Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them Using because I’m bored Using to manage anxiety or depression Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early Pushing feelings down Telling myself I don’t need this level of care Using to sleep Using because I feel lonely Doing homework “in my head” Lying to avoid conflict Avoiding asking for help Minimizing past consequences Waiting to take recovery seriously Hiding use from loved ones Isolating instead of talking Thinking I can control it this time Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time” “This is the last time” “I function better when I use” Telling myself I’ll deal with it later “It’s just how I am” Half- listening in group Thinking feelings will pass on their own Comparing myself to others in treatment Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth Using after a “good week” Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries Ignoring warning signs Using “just to take the edge off” Skipping group or arriving late Choosing people who enable me Not being honest with staff Assuming consequences won’t happen again Thinking I already know this stuff “I’ll start recovery after ___” Telling myself they wouldn’t understand Using because I earned it “I need this to get through the day” Forgetting how bad it got “I’m not as bad as other people here” Blaming stress, people, or circumstances Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them Using because I’m bored Using to manage anxiety or depression Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early Pushing feelings down Telling myself I don’t need this level of care Using to sleep Using because I feel lonely Doing homework “in my head” Lying to avoid conflict Avoiding asking for help Minimizing past consequences Waiting to take recovery seriously Hiding use from loved ones Isolating instead of talking Thinking I can control it this time Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time” “This is the last time” “I function better when I use” Telling myself I’ll deal with it later “It’s just how I am” Half- listening in group Thinking feelings will pass on their own Comparing myself to others in treatment Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth Using after a “good week” Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries Ignoring warning signs Using “just to take the edge off” Skipping group or arriving late Choosing people who enable me Not being honest with staff Assuming consequences won’t happen again Thinking I already know this stuff “I’ll start recovery after ___” Telling myself they wouldn’t understand Using because I earned it “I need this to get through the day” Forgetting how bad it got “I’m not as bad as other people here” Blaming stress, people, or circumstances
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Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them
Using because I’m bored
Using to manage anxiety or depression
Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early
Pushing feelings down
Telling myself I don’t need this level of care
Using to sleep
Using because I feel lonely
Doing homework “in my head”
Lying to avoid conflict
Avoiding asking for help
Minimizing past consequences
Waiting to take recovery seriously
Hiding use from loved ones
Isolating instead of talking
Thinking I can control it this time
Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time”
“This is the last time”
“I function better when I use”
Telling myself I’ll deal with it later
“It’s just how I am”
Half-listening in group
Thinking feelings will pass on their own
Comparing myself to others in treatment
Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth
Using after a “good week”
Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries
Ignoring warning signs
Using “just to take the edge off”
Skipping group or arriving late
Choosing people who enable me
Not being honest with staff
Assuming consequences won’t happen again
Thinking I already know this stuff
“I’ll start recovery after ___”
Telling myself they wouldn’t understand
Using because I earned it
“I need this to get through the day”
Forgetting how bad it got
“I’m not as bad as other people here”
Blaming stress, people, or circumstances
