This 38-minute introductory
program teaches the viewer to turn former
street skills into "street smarts" for
staying clean and sober. Seven recovering
addicts from urban neighborhoods who are
now doing well describe the real situations
they face every day--and how they deal
with them so that they don't pick up.
They stress 8 essential skills:
- Accepting disappointments without
resorting to drug use
- Coping with chronic stress
- Resisting the lure of " easy
money"
- Avoiding going back to the old spot
- Resisting the pull of the street life
- Planning to handle offers
- Maintaining complete abstinence
- Using a support system.
OBJECTIVES OF PART
1
After viewing this videotape
and participating in group discussion
and activities, clients will be better
able to:
- Identify at least five potential relapse
traps that they will face when returning
home
- Realize that everything may not work
out exactly as planned in early recovery
- Find ways to cope with setbacks and
disappointment--without picking up
- Recognize high stress situations as
relapse traps, and be prepared with
some stress management strategies
- Understand the importance of having
a support system, and be prepared to
create such a network
- Anticipate and cope with financial
stress without returning to illegal
hustles, recognizing that "easy money"
is just an illusion--and a major relapse
trap
- Understand how street life itself
can be an addiction, and be prepared
to counter its pull with a realistic
assessment of where it took them
- Recognize that the common desire to
go back to the old spots, corners and
hangouts is a relapse trap to be avoided
- Understand that total abstinence means
not using drugs or alcohol, and
why this is necessary for success
- Anticipate offers of drugs and alcohol,
and be prepared with some realistic
responses
- Remain hopeful about recovery and
apply relapse prevention strategies
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
: PART 1
After showing Part 1,
use these questions as a guide for leading
group discussion. When appropriate, answers
to questions are in bold type face, as
are any notes to the counselor.
- What did you think about this tape?
Were the situations shown here relevant
to your own lives? If so, how?
- Miles, the narrator, opened up the
program by saying "it's easy to stay
clean and sober inside the institution,
in a drug program or a prison. But it's
what you do when you come out
that determines your future." What do
you think he meant by that? In your
experience, is it true that it's a lot
harder to stay clean after you're home?
Have you ever relapsed during
the first 90 days home? If so, what
were the circumstances that led up to
relapse? What would you do differently
this time around, if anything?
- Ernesto described six different relapse
traps that he fell into, which all but
guaranteed that he was going to pick
up again. Can you remember what they
were? [1) He thought he could still
smoke pot and drink, as long as he didn't
do heroin; 2) He hung out with his old
friends again; 3) He went back to the
old hangouts; 4) He glorified the high,
remembering only the good parts; 5)
He thought he could do heroin "just
once" and control it; 6) He allowed
himself lots of free time to get bored.]
Can you identify with any of Ernesto's
story? Which parts?
- David relapsed behind three major
traps. Can you name them? [1) He
moved back to the same area where he
used to get high; 2) He let an active
user live with him; 3) He didn't have
any tools for handling anger.] Did
anything like this ever happen to you?
If so, describe it. What would you do
differently today?
- Michelle felt under a lot of pressure
at the birthday party to take part in
the champagne toast. Do you think the
pressure she felt was realistic, or
was some of it in her own head? Even
though Michelle gave in and took the
glass of champagne, she didn't actually
relapse. Why not? What did she do that
saved her from relapse? [She put
down the drink, left, and got in touch
with her support system.] Since
you've been in recovery, have you
ever been at a party where alcohol was
served? How did you handle it? How did
you feel at the time?
FOLLOW-UP
ACTIVITIES: PART 1
The following pages contain
activities that clients may participate
in to help them apply what they've
learned to their own recoveries.
On the back of each activity
(or on the following page in some cases)
is a corresponding client worksheet. Feel
free to make photocopies of the worksheets
and distribute them as needed.
As stated earlier, you
may want to adapt some of the writing
activities to oral, group sharing activities.
When you distribute the work sheets be
sure to point out that they are not tests
that will be graded or judged in any way.
They are just tools to help clients better
prepare for long-term recovery. If relevant,
state that no one is required to share
anything that they do not wish to.
If you have any feedback
for Reelizations about how these various
activities worked out with your clients,
or any other related activities
that you found effective, please call
Donna Boundy of Reelizations at 914-679-4021
or write her at P.O.Box 555, Woodstock,
NY 12498. We will take your feedback into
account for future editions of this guide.
ACTIVITY 1: Relapse
Stories
Most clients have relapsed
at least once in the past. Have clients
use Worksheet #1 (next page) to write
down one of their own relapse stories
from the past, in as much detail as they
can remember. What was going on in their
lives when they relapsed? Where were they
living? Who were they hanging out with?
What kinds of stress did they have? What
kind of support did they have? Did someone
offer drugs or alcohol to them? Did they
find an old stash? Exactly what led up
to it?
After giving them time
to write the story, ask them to list all
the relapse traps they can now
identify in it.
If a client has never
relapsed in the past, ask him/her to imagine
a relapse scenario, and write about that.
If the literacy level
of the group or of some participants is
low, you can ask them to just make brief
notes and share their stories aloud with
the group.
Ask the group if they
see any relapse traps that a group member
did not notice.
WORKSHEET
#1 (for use with Activity 1)
RELAPSE
STORIES
If you have ever relapsed
in the past, write the story of that relapse
below. (Use extra paper as needed.) Put
in as many details as you can. What led
up to your using again? What were you
going through at the time? What stress
did you have in your life? Did you have
much support? Did you go back to the corner,
or to old friends? Did you try to drink
or smoke pot? Did someone offer you drugs?
Who were you with? Where were you living?
RELAPSE
TRAPS:
Going back over your
story, try to identify the relapse
traps that led up to your relapse.
For example, were you stressed-out and
not dealing with it? Were you lacking
support? Were you glorifying the high,
and forgetting where it took you? Did
you try to smoke "a little" or drink alcohol?
List every relapse trap you can think
of that might apply (whether or not it
was mentioned in the tape)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
