature

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WORKBOOK ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION CHART

SUBJECT / ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION DATE

TAKE A-P-A-R-T YOUR DISEASE Read / Discussed

______________
THE 6 BASIC FEELINGS Read / Discussed
______________
THE ART OF FEELING Read / Discussed
______________
Life’s Purpose Read / Discussed
______________
Life’s Purpose SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT ______________
WHO AM I ASSIGNMENT ______________
WHO I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME ASSIGNMENT ______________
20 CONSEQUENCES ASSIGNMENT ______________
FIRST STEP ASSIGNMENT ______________
FIRST STEP – POWERLESSNESS ASSIGNMENT ______________
FIRST STEP – UNMANAGEABILITY ASSIGNMENT ______________
FIRST STEP SUMMARY ______________
SECOND STEP ______________
THIRD STEP ______________
FAMILY MEMBERS PROBLEM LIST ASSIGNMENT ______________
PERSONAL INVENTORY ASSIGNMENT ______________
20 RESENTMENTS ASSIGNMENT ______________
LETTERS OF APPRECIATION ASSIGNMENT ______________
PERSONAL AFTERCARE PLAN ______________
PERSONAL SOBRIETY PLAN ______________
PERSONAL JOURNAL Show to Counselor

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THE CO-EXISTING DISORDERS SECTION IS

FOUND IN THE NEXT WORKBOOK

(800) 503-7144

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