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Part of the Relapse Prevention Workbook for Chemically Dependent Criminal Offenders

Exercise No. 6: Life and Addiction History

Purpose. It is important to understand your life, how it has caused your addiction to progress, and how it has helped or hindered your recovery. This exercise will help you do this.

Instructions. For each period in your life, answer the list of questions. Take your time and try to remember as much as possible. You may skip periods that do not apply to your life (for example, if you did not go to high school or college).

  1. Childhood before you started school: Describe what happened to you in your childhood and how it causes problems now when you try to recover.

    Use during this time: Do you remember using alcohol or drugs during this time? Tell what you recall about your use of alcohol or drugs and the use of other people around you.

    1. What and how much were you using? What and how much were your family members using?

    2. How often were you using? How often were other family members using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you or other family members do that could not be done without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, or situations/problems did using help you or other family members to avoid?

    5. What happened to you or other family members as a result of using?

    6. How did people around you act when they used? Was there violence? Was there divorce, money worries, or other problems?

    7. What crimes did you or other family members commit, or what trouble did you or they get into?

  2. Grades K–6: Describe what happened to you in grade school and how you find that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Use during grade school: Describe your alcohol and drug use or that of a family member during grade school. Do you remember using alcohol or drugs during this period?

    1. What and how much were you or your family members using?

    2. How often were you using? How often were other family members using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you or your family members do that could not be done without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems or situations did the alcohol or drugs help you or other family members avoid?

    5. What happened to you or your family because of your use or their use?

    6. How did people around you act when they used? Was there violence? Was there divorce, money worries, or other problems?

    7. What crimes did you or other family members commit, or what trouble did you or they get into?

  3. Junior high and high school: Describe what happened to you in junior high school and high school and how that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Use during junior high and high school: Describe your alcohol and drug use and that of family members during junior high and high school. Do you remember using alcohol or drugs during this period?

    1. What and how much were you and other family members using?

    2. How often were you using it? How often were other family members using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you or other family members do that could not be done without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you or your family members to avoid?

    5. What happened to you or other family members because of using?

    6. How did people around you act when they used? Was there violence? Was there divorce, money worries, or other problems?

    7. What crimes did you or other family members commit, or what trouble did you or they get into?

  4. College: Describe what happened to you in college and how that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Use During College: Describe your alcohol and drug use in college.

    1. What and how much were you using?

    2. How often were you using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you do that you couldn't do without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you to avoid?

    5. What happened to you because of using?

    6. What crimes did you commit, or what trouble did you get into?

  5. Military: Describe what happened to you in the military and how that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Use During Military: Describe your alcohol and drug use in the military.

    1. What and how much were you using?

    2. How often were you using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you do that you couldn't do without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you to avoid?

    5. What happened to you because of using?

    6. What crimes did you commit, or what trouble did you get into?

  6. Adult work: Describe what happened to you in your adult work history and how that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Impact of using upon work: Describe your alcohol and drug use in the jobs you've had.

    1. What and how much were you using?

    2. How often were you using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you do that you couldn't do without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you to avoid?

    5. What happened to you because of using?

    6. What crimes did you commit, or what trouble did you get into?

  7. Adult family/intimate relationships: Describe your adult family/intimate relationship history and how this causes problems when you try to recover.

    Impact of using upon family/intimate life: Describe the impact your alcohol and drug use had on your family life and intimate relationships.

    1. What and how much were you using?

    2. How often were you using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you do that you couldn't do without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you to avoid?

    5. What happened to you because of using?

    6. What crimes did you commit, or what trouble did you get into?

  8. Adult social/friendship: Describe your adult social/friendship history and how that causes problems when you try to recover.

    Impact of addiction on social life and friendships: Describe the impact your alcohol and drug use has had on your social life and friendships.

    1. What and how much were you using?

    2. How often were you using?

    3. What did alcohol or drugs help you do that you couldn't do without using?

    4. What thoughts, feelings, problems, or situations did alcohol or drugs help you to avoid?

    5. What happened to you because of using?

    6. What crimes did you commit, or what trouble did you get into?

    Instructions: Read the history you just completed. Think about what you wrote, and complete the following statements.

  9. The things that I used to believe alcohol or drugs would help me do or become in my life are . . .

  10. The thoughts, feelings, problems, and situations I used to believe that alcohol or drugs could help me cope with are . . .



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Last Updated 11-7-02