We have created our Program Workbook

using the most effective treatment models

and the simplest language
available. Hope uses an eclectic
holistic treatment approach.
Hope Rehab was founded in 2013 by Simon Mott and Alon Kumsawad. This workbook is the
result of 20 years expeience working in the Substance misuse and the addiction treatment sector.
We have brought together the most effective and accessible psychological tools and concepts as a
means to addressing addiction and related issues.
The introduction includes a brief explanation ‘what is addiction?’ Our Approach is based on ad-
diction science and the ‘American Society of Addiction Medicine’ (ASAM) brain disease model.
We also use the ‘National Institute on Drug Abuse’ (NIDA) treatment guidelines and UK training
standards (DANOS). Hope’s Counselling and group therapy model includes, CBT, Mindfulness,
some 12 step techniques, and many other useful psychological concepts such as affirmation and
visualization.
The program does not just address substance-use issues, we also address the human condition.
Many clients self-medicate underlying struggles such as Depression, Anxiety and histories of trau-
ma. The program is designed to improve general mental health and enhance all areas of life.
Although we prefer not to use the term Luxury, however we are definitely a 5 a star treatment
program which is a different kind of luxury. All the experts agree that Counselling and Group
work are the most important conciderations when selecting a rehab program. This is why we have
focused on creating the optimum program and workbook for solving your problems.
HOPE Rehab is a modern and exciting Center with an international team offering an holistic
program, which includes proven treatment methods from both eastern and western models, it is
also in a beautiful place on the coast of Thailand. We use evidence-based treatments that have
been robustly tested to measure their effectiveness.
Discipline and structure are seen as transferable from our rehab program into our clients new
lives in recovery. Many clients have lost all self control so need rehabitualizing in positive and
healthy behaviour patterns. This is why we also have a strong emphasis on physical fitness and
provide a wide range of fitness activities.
Substance-use, depression and anxiety can create chaos and unhappiness in many peoples lives,
including loved ones. This workbook address’s all the key issues clients are facing and will give
them the best chance at a sustained recovery. It is a voyage of self discovery, healing and growth.
We named our Rehab HOPE because Hope is the seed of a positive belief system that will start
to grow as you begin your journey. Psychologists emphasize the development of a positive belief
system as a necessary foundation for healthy change.
Simon Mott has dealt with addiction from both sides of the fence. When he eventually got the
right help, he was able to break free from his own addiction and now helps others do the same
with this program.
 Index
Chapter One - Treatment Goals
Introduction: What is addiction? ................................................................... 1
A craving is a neurological impulse ...................................................................3
Dopamine .........................................................................................................4
Brief treatment goals.........................................................................................5
ACT Matrix (Goals) ..........................................................................................6
Exposure Therapy & Paradoxical tasks ............................................................8
Coachability ......................................................................................................9
Chapter Two - My Case History
Assignment 1 TimeLine .................................................................................. 10
Assignment 2 The 4 L’s ..................................................................................11
Assignment 2a Examples of Addiction ............................................................... 12
Assignment 3 Your Bubble ...............................................................................16
Assignment 4 Denial ...................................................................................17
Chapter Three - Positive psychology
Assignment 5 Gratitude Therapy .....................................................................21
Assignment 6 Thinking Patterns ...................................................................23
Assignment 7 Presupposition Affirmations ......................................................25
Assignment 8 CBT – ABC/Core beliefs/Distortions .......................................27
Assignment 9 Spiritual Health ......................................................................35
Assignment 10 Values .......................................................................................39
Chapter Four - Emotional Health
Assignment 11 Anxiety ..................................................................................41
Assignment 12 Depression .................................................................................43
Assignment 13 Trauma exercise ......................................................................45
Assignment 14 Wise-Mind ............................................................................47
Assignment 15 Anger ....................................................................................50
Chapter Five - Personal Evaluation
Assignment 16 NVC .....................................................................................58
Assignment 17 Co-dependency ........................................................................62
Assignment 18 Peer Evaluation .......................................................................66
Assignment 19 King baby ..............................................................................69
Assignment 20 Persona ..................................................................................72
Assignment 21 Recovery Identity .....................................................................77
Assignment 22 Character traits ..........................................................................79
Assignment 23 Healing the Harm ...................................................................81
Chapter Six - Relapse Prevention
Assignment 24 Recovery Capital ........................................................................83
Assignment 25 Relapse Radar ...........................................................................85
Assignment 26 Triggers & Cravings ................................................................86
Assignment 27 Blocks ...................................................................................89
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 1

Introduction
What is addiction?
Addiction is a primary, chronic brain disease affecting reward, motivation, memory
etc. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to biological, psychological, social and spiritual
manifestations. Anyone who has struggled to overcome addiction (or tried helping someone)
understands why it could just as well be renamed ‘Reward and relief syndrome’.

The term addiction comes from the Latin word ‘addictus’

roughly meaning ‘enslaved by’. Shakespeare was the first
recorded writer to use the word addiction in Henry V,
meaning he liked activities of no value or importance.

Common symptoms of Addiction

❏ Compulsiveness ❏ Denial
❏ Reward seeking ❏ Dysfunctional emotions
❏ Relief seeking ❏ Apathy
❏ Impaired decision-making ❏ Co-dependency
❏ Anxiety ❏ Depression
❏ Obsession ❏ Isolation and agoraphobia
❏ Low stress threshold ❏ Psychiatric problems
❏ Low frustration tolerance ❏ Low boredom threshold

Primary: Not a secondary symptom of an underlying issue (i.e. Trauma)

even though the original underlying issue may have triggered the addiction.
Treatment specialists see the latest ASAM definition as a validation of
what has — since the publication of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939 —
come to be commonly known as “the disease concept” of addiction.
Most of the population at large sees addiction as a moral, social or cho-
sen problem; however understandable this is, it is a dangerous mistake.
Chronic Disease Concept is not the medical model
Don’t be confused; addiction cannot be cured in the traditional med-
ical sense or in a hospital. Treatment means addressing psychological,
environmental, social and spiritual components (triggers) — not just
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
2 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

(Chronic Disease Concept is not the medical model...cont)

the biological condition. Medication can be helpful, but it needs to be
combined with therapy, behaviour and lifestyle change. Addiction is
like cardiovascular disease, which is recognized as chronic; it must be
treated, managed and monitored over a lifetime because there is no pill
which alone can cure addiction. Choosing a recovery lifestyle over un-
healthy behaviours is akin to people with heart disease who choose to
eat healthier and exercise.
Hijacks our survival systems – disrupting our Hierarchy of need
The human reward system is designed to support survival and has been
hijacked by the chemical payoff provided by the addiction. The reward
circuitry bookmarks things that are important: eating food, nurturing
children, having sex, and sustaining intimate friendships. Use of the
substance then starts to happen at the expense of what otherwise would
promote happiness and survival.
Addict’s belief system
❏ I can’t live without it ❏ I don’t have a choice
❏ I need it ❏ I can’t say no
❏ It helps me ❏ I must have it

Think-Pathways – If we believe we can recover we can recover

Analogy: the brain is like a ski slope after a heavy snowfall. As skiers
traverse the slope, grooves or pathways begin to form and get deeper
as skiers follow the same groove over and over. Eventually, these “path-
ways” become so deep and entrenched through behaviour repetition
that it requires a great deal of effort for a skier to traverse onto a new
path. However, if the new path is repeatedly followed, it can eventually
replace the old groove or path as the automatic choice.

Hardwired: It changes the

brain’s communication pathways

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 3

A craving is a neurological impulse

Neurologically based impulses to use sometimes stay
hidden unless opportunity or triggers arise. Addicts
usually lose control over their addictions. This is known
as powerlessness or compulsive behaviour.

Impulse Control: STOP >> GO systems in the brain

The dopamine ‘pleasure pathway’ is the Go system, and the prefrontal
cortex ‘reasoning pathway’ is the Stop system. When the reward center
in the middle of the brain becomes active, it’s as if it says Go>Go>Go.
When we anticipate and experience something good like food or sex,
alcohol or drugs. Our brain experiences a surge in the level of the neu-
rotransmitter dopamine.
Executive function: Distorted thinking – Reduced impulse control
The prefrontal cortex or higher brain – is responsible for executive
functions or rational thinking. It evolved over time to help us weigh
the consequences of our decisions. It helps us to put a lid on impulsive
behaviour. The “Stop” system is the brain’s brakes. The signals to the
prefrontal cortex, however, tend to be a bit slower. So, we need to stop
and think things out before forging ahead with an impulsive decision.
Putting it in the simplest terms, the “go system” hijacks the “stop sys-
tem” in the course of this brain disease called addiction.
Changes to Homeostasis caused by brain chemistry imbalance
Understanding the role of the neurotransmitter-dopamine in addic-
tion is helpful. Low dopamine levels can cause not only addiction but
depression, loss of satisfaction, poor focus and many other symptoms.
All the major theories agree that dopamine metabolism is altered by
addiction, which is why it counts as a disease.
People with addictions are low on dopamine. A low dopamine level causes
us to unconsciously seek out dopamine-raising drugs and behaviours and
get addicted to them. All drugs of addiction and addictive behaviours
stimulate dopamine release or increase its activity and produce the he-
donic response, “I like that” motivation, incentive stimulus and goal di-
rected behaviours.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
4 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Dopamine
Understanding the ‘Nuts & Bolts’ of addiction helps you plan
treatment.

❏ Addiction ❏ Neglect
❏ Alcoholism ❏ Trauma and abuse
❏ Stress ❏ Genetic predisposition
❏ Medication ❏ Certain antidepressants
❏ Poor nutrition ❏ Seasonal Effective
❏ Poor sleep Disorder
❏ Depression ❏ Loss

Factory fault
Addiction could be a basic design fault of the human brain. Mankind
is highly susceptible all because of a “design quirk” in reward pathways
and the prefrontal cortex. Our brain’s ability to adapt can turn against
us; however, for the same reason we can recover.
Neuroplasticity: Recovery like Addiction Relies on Brain plasticity
We used to think that the brain, once damaged, could not repair it-
self. Breakthroughs in neuroscience have shown that this is not true.
Brain plasticity, also known as neuroplasticity, is a term that refers to the
brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience, it helps us
to adapt to our surroundings.
Your brain can change, however only you can change it with the help
of a program like Hope’s. It’s like learning a new language or a musical
instrument as a mature student. Or a brain injury patient getting back
the use of temporary lost functions by repetition therapy.

“Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

!
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 5

Brief Treatment Goals

❏ Weekly ❏ Gratitude lists
❏ Group goals ❏ Health and physical goals
❏ Assignment work ❏ Outside issues
❏ Therapeutic goals ❏ Personal

GOAL ONE

GOAL TWO

GOAL THREE

GOAL FOUR

GOAL FIVE

GOAL SIX

GOAL SEVEN

GOAL EIGHT

GOAL NINE

GOAL TEN

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
6 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

ACT Matrix (Goals)

Acceptance Commitment Therapy
Goal setting helps improve your motivation. This is how to set a
clear treatment goal using the ACT Matrix model.
ACT helps us focus on our behaviour as we rarely stop to think about
actual behaviours. By looking at our automatic-behaviour (like sub-
stance use) and starting to use the pause button (mindfulness) we can
change negative behaviours. See the questions below:

Autopilot behaviours, you or your peers have identified recently, list 3.

1.

2.

3.

Humans spend around 70% of the day on autopilot, for

example: if you were to write down all the separate behaviours
that go into taking a shower you would come up with 20 plus.
Long-term direction: Without a clear direction or goal, we are
less likely to change the unwanted behaviour. Can you think of
something that could improve your life?

Towards behaviour: taking you towards your long-term direc-

tion/goal. Please identify a behaviour that has taken you towards
achieving your long-term direction.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 7

Away behaviours: taking you away from your long-term direc-

tion or goal. Please identify a behaviour that has taken you away
from your long-term direction/goal:

Not wants: Pick three feelings, thoughts or physical pain that

you did not want to feel in the last week.
1.

2.

3.
Fix Its: how did you fix these feelings or how would you have
fixed these in the past?
1.

2.

3.
Challenge: pick a challenge that is going to take you towards
your long-term direction and is measurable whilst staying at
Hope. A challenge can run over a month and is about develop-
ing a new behaviour that would make a significant difference in
your life.

Developing a balanced life with meaning and purpose is what ACT

Peer Recovery is all about.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
8 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Exposure Therapy & Paradoxical Tasks

This is another way to set treatment goals and tasks. People with
addiction problems and people who experience difficulties with
depression/anxiety often find themselves stuck. Continuing with the
self-defeating behaviour’s consciously or unconsciously, not having the
the strength or help to change. At Hope you can use the following concept
to set treatment tasks.
Dr Albert Ellis, the grandfather of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy em-
barked on an experiment in his early adolescence. Dr. Ellis had no choice
but to make the most out of a difficult childhood. Spending much of his
childhood very ill and in hospital he experienced feelings of loneliness and
isolation.
As a result, Albert Ellis suffered with severe social anxiety particularly with
the opposite sex. He decided to embark on beating his own anxiety with
this experiment. He walked around the local park and politely spoke with
random woman, some dismissed him and some engaged him. By the end
of summer Ellis had made great progress dealing with his social anxiety.
Exposure Therapy: Doing the opposite behaviour/facing your fears
Paradoxical Behaviour: By doing the exact thing that you most fear you
are telling the old neurons in your brain to go away to create newer, healthier
ones.
1. What behaviours do I want to change?
2. How are the behaviours holding you back?
3. What will help me to move forward in recovery?
4. Who can help you gain awareness of my behaviours?
EFFECTIVE WAY
ACTION Behaviour(S)
FORWARD
Getting up late in the Isolation/Lazy Get up early & make
morning. your peers coffee

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 9

‘Coachability’ - Recovery Coaching

This exercise improves treatment results: Coachability is how you
receive information, instructions and advice. As well as the way you apply
what you learn. To receive the highest benefit from your counselor, you
need to be coachable. Being Coachable is a type of surrender. It allows
you to be stretched beyond your comfort zone, safely. Also, to overcome
irrational thinking, and take on advice. You are coachable when you can
follow suggestions and instructions.
Qualities Related To ‘Coachability’
❏ Open-minded ❏ Self-management
❏ Teamwork ❏ Receive/Invite feedback
❏ Accountability ❏ Invite feedback
❏ Clear listening ❏ Catch defensiveness
❏ Creativity and flexibility ❏ Follow agreements
❏ Meet deadlines ❏ Go beyond your comfort zone
❏ Discipline ❏ Accelerated learning
❏ Communication skills ❏ Respect
Tick 4 ways from above list you can improve your Coachability, then
apply each one to a goal which will improve your coachability. Try to
complete this exercise over 4 weeks and then review.
GOAL 1

GOAL 2

GOAL 3

GOAL 4

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
10 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Chapter Two: My Case History

Assignment 1 – Timeline

HOPE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All significant events of your life:

YEAR
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Progression of the addiction:

BORN

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 11

Assignment 2 – The 4 L’s

“The profound drive or craving to use substances
underscores the compulsive or avolitional aspect of
the disease.” – ASAM

The 4 L’s exercise will help you start exploring why you are in treat-
ment. Imagine for a moment trying to drive a car whilst someone else
is sitting at the wheel; this is how powerlessness works.
Many people who have addiction have seen the symptoms mani-
fest in their lives. Addiction always impedes on one of the following
four L’s:
LIVER Affecting health – both physical and mental.
Causing ill feelings of guilt, depression, agony.
LOVER Destroying relationships with loved ones
• Lack of trust
• Isolation
LIVELIHOOD • Loss of employment
• Difficulty in employment
• Loss of wealth
• Lack of meaningful occupation or education
LAW • Trouble with the police
• Involvement in reckless activity
• Living outside the law
• Risking everything to get a fix/drink
Using the four L’s, where have you paid the cost for your addiction? Mentally,
physically, legally, financially

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
12 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 2a – Examples of Addiction

1: Manifestation: Powerlessness and compulsiveness
The principle of this exercise is honesty; here we admit to specific
examples of our addiction. We also accept it is harming us; this
promotes Ego deflation. Only through self-assessment, using the head-
ings below, can this process begin to work. These are what we call our
bottom lines.
DEAD
“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and drugs
END and that our lives had become unmanageable” – AA

RITUALS OF USING DENIAL

• Drug of choice • Protecting supply • Minimizing/

When • Secret using Under reporting
Where • Leading a double • Covering up/
Who life Avoidance
How • Lying • Justifying
• Paraphernalia • Doctor shopping • Blaming/Excuses
• Binge patterns • Rotating shops • Ignoring consequence
• Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde • Ignoring advice
• Smuggling
• Harm-reduction (control) • Addicts’ belief system
empties out
• Preoccupation • Substituting
• Hiding • Autopilot
• Escape and reward • Geographical

INABILITY TO CONTROL PROGRESSION

• Trying to control • Tolerance

• Attempts to quit • Amounts used
• Loss of control
• Inability to consistently • Increased amounts
abstain • Decreased affects
• Relapse and remission
• Dependency
• Obsession
• Autopilot • Cravings
• Using more than intend • Daily maintenance
• Drug and alcohol seeking • Withdrawal symptoms

• Relapse and Remission

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Using the headings provided and this mind map
as a guide, give your own examples evidencing
your powerlessness. Tolerance
Breakdown
Broken Boundaries Withdrawal
Symptoms
Crisis? Progression
Rock Bottom Dependancy
Shame/Guilt
Powerless Cravings
Entering Rehab
Value System Over Drugs

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

The Bubble
Inappropriate Using
Who?
Rituals Unable to Control Broken promises
When?
Obsessive Thoughts
Where?
Attempts to Quit
Paraphenalia
13
14 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

2: Manifestation: Unmanageability and consequences

Here we give examples of the direct consequences of our using and
behaviour. The damage to self and others including your self-esteem.

DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS ROCK BOTTOM

• Costs to relationships • High bottom or low bottom

• Nuclear family • Significant losses
• Family of origin • Entering rehab
• Domestic issues • Crisis event
• Hurting others • Shame, guilt and remorse
• Neglect of family • Violation of value system
• Isolation • Continued use despite problems
• Manipulation • Anxiety and depression
• Co-dependency • Breakdown
• Reputation • Spiritual-bankruptcy
• Promiscuous

HEALTH MAJOR OBLIGATIONS

• Physical-Emotional-Mental • Financial costs

• Unhealthy places • Loss of ambition
• High risk behaviour • Loss of motivation
• Impaired thinking • Time wasted
• Loss of memory/Blackouts • Social anxiety
• Illness resulting from • Isolation
your addiction • Humiliation
• Self-seeking
• Work
• Education

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Using the headings provided and this mind map as a guide,
give your own examples evidencing the unmanageable
Voilence and consequences of your addiction. Hospitals
Aggression Accidents
Interpersonal Physical
Theraputic Doctor visits
Issues Liver
Social Issues
Trust Personal Health Problems Anxiety and
Isolating Mental & depression
Loss of Interest Emotional Rage and anger
Unmanagability
Sleep problems
&
Neglect Consequences Impaired thinking
Is my home Nuclear Family
Distorted Catastrophising Personalising
life happy? thinking All or nothing
Careless of Lost time
family welfare
Family Financial problems
Tensions Work

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

of Origin Ambition decreased

Failing Damaged Decreased performance
expectations
Relationships Major Study disrupted
Falling out Obligations
School Failing exams
Co-D Partnerships Dropping out
I need to look Whirlwind Can’t Loss Events
after them (Co-D) romances maintain healthy
I need looking relationships Family Interaction
after (Co-D) Unmet expectations
15
16 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 3 – Your Bubble

The bubble is a useful metaphor: Using substances to change the way
you feel or detach from reality and escape, is like living in a bubble, so
the first thing to do is “Burst your bubble”
Map out your own personal Bubble for us
What? Where, When, How, Who With, and How you feel....etc

When
Where

My Bubble

What

How

Who

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 17

Assignment 4 – Addicts’ Denial System

“Diminished recognition of significant problems
with one’s behaviours.” – ASAM
The psychologist Richard Lazarus talked about Positive denial as a
defense mechanism that helps to manage pain, anxiety and stress. Be-
ing able to function even when faced with a life-threatening disease or
grief.
Addiction has corrupted this mental defense and now protects the ad-
diction - not the addict. There is conscious denial, lying and hiding and
many other unconscious denial types or blind spots. Like the rest of the
brain, the addicts’ mental defenses have been hijacked. Absolute deni-
al and denial of denial are considered the pre-contemplation stage on
cycle of change model.
Give examples in the spaces below:
HFA – High functioning alcoholic/addict: I can function at work, so I am OK.

PED - Performance-enhancing drug or alcohol use: It helps me.

Denial of the relapse cycle or process: Autopilot; it just happened; I cannot

see my part.

Euphoric Recall: nostalgia, glamorizing, or romanticizing our using or ‘war sto-

ries’. Focusing on excitement rather than negative aspects; type of mental filtering.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
18 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Progression denial: I can return to the good old days when it was fun, or I stopped
once without help so I can do it again.

Avoidance: not accepting help or “I’ll talk about anything but my real problems.”

Geographical denial: If I move, change jobs or girlfriends, my problems will go away.

Spiritual denial: My spiritual awakening means I am cured and no longer need

to work on my recovery. Spiritual bypassing: the use of spiritual practices and
beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings, and withdraw from ourselves
and others.

Flight to Health: Feeling better (physically) means that I’m cured; emotional rea-
soning and super-optimism.

Minimizing: playing down; “my problems aren’t that bad.”

Rationalizing: If I can find good enough reasons for my problems, I won’t have
to deal with them; legitimizing and justifying.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 19

Magical thinking: inaction; sitting back hoping it will somehow be ok.

Why me: This always happens to me; victim state.

Control Fallacy: I manage my life; I can manage my addiction.

Harm minimization/substituting: trying to control or changing one

substance for another or one behaviour for another.

Humor: Jokes; making light of it; focusing on the fun memories.

Hiding: self, symptoms, drugs, or alcohol.

Blaming: If I can prove that my problems are not my fault, I won’t have to deal
with them. Type of Faultfinding.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
20 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Strategic Hopelessness: Because nothing has worked, I don’t

have to try; “It’s a permanent condition. Feeling overwhelmed.” – T.Gorski.*

Compare and despair: Showing that others are worse than me proves that I
don’t have serious problems, e.g., comparing a drug to alcohol.

Recovery by Fear: Being scared of my problems will make them go away or pun-
ished I will stop.

Democratic Disease state: “I have the right to destroy myself.” – T. Gorski*

Cultural denial and family denial: I can’t air my dirty laundry in public.

*Terence T. Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 21

Chapter Three: Positive Psychology

Assignment 5 – “The Power of Gratitude”
Gratitude is a positive emotion; modern medical research shows it’s the
most direct route to restoring happiness and balance in our lives.
The practice of gratitude is the antidote to feelings of not
having enough or not being enough.

After prompting participants to think about things they were grateful

for, the participants exhibited more patience and were able to keep their
impulses in check (Watkins et al., 2003). Most of us favor short-term
gratification such as credit card debt or substance abuse over long-term
rewards. Using willpower alone to suppress our desires is a stressful way
to curb this need for instant gratification.
A five-minute per day self-guided gratitude journal can increase your
long-term well-being and happiness, which is something that money
cannot buy. Because of hedonic adaptation, we quickly get used to
money.
• Positive mood • Makes your memories happier
• Optimistic • Bounce back from stress
• Helps with insomnia • Increased energy levels
• Makes people happier • Develops your personality
• More trusting to others • Academics
• Less social anxiety • Assertiveness
• More appreciative • Physical health
• Make more friends • Strengthen relationships
• Improve your marriage • Reverses victim mentality
• More effective performance • Reduces depression
• Helps you network • Overcome entitlement
• Helps you achieve your goals • Overcome deservedness
• More friendly • Dealing with crisis
• Reduces envy • Patience
• Reduces jealousy • More generous
• Less materialistic • Helpful to others

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
22 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

“ A good time to start a gratitude list is

when you are suffering.” !
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Spiritual practice is sitting quietly with a few minutes of

mindful breathing, then reciting gratitude affirmations.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 23

Assignment 6 – Thinking Patterns

This is a brief introduction to Cognitive psychology, identifying
negative thinking patterns. Write down any of your own and healthier
thoughts next to them. These will be basis for your first affirmations.
Why does it always happen to me? They call this personalizing, I call it bad-
luck or superstitious thinking, probably not rationally looking at the real causes of a
situation. Apply unfairness rather than taking responsibility.

I don’t care - so there! This is usually Denial, because we all do care at some level,
however it helps relieve uncomfortable feelings when we don’t get what we want.

Life is shit anyway. Filtering out the positive for sure, this is a effort to absolve
us from our part? The universe has conspired against us that is why our life is not
satisfactory.

Blame game. It is an auto-reaction, it is instinctive to blame. But it is for the most

part unhelpful. When we do this all we do is give all our power away to the one we
blame.

Judge, jury and executioner. Judging is also instinctive but also nega-
tive when we judge others self-righteously as we are setting ourselves up and
destined to be a hypocrite, humility is a better applied.

It is all going to go wrong anyway so why bother? This is strategic

pessimism, maybe it is guarding against disappointment to stay safe we reduce our
expectations to such a low point we are paralyzed.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
24 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Downward Arrow Technique

Negative self-talk Disputes
If this were true, what would
it mean to me?

What does this say about me?

What would be the worst

thing about this?

Why would this be so bad?

Negative Beliefs about the World

Negative Beliefs about Self

New Effective Affirmation Actions

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 25

Assignment 7 – Presupposition-Affirmations
Presupposition: All actions have a purpose, so actions are not random; As
human beings, we are always trying to achieve something, a payoff.
For the sake of argument, imagine you have all the resources necessary to achieve
your goals in life, just by using an affirmation technique to implant thoughts and
images, you will release these resources and realize your goals.
Here are some affirmations enhanced with presuppositions;
I choose to see my family as a gift.
I choose to see my family as a gift and I let them know.
I set strong boundaries.
Now I am learning to set strong boundaries during the challenges I face.
I embrace learning challenges.
I am growing beyond my comfort zone as I embrace learning challenges.
I have the qualities needed to be successful.
I have the qualities needed to be successful and I naturally call on them.

The 18 most powerful words for persuasion

Adverb/Adjective: Time/Number: Cause and Effect:
• Naturally • Before • And
• Easily • During • As
• Unlimited • After • Causes
Awareness: Spatial: • Because
• Aware • Among Commands:
• Realize(ing) • Expand • Now
• Experiencing(ing) • Beyond • Stop

Write down a simple affirmation:

Now use a presupposition to enhance the affirmation:

Read them out with confidence: Try reading them out loud and feel the difference between the 2 affirmations.
Then continue to read out loud 5 days and feel the belief increase.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
26 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Affirmations
Write six positive statements to instill your new attitude toward life
in recovery. They should include a call-to-action and PETs Perform-
ing enhancing beliefs. Your whole attitude and outlook upon life can
change using the affirmation process.
Write your affirmations using “I” statements, make them positive and
about what you want. Also make them punchy, passionate and in the
present tense. You can acknowledge your current successes and make
them fun and super-charged.
Fill in the affirmation boxes below:
Accepting help

Being open-minded

Sharing in group and in meetings

New positive beliefs about self

Being restored to sanity

Empowerment

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 27

Assignment 8 – The ABC’s of CBT

“Cognitive and affective distortions which impair percep-

tion & cause distortion in meaning.” – ASAM

The ABC exercise is designed to build a positive belief system by using

cognitive behavioural therapy. The originator of this form of therapy
was the Psychologist Albert Ellis with his Rational Emotive Behavioural
Therapy – REBT. Later the Psychiatrist Aaron Beck developed what is
now called CBT, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which is used to treat
every type of disorder.

The brain is the organ responsible for producing all behaviour.

A is Activating events or triggers. Basically speaking most human beings

have two primary goals, to survive and to be happy. Events can activate neg-
ative thoughts and feelings that lead to behaviours that threaten these goals.
Not all people will develop the same thinking and reactions around the same
events. Why? Because we all have different thresholds, which are mainly based
on our biological make-up, environment, culture, life expe- riences, levels of
education and so on.
B is Core Beliefs & self-talk. Beliefs are about what you consciously and uncon-
sciously believe about events in your life and your subjective inter- pretation ac-
cording to your viewpoint. They manifest as assumptions, automatic thoughts,
and rigid personal life-rules.
E.g., you may loss a job or a relationship, so in order to make sense of it you may
interpret it as an act against you. I.e., “It’s because you or others are bad.” This
can lead to negative self-talk, getting angry, depression, acting out, drinking and
so on. Remember: Our belief system is laid down during our early development
and we need to know if our beliefs are...
Beliefs can be rational or irrational
Rational: flexible realistic, undemanding and objective, or
Irrational: rigid, unrealistic demanding and subjective.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
28 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

We find our beliefs by listening to and working through

layers of our thoughts we call self-talk.
C = Consequences are emotional & behavioural. As stated earli-
er, the way we “feel and act” after experiencing an activating event will
heavily depend on our personal interpretation and our beliefs about our
interpretations.
Psychologists talk about two kind of problematic emotions (Toxic). For
addicts these can be internal triggers to use. We suggest working on these
emotional reactions.
1. Healthy ‘negative’ emotions: e.g., sadness, concern, healthy anger,
regret, disappointment, and concern.
2. Unhealthy ‘negative’ emotions: depression, anxiety, rage, shame,
jealousy, envy.
If our fight or flight physical defense mechanism is triggered, then our
negative thinking about the event makes it worse; we tend to act out.

D = Disputing our thinking: At this stage you will start to identify your
core beliefs, so you need to test them to see if they are rational, healthy
and up-to-date. Use Socratic questioning by being your own detective
and looking at the facts and evidence. Check your character defects and
types of distorted thinking.

Disputing
Empirical: You ask yourself, where is the evidence that shows that my
beliefs are true?
Logical: Am I turning desires into demands?
Pragmatic: Have my beliefs helped me so far?

E = New effective philosophy. This kind of therapy is not a quick fix.

In order to feel the therapy’s full rewards, you will have to work on your-
self by using this tool daily.
We also take action known as paradoxical behaviours. We don’t try stop-
ping negative behaviour; we force ourselves into new positive behaviours
by practicing what we call exposure therapy, facing our fears.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 29

Core Beliefs
Below is a list of common negative core beliefs; tick the ones you can
identify with.
Addict’s beliefs
❏ I can’t live without it – I need it
❏ I am weak – I must avoid pain
❏ It helps me – There’s something wrong with me.
❏ I don’t have any choice – I can’t say no.
❏ I will never get better – Addiction is a chronic disease.
Security
❏ I can’t trust anyone – People are untrustworthy
❏ I have to be alert for danger – The world is unsafe
❏ I am afraid – I should not be afraid.
❏ Bad things I have done are unforgivable, People don’t
trust me
❏ No one will protect me – People will always let me down
Helpless
❏ I am Helpless – My unhappiness is caused by things
outside my control
❏ I need to be in control – My life is out of control
❏ I am a victim – No one cares about me; life isn’t fair
❏ I can’t change – I am trapped
❏ I can’t cope – Life is full of stress.
Low self-esteem
❏ I am disrespected
❏ I have nothing to offer – others won’t like me
❏ I am inadequate, ineffective, and incompetent
Belonging
❏ I am unwanted
❏ I don’t fit in
❏ I am all alone – No one cares about me

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
30 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Not good enough

❏ I am unlovable, and worthless – I don’t like myself
❏ I am stupid – I must never get anything wrong
❏ I am guilty – it’s always my fault
❏ I’m unimportant.......... if I don’t get my way
❏ I’m weak or a loser.......... if I don’t defend myself
Identity
❏ I am a fraud – If you really knew me, you wouldn’t like me
❏ I am confused – I don’t know who I really am
❏ I am lost – There is something wrong with me/the world
❏ I am a loser
❏ I am unattractive – I don’t like how I look
❏ Past events have ruined my chance to be happy
People pleasing
❏ I must please people in order for them to like me
❏ Arguing is wrong – People should always get along
❏ I’ll never live up to my parents’ expectations – I must
have their approval
Thoughts of entitlement
❏ Things must be the way I want them – Life should be fair
❏ I should always get what I want – The world owes me a
living
❏ I should be able to release all my anger how I choose
Generalizations and distortions
❏ My needs are not going to be met if I have to depend on
others
❏ People are evil, greedy, out to get me
❏ I won’t succeed, so why bother trying?
Perfectionism
❏ I must be perfect – If things don’t go perfectly, it’s a disaster
❏ I have to have all the answers – Things are either right or
wrong.
❏ I’m better than others – My way is the best
❏ Every problem should have an ideal solution
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 31

Cognitive Distortions
Below is a list of self-defeating rigid thinking patterns. Give your
examples in spaces below.
Polarized Thinking: Things are black or white good or bad All-or-
nothing thinking: a form of magnification and minimization. Things
are either right or wrong; there is no middle ground.

Overgeneralization: We come to a general conclusion based on a sin-

gle piece of evidence. Global Labeling: One bad experience leads you
to a negative global judgment. Permanent conditions: taking a tem-
porary situation and transforming it into a permanent condition, e.g.,
suicidal thinking is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

Being Right: We are continually on trial to prove that our opinions and
actions are correct. Being wrong is unthinkable. Righteousness: feel-
ings of being right. Faultfinding and Deflecting: We hunt for some-
one or something to blame outside of ourselves.

Awfulizing: We make uncomfortable situations into disasters.

Castastrophizing: expecting disaster, extreme pessimism. Impossib-
lizing: Here we make difficult tasks into impossible tasks by using words
like too difficult, too hard, impossible.
Can’t Stand-It-itis: “I can’t stand it.” We make uncomfortable and
frustrating circumstances into unbearable ones. Self-anxietizing.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
32 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Mental-Filtering - Disqualifying the positive: We take the nega-

tive details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects of a
situation. Negative selective radar: locking on to old triggers. Mini-
mizing the negative: dismissing significant issues to avoid the feelings
associated, “I don’t care” – Denial

Euphoric recall: Romanticizing, glorifying & glamorizing selec-

tive memory to induce excitement

Fortune telling: Predicting the future will lead to failure: “Treatment won’t
work.” Futurizing: fear-based projecting causing anxiety. Jumping to con-
clusions: assuming or going beyond the evidence we have and reaching a
conclusion that makes things look worse than they are. Mind Reading: do-
ing people’s thinking for them, knowing what people are feeling and thinking
via guess work or through interpreting or misinterpreting body language.

Demand based thinking: the language of should or needs Muster- bat-

ing: I must do this or Shoulds I should have done that, demanding inflexible
self-talk. Life rules: how we and other people should act. Perfectionizing:
High expectations of ourselves and others.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 33

Comparing: measuring yourself against others, comparing yourself in

order to reinforce old beliefs, superior or inferior. People Rating: judg-
ing self and others. Self-downing: beating ourselves up. Handicapping:
telling ourselves that we will never recover. Illusory Superiority: con-
sidering ourselves far better and superior than others, underestimating
our negative qualities and overestimating the positive ones. Grandiosity.
Personalization: “It always happens to me.”

Emotional Reasoning: Feelings are not facts. We believe that what we

feel must be true. If we feel that something is stupid or boring, then it
must be stupid and boring.

Status Quo Bias: stuck with ‘familiar’ and prefer things to stay same, as
they were earlier, our comfort-zone. Tunnel vision: close minded, not
allowing new ideas to help us.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 ACTIVATOR CONSEQUENCE
Feelings
Behaviour
BELIEFS — Self Talk DISPUTE
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
EFFECTIVE WAY FORWARD — Affirmation and Action
34
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 35

Assignment 10 – Spiritual Health

What is spirituality? Or a spiritual program: The use of the word
God in the AA literature is a block for many accessing the AA
program. It is always qualified with as we understand it. More recently,
the phrase Higher Power (HP) is being used. The original text was writ-
ten 80 years ago by middle-aged, middle class, Christian recovering al-
coholics in America. They were trying to convey the message that much
of the solution is best described as spiritual. This is to find and nurture
hope, faith and a sustainable belief in oneself in addition to the willing-
ness to persevere through uncertainty and setbacks in order to remain
clean and sober. Many do this by accepting a form of what we now call
spirituality or psychologists call positive psychology. Developing a sense
of meaning and overall purpose is said to be equally important.
“Addiction is a primary chronic brain disease of reward and
memory with biological, psychological, social and spiritual
manifestations” — ASAM

Higher Power Helping Power

Higher Self Inner Power

Carl Jung – “Spirituality is genetic and therefore universal in all mankind in our
collective unconscious.”
A philosophy for life – Buddhist practice results in increased satis-
faction. In a study by the University of Wisconsin, scans of a group
of Buddhists’ brains revealed that activity in the left prefrontal lobe –
linked to positive emotions, self-control and temperament – were con-
stantly lit-up.
Philosopher William James, who said, ‘All sunshine makes a des-
ert’ and identified himself as a sick soul, wrote about the psychology of
religion, He referred to a mind-cure involving positive thinking. He in-
troduced the spiritual-self as separate from material-self and social-self.
People who commit crime often believe in God whether they practice a
value system or not (Gallup poll stat).
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
36 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Exercise for Spiritual Growth

Mind-map each of the headings below

Non-Spiritual manifestations: depression, loss of interest, hopeless-

ness, lack of connection with others, extreme selfish pursuits, lack of hu-
mility, meaninglessness, not trusting own intuition, loss of joy

Concept: Get a HP to replace an old addiction; Synchroniza-

tion, karma, higher-self, helping power, the group, inner power,
Science, the Group, etc.

Practice: rituals, sacred time, lighting a candle, daily readings of

collectivewisdom, daily prayer (commitment), affirmation, mind-
fulness and meditation, gratitude list, step 10, soul searching, etc.

enefits: faith, hope, optimism, acceptance, accountability, managing

emotions and cravings, healthy relationship with self, decreased focus on
self, building healthy social circles, etc.
Adopting a spiritual problem-solving style:
❏ Finding meaning in what happened
❏ Deferring style
❏ Collaborative style
❏ Surrendering style
❏ Feeling empowered with HP on our side

Characteristics of spirituality:
• resilience • open-mindedness
• inspiration • discipline
• purpose and meaning • healthy dependency
• love, • feeling connected
• compassion

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Explore your Spiritual beliefs
using this mind-map

Spiritual
manifestations
Concept Spirituality
Practice

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Characteristics
of spirituality Benefits
37
38 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Affirmations
Taking a leap of faith, write four positive affirmations using the head-
ings below:

I will hand over

Willingness to

Seeking guidance

Change

In the box below, write your prayer or commitment to your personal

higher power:

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 39

Assignment 10 – Spiritual principles & values

1. A personal value is a standard we uphold
2. A principle is a truth or guideline and does not change
Our values and belief systems are being overhauled, thus leading to
healthier actions and behaviour. Spirituality encompasses a new philos-
ophy and attitude. The first new principles we adopt are in the program
itself; these are Honesty, Open-mindedness and Willingness. In-fact,
every step has a guiding principle; these then become our new value
system.
The 12 step program of AA/NA has the following spiritual principals:
STEP 1 Honesty Tradition 1 Unity
STEP 2 Hope Tradition 2 Group
STEP 3 Faith Tradition 3 Membership
STEP 4 Courage Tradition 4 Autonomy
STEP 5 Integrity Tradition 5 Primary purpose
STEP 6 Willingness Tradition 6 Non-affiliation
STEP 7 Humility Tradition 7 Self-supporting
STEP 8 Justice Tradition 8 Non-professional
STEP 9 Forgiveness Tradition 9 Service
STEP 10 Perseverance Tradition 10 Outside issues
STEP 11 Awareness Tradition 11 Attraction not promotion
STEP 12 Service Tradition 12 Principles not personalities

What value do you apply to the following?

Health

Relationships

Work

Recreation

Money

Recovery

Personal Development

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
40 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Values
Acceptance Belonging Consciousness Directness Fairness
Achievement Bravery Consistency Discipline Faith
Activeness Care Conviction Discovery Family
Altruism Charity Cooperation Drive Fearlessness
Ambition Cleanliness Courage Duty Fitness
Appreciation Clear minded Creativity Education Flexibility
Assertiveness Commitment Decisiveness Effectiveness Flow
Balance Compassion Dependability Efficiency Focus
Guidance Confidence Determination Empathy Frankness
Health Conformity Devotion Encourage- Freedom
Helpfulness Congruency Practicality ment Friendliness
Honesty Connection Preparedness Endurance Fun
Honor Leadership Proactive Energy Giving
Hopefulness Learning Professional Enjoyment Gratitude
Humility Maturity Punctuality Enthusiasm Growth
Humor Mindfulness Purity Excellence Teamwork
Imagination Modesty Realism Excitement Temperance
Independence Motivation Reason Exhilaration Thankful
Insightfulness Mysteriousness Relaxation Expertise Thorough
Inspiration Neatness Reliability Exploration Thoughtful
Integrity Open-minded- Resilience Expressiveness Tidiness
Intimacy ness Respect Sacredness Trust
Intuition Openness Restraint Security Truth
Justice Optimism Soundness Sensitive Joy
Kindness Organization Speed Serenity Unity
Knowledge Originality Spirituality Service Usefulness
Understanding Passion Spontaneity Sharing Vision
Success Peace Stability Simplicity Willingness
Perseverance Perfection Surrender Sincerity Wisdom
Awareness Perseverance Courage Solidarity Love
Service Persistence Integrity Solitude Gratitude
Respect Faith Willingness Warmth Non-judgment
Synchronicity Honesty Humility Strength Authenticity
Karma Hope Discipline Structure
Transformation

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 41

Chapter Four: Emotional Health

Assignment 11 – Anxiety
Emotional changes can include increased anxiety,
dysphoria and emotional pain.
Anxiety is a common feeling shared by all addicts and alcoholics. There is free-floating
anxiety and reactive anxiety that both give rise to physical manifestations. The fight or
flight, freeze, fidget and faint responses are from the autonomic nervous system. This
response also causes the release of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline when under
stress. This response goes back to a time when people lived closer to natural threats such
as predators. However, similar levels of alarm can cause unnecessary distress in daily life,
often leading to self-medication.
Below is a diagram showing the relationship of how our thoughts, emotions, behaviour
and physical sensations all influence each other. By focusing on the negative thoughts
and learning how to challenge them, we can reduce the physical disturbance.

Hot Cross Bun Exercise

SITUATION

THOUGHTS

EMOTIONS BEHAVIOUR

BODILY
SENSATIONS

Physical Manifestations of Anxiety

• Heart rate • Impaired • Feeling “hyper”

• Urge to use the breathing • Numbness
toilet • Urge to run • Goosebumps
• Nervous system • Bodily trembling • Stomach upset
activated • Blushing • Unhealthy posture
• Feeling light- • Feeling weak • Fidgeting
headed • Sweating • Biting fingernails
• Voice trembling • Crying
• Chest pains • Zoning out

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
42 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

What physical sensations have you noticed

when you felt anxious?

What makes us anxious?

• Radio commercials about • Humiliation
debt collecting • Loud noises in the middle of
• Checking my bank account the night
• Missing calls from unknown • Big crowds
numbers • Catching some form of disease
• When the person I’m dating • Being in a social situation that
doesn’t text me you don’t like
• My ability to breathe • A big natural disaster
• Being alone • Speaking in public
• Seeing an old friend • Gaining weight
• Trying to lose weight • Seeing the dentist
• Watching medical-themed TV • Losing all your money
shows • Going to hospital
• Being late • Asking for help
• Opening the mail • Small spaces
• Remembers crimes I committed • Dependency on other people
• Thinking about alcohol • Worrying about the past
• Not getting enough sleep • Not getting my way
• Having to be assertive • Lying and being dishonest

Give five examples of what makes you anxious:

Now use the Hot-Cross model to process your anxiety.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 43

Assignment 12 – Depression
Depression is a modern term; Hippocrates, the father of Western medi-
cine, described a syndrome of Melancholia over 2000 years ago, charac-
terizing it as fears and despondencies.
Now the word depressed is used in everyday language. People often say,
“I’m depressed” when they mean, “I’m fed up”. Everyone occasionally
gets the blues or black-dog as Winston Churchill described it.
Addiction can have serious repercussions on a person’s life, leading to
financial and legal troubles, impaired thinking and judgment, as well as
stress. Struggling with money or grappling with a failed relationship, we’re
more likely to feel depressed.
Types of Depression
❏ Clinical/major ❏ Premenstrual, periods
❏ Reactive episodes ❏ Postnatal, after giving birth
❏ Psychotic break with reality ❏ Chronic/dysthymia
The neurotransmitter Serotonin anaesthetizes emotional pain and de-
pression. People with low serotonin and addiction issues tend to gravitate
towards drugs and alcohol to self-medicate low mood.
1. Mild depression: discouraged about the future
2. Moderate depression: dismal future
3. Severe depression: no future
What came first: the chicken or the egg?
Researchers don’t know whether the dip in serotonin causes the depres-
sion or the depression causes serotonin levels to drop. However, a vicious
cycle can develop.
Symptoms of Depression
❏ Hopelessness ❏ Appetite loss ❏ Helplessness
❏ Feeling down ❏ Weight loss ❏ Neglect
❏ Withdrawn ❏ Fatigue ❏ Procrastination
❏ Isolation ❏ Suicidal thinking ❏ Delaying decisions
❏ Reduced libido ❏ Excessive sleeping ❏ Pleasure loss
❏ Low ❏ Pessimism ❏ Self-pity
self-esteem ❏ Worthlessness
❏ Hypochondria
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
44 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Alcohol is a depressant
Alcohol is a depressant and has a sedative effect on the brain, so it ex-
aggerates depression because of its direct neurotoxic effects. A drink or
two, smoking cannabis, or a line of cocaine might temporarily relieve
some symptoms, but each time a chemical leaves the body, it usually
brings the depression to new lows known as “withdrawal depression”.
Depression Triggers
• Substance • Abuse • Trauma
Abuse • Conflict • Grief
• Medications • Losing job • Economic issues
• Genetics • Isolation • Illnesses
• Divorce • Bullying • Guilt
• Premenstrual cycle
When people suffer from depression, it is difficult for them to imagine
not being depressed in the future. You can’t always think your way out
of depression, and if you can’t say anything positive to yourself, it is
best to think nothing at all. Below are 3 cognitive manifestations of de-
pression.
The expression “looking at the world through rose-colored glasses,” means
everything seems wonderful. It is a distortion of reality just as “looking at the
world through depression glasses” always distort things in a negative way.
Negative self-talk
❏ I don’t like the way I look
❏ I am not smart enough – I am a loser
❏ Nothing ever goes my way – Feeling that life isn’t worth living
❏ I should not be depressed, confused – I am overwhelmed
❏ I’m weak – The pain will never end
❏ I’m incompetent – I can’t do anything right
❏ I am trapped – there is no way out
❏ I can’t change – I Feel hopeless
❏ I find socializing hard – I want to be left alone
❏ I’m a failure – I lack confidence
❏ I Feel exhausted - I feel stressed
❏ I find simple day-to-day things almost impossible
❏ It is easier to avoid facing many difficulties than to face them
❏ I have to do everything myself
❏ I need someone stronger whom I can rely on
❏ I am a burden to others

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 45

Assignment 13 – Trauma Exercise

Exposure to traumatic events/abuse
Below is a list of issues that some people sometimes have in response to stress
or traumatic life events in their pasts, such as an accident, abuse or neglect.
High stress events are usually violent, or when we feel threatened and experi-
ence high levels of fear. We can be left wounded or scarred physically, mental-
ly and emotionally. Write your experiences...
Relive disturbing events, have memories, thoughts, images of a traumatic experience
from the past.

Trouble remembering important parts of a traumatic experience.

Disturbing dreams of a traumatic experience.

Avoid thinking about or talking about a difficult event.

Avoid activities or situations because they remind you of a difficult event.

Upset when something reminds you of a traumatic experience

Being hyperalert and overly anxious.

Having biological reactions when reminded (including insomnia)

Use the exercise on the next page to plot your trauma.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
46 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

What triggers me?

People, Places, Memories
How does it affect me now?
List 3 words to describe your
feelings at this moment:

1.

2.

3.

Only do this exercise

with your counselor

The Event

Other
What keeps it going today?
Pain/Thoughts/Fears/Anger

Positives in my life now

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 47

Assignment 14 – DBT The Wise Mind

Wise Mind is a concept taken from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy* (DBT)
that can help us conceptualize, explain and perhaps manage ourselves more
effectively. DBT invites us to consider our brains to be in one of three states
of mind:
1. Emotional Mind: mood dependent, and impulse-driven.
2. Logical Mind: task-oriented, analytical and concerned with facts.
3. Wise Mind: A state of mind that allows us to consider and integrate
both logical and emotional mind.
Each of these states of mind has its pros and cons, ranging from life en-
hancing to problematic. E.g. empathy, values, passion, creativity, compas-
sion and survival all are part of Emotion Mind. Relationships, as well as
love, passion and friendships, would therefore be impossible without Emo-
tional Mind. On the flipside, Emotion Mind can drive us to act on impulse
or cravings without consideration of long-term consequences.
Example: Consider the last argument you had with a family member or your partner:
in the heat of the argument, you may have felt justified in loudly expressing anger, frustra-
tion or disagreement. In hindsight, you may regret losing your temper.
Logical Mind enables us to consider facts and carefully analyse and be
pragmatic about things. Ideally, we draw on our Logical Mind when mak-
ing important decisions, do taxes, draw up budgets etc. Additionally, log-
ical mind helps us to consider context or long-term consequences of our
actions. Logical Mind is less helpful when trying to decide on things like
personal values, spirituality, or matters of the heart.
Drawing also on our intuition and gut feeling, Wise Mind teaches us to
acknowledge and validate our feelings, while equally considering context,
facts and long-term consequences of our actions BEFORE we act. Thus
serves as a shield against knee-jerk, impulsive and automatic responses we
may later on regret.
Exercise: Think of a recent example and fill in the worksheet on
the next page.

* Dialectical Behaviour Therapy was developed by Marsha Linehan at the University

of Washington, and is well supported as an effective intervention for individuals experiencing
difficulties regulating their emotions. DBT modules teach behavioural skills in the areas of
mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 EXPERIENCE Stress
IMPULSE
Advice facts ANGER feelings
Problem solving Fear
logic long term DBT Wise Mind short term
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Wise
Reasonable Mind Mind Emotional Mind
48
HOPE
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 49

Wise Mind Toolbox

Tools and tips to tone down our Emotion Mind,
like using a dimmer switch on a lamp.
Addiction and triggers: Emotion Mind has the upper hand, often
leading relapse. Unfortunately, when we are in Emotion Mind and feel-
ing strong emotions, it can be hard for us to make healthy decisions.
Distraction: Distracting yourself helps you to get out of your own
head and your emotional experience, and it is one of the most helpful
tools for lowering emotional intensity. You can distract in many ways,
for example by:
Going outside & taking a walk; visiting a friend; going window shopping;
visiting the library, church or meditation room, or going to the cinema or for a
coffee/tea; exercising.
Doing a crossword puzzle or Sudoku, something that requires your mind
to focus and Logical Mind to be engaged. You can also read a book or newspa-
per, or write a letter.
Painting; drawing; sculpting; sorting photos; decorating your room, or
engage in some sort of creative activity.
Self-Soothing: These skills can help you relax, and self-soothing works to
signal your Emotion, consider engaging your senses.
Vision: Look at the picture of a loved one; find a spot in nature/in a museum
that you find visually soothing.
Hearing: Listen to your favourite tunes, an audiobook, a recording of nature
sounds or sounds around you.
Touch: Take a hot/cold shower, and enjoy the sensation of water touching your
skin; carry a smooth rock in your pocket and hold when distressed.
Taste: Drink you favourite tea; eat something you find delicious mindfully.
Smell: Smell your favourite aroma oil; light an incense stick; stop to smell a
flower; take a walk in the rain.

Use TIP skills for very intensive emotions – Do the follow-

ing in sequence:
T=Temperature: Hold an ice cube; take a cold shower or splash your face with ice cold water
I=Intensity: Engage in intensive exercise, for example: running, jumping jacks, or kick-boxing
P= Paced Breathing: Once you feel able to sit still, practice progressive muscle relaxation or
engage in paced breathing, such as square breathing
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
50 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 15 – Anger
Addiction is characterized by dysfunctional emotional
response – ASAM

Anger is a natural emotion related to one’s perception of having

been treated unfairly, attacked, offended, hurt or denied. Feelings are
neither right nor wrong; however, the behaviour can be.
Healthy or unhealthy anger depends on levels and degrees in addition
to its intensity and frequency – Where and how?
What triggers your anger?
Anger is often a defence that masks the true underlying emotion.
We often use anger to cover painful emotions that may leave us feel-
ing vulnerable. One of the keys to working with anger is to find the
underlying cause(s). I am angry, but really I am hurt.
To Freud, all defence mechanisms, including anger, exist to protect
the personality from an attack of anxiety. Anger helps us manage
our fears.

Anger and frustration are linked to stress and depression, leading in

turn to isolation and low self-esteem. These often fuels addictions as
one seeks to numb or escape the pain by self-medicating.

Resentment or old anger is often accumulated over a life time;

however, it can resurface and leads to feeling of self-pity, fear and
beliefs of injustice. Process this in Step 4.

Instrumental anger or aggression serves as a means to achieve a

goal.

Self-righteous anger: Believing I am right and others are wrong

leads to feelings of superiority, being entitled and grandiose – these
are character defects.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 51

Why do we react the way we act? Anger is part of the fight or

flight (or freeze, fidget, faint) biological brain (limbic system) response
to the perceived threat of harm. We act out in anger to relieve the
adrenaline it creates and to protect ourselves.
Anger as a drug: acting out angrily can become habitual as it pro-
vides physical and psychological relief, e.g., the Rage-a-holic.
Suppressing anger cause toxicosis in the brain and leads to anx-
iety and depression. Neurochemicals (noradrenalin) are stored up
and if not cleared by healthy process can lead to depression and
toxic feelings.
You will not be punished for your temper; you will be punished by it.” – Buddha
Healthy Anger
Mature defence mechanisms are often the most constructive and
helpful to most adults, but they may require practice and effort to put
into daily use. People with more mature defences tend to be more at
peace with themselves and those around them.
Frustration, mostly related to impatience, is a negative emotion
that is healthy in many respects. Provide energy to motivate you to-
wards a solution to the problem.
Irritation helps to define boundaries. These include the boundaries
of assertiveness.
Annoyance motivates you to speak out about displeasure.
Assertiveness is the emphasis of a person’s needs or thoughts in
a manner that is respectful, direct and firm. Communication styles
range from passive to aggressive, with assertiveness falling neat-
ly in-between. People who are assertive strike a balance when they
speak up for themselves, express their opinions or needs in a respect-
ful yet firm manner, and listen when they are being spoken to.
Exercise: Identify your anger styles on the passive aggressive list and aggressive
anger lists on following pages:

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
52 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Somatization: when emotions get converted into a physical expression;

stress response, high heart rate, elevated blood pressure and illness.

Intellectualizing: overemphasis on thinking as a defence when challenged;

acting superiorly.

Secretive Behaviours: stockpiling resentments, avoiding eye contact, put-

ting people down, gossiping.

Procrastination: non-compliance, rebellion, failing to fulfil commitments,

lateness.

Defensive: avoiding contact, refusing to admit your part.

Psychological Manipulation and Bullying: provoking people to ag-

gression by antagonising them; pushing buttons; envy.

Unjust blaming: accusing other people for your own mistakes or blaming
people for your own feelings.

Silent Violent: withholding sex or intimacy; refusing to engage; moody,

withdrawing, isolating.

Playing martyr: making do with second best; refusing help; self-sacrifice.

Sarcasm and cynicism: in conversation or putting others down

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 53

Threatening: believing you must be aggressive to get what you want.

Hostility: unfriendly, oppositional; discrimination; foul language.

Unpredictability: attacking indiscriminately; illogical arguments; in-

appropriate venting.

Hurtfulness: physical violence, verbal abuse, vulgar jokes

Destructiveness: destroying objects, harming animals, destroying a

relationship; substance abuse.

Explosive Styles: loss of control, intense outbursts of aggression or

yelling. Exploders tend to internalize most of their frustration only to let
it build up and eventually erupt.

Bullying: intimidation, persecuting, using power to oppress, threats,

slamming doors, domestic violence.

Manic Behaviour: speaking fast, walking fast, over-working, driving

too fast, reckless spending.

Vengeance: being overly-punitive, refusing to forgive and forget, bring-

ing up hurtful memories from the past.

Body Language: frowning, staring, clenching fists, folded arms, and

gritted teeth.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
54 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Step four AA Exercise

“Made a searching and fearless inventory of ourselves” – NA
This is a fact-finding exercise. We are searching for causes and con-
ditions. We want to discover our beliefs, fears, actions, and behaviour
patterns.
Terminology and meanings
In most cases, we have to examine our childhoods as we are a product
of our past.
Moral Standards or values
Fearless To penetrate our denial system
Resentment To re-feel old anger
Character defects Dysfunctional personality traits
Shortcomings Qualities we are lacking

Traditional Column Format

Column 1 – Resentments. The first Inventory is all your past re-
sentments. List all the people, places, things, institutions, or principles
with which you are angry with or feel hurt by. Fears: all the things that
make you nervous, anxious or afraid.
In step 4 we also share our secrets: guilt and shame. The guilt is usually
linked to past behaviour and the shame is how we feel about who we are.
Column 2 – We identify how we were hurt using the list below:
❏ Self Esteem – How I think of myself
❏ Self-worth – How I think others view me
❏ Emotional Security – General sense of personal well being
❏ Financial Security – Basic desire for money, property, etc.
❏ Physical Security – Neglect and self-preservation
❏ Ambitions – Our plans, our wants, our desires
❏ Personal Relations – Relationships with other people
❏ Sex Relations – Basic drive for sexual intimacy
❏ Sense of Justice – Circumstances not being fair

Column 3 – My part – This is where we examine our part, putting aside

the wrongs others may have done. This could be at the time of the event or
how you act out in your life as a result of the event. As children sometimes
it was just our expectation of others or simply holding on to the anger. This
is how we defuse the resentment.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 55

Column 4 – The legacy of the resentments – Wea identify our character

defects and shortcomings. This is the gold we are looking for to change in
Steps 6 and 7.

❏ Pride – high opinion of one’s own qualities

❏ Fear – insecurity
❏ Impatience – wanting everything now
❏ Intolerance – low frustration tolerance
❏ Anger – abusive rage, violence
❏ Envy – resentful of more fortunate people; wanting what some-
one else has
❏ Jealousy – the fear of being out done; fear of losing something
❏ Selfishness – focussing on your own desires
❏ Self-pity – a feeling of being hard done by! Poor me
❏ Self-centeredness – pre-occupied with self
❏ Arrogance – I am right and you are wrong
❏ Lack of humility – ungrateful or immodest
❏ Sloth – laziness, procrastination
❏ Irresponsibility
❏ Dishonesty – deceitfulness, lack integrity
❏ Lust – desire for sexual indulgence
❏ Greed – to want more than necessary
❏ Grandiosity – sense of superiority or importance
❏ Lack of faith – mistrust
❏ Lack of compassion – judgmental
❏ Self-righteousness – moral high ground
❏ Gossip
❏ Controlling – manipulative

Finally, make a note of any amend you may want to make for each example
you list. This is for your Exercises 8 & 9. By sharing our inventory with
our counselor or sponsor, we complete Exercise 5.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Column 1 – Resentment Column 2 – Hurts Column 3 – My part Column 4 – legacy
Who Self-esteem My expectations Step 6 - defects
Self-worth Where I was to blame Selfish
Emotional security Mistakes I made Dishonest
Financial security Secret Prideful
Physical security Holding a grudge Frightened
Ambitions Self-pitying
Personal relations
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Sex relations Step 7 - shortcomings
Sense of justice Lack of....
Acceptance
Tolerance
Humility
Faith
What happened – When Other (toxic feelings) My behaviour Step 8 & 9 – amends
Anger to make
Pain Forgiveness
Isolation Apologies
Grief Actions
56
 Column 1 – Resentment Column 2 – Hurts Column 3 – My part Column 4 – legacy

Who Step 6/7

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

What happened Other Behaviour Amends to make

(Step 8/9)
57
58 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Chapter Five: Personal Evaluation

Assignment 16 – Non-Violent Communication (NVC)
Non-Violent Communication (NVC) is a way of helping people express
themselves and listen to others. It was developed by Marshall Rosenberg
when he was working as a civil rights activist in the States in the 1960’s.
Why is NVC taught at Hope?
Because challenging relationships tend to be a significant part of all of our
clients histories and they also tend to be triggers for people – We aim to
equip you with powerful tools with which to navigate these challenges.
The Main Principles of NVC
When someone is frustrated, upset, and angry they have a NEED which
is not being met. NVC encourages the honest expression of needs with-
out blaming others and also encourages empathetic listening to others. “I”
statements. NVC also encourages self-responsibility. We own and take re-
sponsibility for our own feelings.
There are 4 steps to NVC which can be both applied to ourselves when ex-
pressing ourselves and also applied to others when listening to them.
1.What happened? Distinguishing Facts from Judgement. (e.g. We
arranged to meet at 10.00. It’s now 10.20 and I’ve been waiting for 20 min-
utes.
This is in direct contrast to saying things like “You’re always late” “You’ve
disrespected me” which are judgements and are likely to be received as at-
tacks.
2. How I felt. Distinguishing Feelings from Thoughts.
NVC places a lot of importance upon individuals owning their own feeling-
sand NOT blaming others for them. (e.g. I feel angry NOT you made me
angry.)
3.What need do I have that is not being met?
This is the most powerful as this is where we turn our attention inwards
towards our own needs. As previously stated the foundation of NVC states
that whenever someone is upset, angry or sad it is because we have a need
that has not been met.
“It’s now 10.20, we arranged to meet at 10.00 and I didn’t hear from you.
I’m feeling irritated as I have a need for consideration ”
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 59

4.The request (and not a demand)

The final part of a NVC conversation entails asking for a request that
would be able to fulfil the unmet need. (e.g.) If you’re going to be late again
please can you let me know as soon as possible?
Using NVC for Listening to others.
All of the above steps of NVC are equally applicable when we listen to oth-
ers. It is especially important to recognise the fact that whenever someone
else is upset, angry, hurt etc it will be because of their own unmet needs;
if we are able to truly empathise with them and express what we can intuit
then we can defuse many challenging conversations.
When using NVC with others we guess what they are feeling,
knowing they will let us know if we are correct or not.
e.g. I notice you haven’t made eye contact with me or said anything for the
last few minutes? Are you upset about something?
e.g. You seem angry is it because I was late meeting you? Exercise.
1. Think back to a recent time when you were upset, angry, anxious or feel-
ing low after an encounter with someone else.
2. Ask yourself what happened? The actual facts.
3. What were you feeling?
4. What need did you have that wasn’t met? - the needs list may help you.
5. What request could you have the next time a similar situation arises?

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
60 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Needs list
Connection Physical Meaning Autonomy
acceptance Well-Being awareness choice
affection air celebration of freedom
appreciation food life independence
belonging movement/ challenge space
cooperation exercise clarity spontaneity
communication rest/sleep competence
closeness sexual consciousness Peace
community expression
contribution beauty
companionship safety
compassion creativity communion
shelter
consideration discovery ease
touch
consistency efficacy equality
water
empathy effectiveness harmony
Sobriety
inclusion growth inspiration
intimacy recovery
hope order
love
learning
mutuality Honesty
authenticity mourning
respect/self-
respect integrity participation
safety presence purpose
security self-expression
stability stimulation
Play
support
joy to matter
to know and be
known humor understanding
to see and be seen Teamwork
to understand and Connection
be understood
trust
warmth

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 61

Hope-Maslow Hierarchy of needs

self-
actualization
Morality, creativity,
spontaneity, acceptance,
experience purpose,
meaning and inner potential

self-esteem
Confidence, achievement, respect of others,
the need to be a unique individual

love and belonging

Friendship, family, intimacy, sense of connection

safety and security

Health, employment, property, family and social stability

physiological needs
Breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep

Ways I currently meet these needs

Self-fulfillment

Social and esteem needs

Safety & belonging needs

Basic needs

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
62 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 17 – Co-dependency
Diminished recognition of significant problems with interpersonal relationships
We think of Addiction as a family illness as it affects the whole fam-
ily. The term co-dependent evolved out of treatment centers in the
USA, in the 1950’s. The first Rehabs initially treated alcoholics. Then
co-alcoholic meaning ‘alcoholic-with’ described close family members
who either enabled or were victims. In the 1960’s drug dependency
started to be treated, so the term was updated to co-dependency ‘de-
pendent-with’. In 1986 the first recovery meeting of co-dependen-
cy Anonymous CoDA took place. Melody Beattie wrote the first Big
Book, Co-dependency No More.

Co-dependency – Taking responsibility for others. Dependency –

Relying on others
Independent – Unattached
Inter-dependent – Healthy exchange and support

Family feedback is one of the most powerful tools in treatment, and

we strongly recommend that you involve your loved ones in your ther-
apeutic process while at Hope.

Co-dependency today
Our understanding of co-dependency has broadened out to include
those people who are attracted to addicts due to care-taking issues,
people who are addicted to relationships, and fear of people.
A brief understanding is loss of identity, self-esteem, and unhealthy
boundaries due to one’s need for validation from others, i.e., expecting
others to take responsibility for us.

Many of us come from dysfunctional families and had unhealthy

boundaries and relationships modeled to us in our early years.
On the next page are the four life positions by Dr Harris, based on
Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis model of healthy and unhealthy
Ego states: transference between humans based on early relationships
in their lives. For instance, a critical parent could result in the child’s
having low self-esteem or rebellious attitude toward authority figures.
This is based on the idea that we all have an inner child.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 63

I am not OK – You’re OK: Low self-esteem inferior position, angry

child
I am Not OK – You’re Not OK: Low self-regard for self and others
I am OK – You’re Not OK: Superior self-position, defiant child
I am OK – You’re OK: Healthy, positive regard for self and others

The drama triangle

The drama triangle by Stephen Karpman is another useful table to work
with. It helps understand any dysfunctional social interaction humans
engage in, usually unconsciously. Here there are three roles that we can
switch into depending on the situation and who

Rescuer Persecutor

Victim

Playing the victim means that I am not responsible; I am helpless and

justified.
Being the rescuer so I won’t be abandoned or feel uncomfortable
Persecuting – I use intimidation and punishing anger to get what I
want.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 For each of the relationship
models on this page, give your
own experience and examples.
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Co-dependency Dependency
Independence Inter-dependency
64
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 65

Roles we play in our relationships

❏ Approval seeker ❏ Martyr
❏ Caretaker ❏ People pleaser
❏ Enabler ❏ Manipulator
❏ Neglector
❏ Controller

Approval seeking

Caretaking

Enabling

Controlling

People pleasing

Playing victim

Rescuing

Persecuting

Dependency

Addicted to someone

Isolated

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
66 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 18 – Peer evaluation

This is a very valuable exercise where you will learn a lot about your-
self by using the help of some of your peers. It will challenge you but
at the same time it will help you to do a step forward. Things that
might be normal to you after years of addiction could be unhelpful
at the moment, and it is possible that you are not aware but that your
peers can see it.
The exercise is based around the ‘Johari Window’, a very helpful
tool developed in 1955 by the psychologists Joe Luft and Harry Ing-
ham. The ‘Johari Window’ has four squares like a window:

1: You (hidden) 2: You / Others (open)

Private; mine to Public knowledge; what I show to you
share if I trust you

3: Others (blind) 4: Nobody (Unconscious)

Feedback – your gift Unknown; new awareness can emerge
to me

1. There is a part of you that only you see. Other people are not aware
of this part of you. This part is also known as the ‘hidden’ part.
2. There is a part of you that you see, but other people are also aware
of this part of you. This part is also known as the ‘open’ part.
3. There is a part of you that you are not aware of, but other people do
see this part of you. This part is also known as the ‘blind’ part.
4. There is a part of you that nobody sees, neither you nor other people.
This part is also known as the ‘Unconscious’ part.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 67

Exercise: Johari Window

Approach 6 of your peers and ask them for feedback to help you grow.
First you can start identifying who would be good to ask. Choosing
peers to ask for feedback is important, you want diversity.
Peer 1

Peer 2

Peer 3

Peer 4

Peer 5

Peer 6

Now you have identified the peers that you are going to ask for feed-
back you can prepare yourself for receiving the feedback.

Remember that the feedback is about your blind spots

1. Ask questions about the feedback if its not clear
2. Ask for examples
3. Make yourself ‘helpable’
4. See what feelings come up for you
5. Make notes
6. Thank your peer after the feedback
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
68 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Peer feedback template

Peer #_____________________________
Blocks: What are my 3 main blocks to recovery in your opinion?
Minimizing my Acting Not asking Self-Pity Ignoring what
problems impulsively for help others say
Blaming others Demanding of Rigid Resentfulness Not being
self and others thinking or anger in touch
w/ feelings
Isolating Playing it safe Negative Focusing on Other
attitude outside
problems
Can you give me examples to help me understand my blocks?

Can you explain to me why you think these are blocks?

Assets: What are my 3 main assets to recovery in your opinion?

Being realistic Acting mature Reaching out Gratitude for Listening to
about oneself and sensibly to others for life others
help
Taking responsi- Having Willingness to Forgiveness In touch with
bility for actions reasonable try new ways and peace of and sharing
expectations mind feelings
Socializing with Trusting others Positive Focusing on Other
recovering people and taking risks attitude treatment
remedies

Can you give me examples to help me understand my assets?

Can you explain to me why you think these are assets to my recovery?

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 69

Assignment 19 – King Baby Syndrome

The original King Baby was written by Tom Cunningham from the
Hazelden Foundation, Minnesota. He wrote the pamphlet for recov-
ering addicts and alcoholics to explore dry drunk syndrome. This
term is obviously an oxymoron as it implies that a person is drunk with-
out ingesting alcohol. This is because Addiction is not about the sub-
stance; it is an illness that results in characteristics and behaviours that
the substance medicates.
The term “His Majesty, King Baby,” originated from Freud’s paper
“On narcissism” (1914) using the myth of Narcissus as a synonym for
egomania or fixation with oneself.
The story
Narcissus is a young man, who seeing his reflection in a pool of water is
unable to tear himself away and finally dies of self-obsession. His name
is derived from the Greek word “narke” meaning sleep or numbness.
Narcissistic stage of development
We are all born narcissists in order to survive: Imagine returning to the
womb, here we feel warmth, security, and comfort. All our primary needs
are taken care of and we are the center of our universe. During our in-
fancy we demand food, attention, care and expect to get it. Through
the natural maturing processes of childhood and adulthood, most of
our “Baby” mentality is discarded and replaced by more appropriate
life skills. However some of us advanced through the stages of physical
growth without shedding this so called “King Baby” attitude.
When addicts suffer from “King Baby syndrome” they want the same
level of self-centered gratification that babies and young children need.
Addicts must be especially aware of King Baby drives and character-
istics, for these attitudes and behaviours can continue to show up after
we achieve abstinence.
Traditionally narcissism is seen as a result of setbacks in early devel-
opment. Known as the “Narcissistic wound”, it’s usually due to unmet
needs, hurts and threats to self-esteem.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
70 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Nature vs. Nurture

Narcissism in relation to addiction may be caused by dopamine defi-
ciency and therefore feelings of deprivation and dissatisfaction, caused
by either a genetic condition or neglect.
Whatever the cause, it leads to anxiety and triggers defense mechanisms
and defective character traits to compensate. Narcissistic Personality
Disorder is listed in the DSM as a classifiable clinical diagnosis.
Inner struggle
There are two prime motivating factors for adult-baby behaviour: first,
the scared lonely child who does not want to be hurt and second the
adult baby who is never satisfied. Sometimes when our inner-child hears
the word NO, an inner message hears the word BAD.
Narcissistic Core Beliefs
❏ I am special and different ❏ No one understands me
❏ I must be admired by all ❏ Others envy me
❏ I can’t get enough ❏ No one cares about me
❏ I must be the best
❏ I must get my way

The objective is to compensate for inferiority by being right and im-

portant in order to fulfill ones needs.
Narcissistic Character Traits

Self-Obsession Vanity Arrogant

Shame Greed Grandiosity

Superiority Entitlement Self-pity

“It’s ok to be the center of your universe; however it’s not ok to expect to

be the center of everyone else’s universe!”

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 71

“King baby” Personality Traits

This exercise is very general and meant to stimulate reflection and
awareness
“Ego maniac with inferiority complex”
❏ Become angry with or afraid of authority figures
❏ Seek approval losing my identity in the process
❏ Good first impression, problems completing things
❏ Have difficulty accepting criticism
❏ Hypersensitive
❏ Have difficulty sustaining healthy relationships
❏ Have addictive personality and driven to extremes
❏ Have been immobilized by anger and frustration
❏ Am rarely satisfied
❏ Given to exaggerations and showing off
❏ Feel lonely even when surrounded by people
❏ Need people around me to feel ok
❏ Say “I know” alot
❏ Complain and blame others for what is going wrong
❏ Feel like I don’t fit in
❏ See things as a catastrophe, all or nothing thinking
❏ Feeling of dependence, fears of abandonment
❏ Have taken advantage of others for your own ends
❏ Are concerned with money and material things
❏ Fantasize, dream big plans & schemes
❏ Charm superiors and intimidate subordinates
❏ Believe rules and laws are for others
❏ Attracted to excitement, life in the fast lane
❏ Lose touch with own feelings

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
72 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 20 – Personality
Distortions in a person’s connection with self and with
others – ASAM

Carl Jung used the term ‘Personas’ in his book Psychological types (1921)
to describe our personality. Persona is the Latin word for mask, which
protects our Ego. Jung identified two main personality groups:

“Don’t you know who I think I am?”

The Extravert attitude that responds to the external world
The Introvert attitude that responds to the inner world
These two opposing attitudes are both present in the personality, but
ordinarily one of them is dominant.

The
4 parts of SELF
• Thinking
• Feeling
• Sensing
• Intuiting
Masks hide our vulnerability
Throughout our lives and over the years of our active addiction we de-
velop certain character traits or habitual patterns of behaviour to help
us function in the world and meet our needs.
However, this persona or mask is a psychological defense mechanism
and is to a greater or lesser degree hiding our true or real self.
In recovery, we understand that appropriately showing vulnerability
is not weak but in fact connects us to others and promotes intimacy,
growth, and strength.
What Persona’s do you have?
Exercise: Read through the list of personas on the next page and
choose the ones that you recognize you use.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 73

The Chameleon
Behaviour: People pleasing, dishonest.
Impaired thinking: If I am charming and pleasing you will like me.
Core Belief: My happiness depends on others liking and accepting me.
Dispute: By being all things to all people, we lose own identity.

Control Freak
Behaviour: Ordering people around, demanding.
Impaired thinking: I need to be in control to be safe and get my needs met.
Core Belief: If you want a job done properly, do it yourself.
Dispute: By controlling others, we cause resentment and attract dependent types.

Special and different

Behaviour: Arrogant, isolating.
Impaired thinking: No one understands me, I am unique and I should have special
treatment.
Core Belief: No one understands me.
Dispute: In recovery we look for the similarities not the differences.

I’m a Princess/ little lord

Behaviour: Selfish, grandiose and entitled.
Impaired thinking: Don’t you know who I think I am? I want the best of everything
and you must provide it.
Core Belief: People should always do what I want.
Dispute: You can’t function as an adult with this attitude.

Sex addict/flirt
Behaviour: Sexually acting out, flirting, sleazy.
Impaired thinking: Sex is my most important need and is the only way I feel satisfied.
Sex gets me what I want.
Core Belief: Sex is the most important sign of love.
Dispute: Healthy boundaries are needed to maintain healthy relationships.

The Perfectionist
Behaviour: Workaholism, obsessive, competitive, high expectations.
Impaired thinking: I am not worthwhile unless I am the best and come first at everything
I do.
Core Belief: If I am intelligent and successful, I will be approved and accepted.
Dispute: Such high expectations usually result in disappointment and the price paid for
being the best or right is often unhappiness.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
74 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

The Rebel
Behaviour: Oppositional, difficult, and resistant.
Impaired thinking: If I don’t get my way, I will refuse to take part. Telling me not to
do something is like waving a red flag in my face.
Core Belief: No one can tell me what to do.
Dispute: For a teenager this is a healthy stage of development; however, rebels are usu-
ally the only ones missing out.

The Clown
Behaviour: Attention seeking, entertaining.
Impaired thinking: I use humor to deflect when I am not comfortable. I need to be
noticed.
Core Belief: We must be happy all the time.
Dispute: What are you avoiding with this defense mechanism?

Rage-a-holic
Behaviour: Explosive anger, outbursts.
Impaired thinking: If I scream loud enough, show my anger, people will avoid upset-
ting me and challenging me.
Core Belief: The world is a difficult place.
Dispute: The anger of entitlement is a very lonely place and pushes people away.

The Victim/Martyr
Behaviour: Helplessness, blaming, self-pity.
Impaired thinking: I deserve to suffer; nobody understands me; poor me. I am not
responsible.
Core Belief: People are generally hurtful or the world is a dangerous place. Bad
things happen to me.
Dispute: As a victim, I have no power and cannot make changes.

Shy and retiring

Behaviour: Avoidant, introvert, lack of confidence, anxious.
Impaired thinking: If I don’t show my true thoughts and feelings, I will avoid pain and
attention.
Core Belief: External forces including other people control my happiness. The
world is a hurtful place.
Dispute: Passively avoiding responsibility will result being at the mercy of others and/
or losing your identity and isolating.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 75

Hardman
Behaviour: Plastic gangster, macho, intimidating, aggressive, bullying.
Impaired thinking: Earning respect and control of others.
Core Belief: Showing vulnerability is a weakness.
Dispute: “The harder they come, the harder they fall.”

Show off
Behaviour: Exaggeration, attention seeking, bragging.
Impaired thinking: “Don’t you know who I think I am?” I will keep you away with my
superiority by exerting my financial, physical or social power.
Core Belief: No one would love me if they really knew me.
Dispute: I am not worthy, so I compensate for my feelings of social impotence and low
self-esteem.

Other

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
76 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Who am I Now?
How do I see myself ?

How do I think others see me?

Positive or negative self-image.

In what situations do I use masks or personas?

A. Socially
B. Work
C Relationships
D. Rehab
What masks do I wear?

What needs do your masks meet?

HOW DOES THE GROUP SEE ME?

Carefully read through the list of personas/masks and choose three that
you recognize that you habitually wear.

Ask the group for feedback as to which masks they see you wearing. Ask
for specific examples of when, where and how they see you.

What lies behind your masks? What vulnerability are you hiding?

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 77

Assignment 21 – Recovery identity

“Distortion in meaning, purpose and values that guide
attitudes, thinking and behaviour” – ASAM

Getting clean and sober can cause us to question our lives. Having an exis-
tential crisis can be a positive thing in recovery. Finding new meaning and
purpose to our lives helps empower, motivate and inspire us. It also helps
us toward self-fulfillment.
This is not necessarily about questioning the the meaning of life or human
existence, more about filling the void the substances may have left, and
righting the wrongs we did to ourselves and others. It is also to improve our
self-worth and reverse the selfish streak our addiction has. Free associa-
tion exercise below:
Addict self Physical self
Inner self Material self
Social self Creative self
Family self Spiritual self
Romantic self Charitable self

Answer the questions to get a picture of yourself:

1. What activities make you smile?
2. What word describes your new attitude to life?
3. Who inspires you? Why?
4. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
5. What would you regret not doing/being in your life?
6. What challenges or difficulties have you overcome?
7. What are your strengths and assets?
8. What causes do you strongly believe in or connect with?
9. What animal would you be?
10. What’s your favourite color?
Make Your Personal Coat of Arms
In the middle-ages families often had a coat of arms, i.e., a shield con-
taining symbols to represent and highlight different aspects. A picture of a
sheaf of grain might symbolize that the family owned land; a sword could
depict family members who fought in war.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
78 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

My Coat of Arms

Heraldic Colors Heraldic Symbols Heraldic Animals

Gold – Generosity Axe – Dutiful Bear – Protectiveness
Silver – Peace Castle – Protectiveness Bee – Industrious
Black – Grief Crosses – Christian sentiments Tiger – Fierceness
Blue – Loyalty Fire – Enthusiasm Dog – Loyalty
Red – Fortitude Flaming Heart – Passion Dragon – Defender
Green – Hope Hand – Faith & Justice Eagle – Leadership
Purple – Justice Heart – Sincerity Hawk – Eagerness
Pink – Beauty Lightning – Decisiveness Fox – Cleverness
White – Goodness Moon – Serenity Horse – Serve
Grey – Security Ring – Fidelity Lion – Courage
Yellow – Energy Scepter – Justice Unicorn – Courage
Orange – Health Sun – Glory Wolf – Vigilance

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 79

Assignment 22 – Character traits

“They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean
to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had. And
add some extra, just for you.” – Philip Larkin (Poet)

In the final column of ‘Step 4’ is your defects and shortcomings list,

your personality traits that need addressing. I think of Defects as neg-
ative characteristics that we have too much of, and shortcomings as
qualities we need more of.
We are not only powerless over our addiction we are power-
less over our defects and shortcomings.
We don’t always want to give up our defects or shortcomings. Some-
times it’s easier to sit in today’s pain than take a chance on something
different. They may cause other people trouble and lead to restlessness
and discontent, but they can be fun. Some people worry they won’t
have any personality left at all. What really happens is that character
strengths and assets rush in to take their place. But some people cling to
the old defects they’ve come to know and rely on to get them through a
stressful situation. Willingness is the key. At this point ask yourself:
1. Is it already removed? 4. I need more time
2. Am I absolutely willing? 5. I need help
3. Or almost willing? 6. Never
Exercise: list your character defects starting with the most relevant:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
80 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

List your shortcomings starting with the most relevant:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Where have I had opportunities for growth lately? What did I make of them?
Affirmations exercise – Changing a personality trait or character
defect. We call them defects because we end up achieving the opposite
of what we wanted by using them; they no longer work for us. Learn to
recognize a defect of character when using it.
1. Advantages – what does ____ do for me?
2. Disadvantages – what does ____ do against me?
3. What could I have done differently in the situation?
4. Opposing asset _____________________________

Affirmations and visualization

Write an affirmation for each trait you wish to change. Visualize your-
self without the negative association. By continually repeating affir-
mations with conviction and passion, you will chip away at even the
strongest resistance. Follow the guidelines below:
❏ I statement’s ❏ Here and now
❏ Avoid negatives ❏ Visualize
❏ Be powerful ❏ Use Humour
❏ Counter statements ❏ Be precisee
❏ Positive statements ❏ Use metaphors

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 81

Assignment 23 – Healing the harm

“Violation of one’s values and the values of others” – ASAM

Through your addiction, you are not just harming yourself you are
harming others. In order to progress your personal development and
understand the true nature of your addiction you must accept you’ve
harmed others.
Think about your behaviour whilst you were on drink or drugs, think
what you must have looked like to the people around you.
In this step, it is it important to understand you are not alone. List as many
people as possible that you have harmed over the course of your life:

Who? The harm caused?

Caution: Making direct amends should only be done in collaboration with a sponsor
or counselor. Always seek guidance before attempting to make amends.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
82 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Healing Relationships
We are the product of our most important relationships. In addiction many
things can go unsaid in the family dynamic. Healing relationships can create
new ways to communicate with friends and family. This helps you learn about
your self and the way you see the world around you.
List areas where you have not spoken honestly in the key relationships in your
life. Ask them to do the same. Process this with your counselor to create new
ways to communicate.
1) Areas that have not been honest
1.
2.
3.

In Long term addiction, needs and wants can go by the wayside. Healing rela-
tionships is an important step in rebuilding a healthy life style.
2) How can your family and loved ones support you?
1.
2.
3.

Make phone contact with your friends and loved ones and share:
1) What you want to be honest about.

2) How you want support from them.

In turn ask for the following:

1) How they would like to you to be honest to them.

2) How they want support from you.

Talking in this way creates new types of communication in your relationships. Work with your counselor to
see how you can meet the requests of your loved ones and how you can benefit from what they offer you.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 83

Chapter Six: Relapse prevention

Assignment 26 – Recovery capital
The term ‘Recovery Capital’ refers to the resources you draw
upon to help maintain your recovery. By assessing what recovery
capital, you already have and what you need to build upon, will
help you gain a clearer picture of what direction and action you
need to take.
This can be broken down into 3 sections.
Social: family, social and relationships. The capital is greatest
when these relationships actively participate in the treatment and
recovery process.
Personal: Includes Aspirations, your physical and mental health,
employment, education, and coping skills.
Community: Resources available in the community that are sup-
portive of addiction recovery efforts. Recovery communities, NA,
AA, CA, meetings and fellowships, Refuge recovery, SMART re-
covery.
Recovery happens
through connection -
so get connected
Also include groups you could join for hobbies, leisure activities
and sports.
Complete the following exercise:
In the boxes on the next page, assess and explore in detail what
capital you may already have and what you can do to improve upon
and build on your recovery capital. Be specific with your examples.

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
84 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Hope Recovery Capital Exercise

What I have:

Personal

What I need:

What I have:

Social

What I need:

What I have:

Community

What I need:

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 85

Assignment 25 – Relapse Radar

Early warning signs
Which Relapse triggers do you have on your radar? The following ex-
ercise will help you stay aware. The possible Relapse, is in the center
of the Radar. This diagram will show how Relapse is a process not an
event and can be prevented. Plot on the graph below in the 4 key areas
of your life the following; Remember relapse starts with choices and
risk behaviour, leading to a trigger and then cravings to use.
Plot on the graph below your...
1. Risks in outer circle
2. Triggers in second cir le
3. Cravings in third layer
4. Relapse in the center

Risks

Health

Triggers

Cravings

Relapse
Livlihood Love

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
86 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Assignment 26 – Triggers
Identifying triggers as part of preventing relapse: Triggers can be both
internal and external. They come from emotions, memories, people,
places, family, events, times of the day and times of the year.
In the boxes below, list things that are potentially personal
triggers for you:

Internal triggers External Triggers

Memories, dreams, thoughts, People, places, sights, smells,
feelings, health, illness, tired- events, times of the day...
ness...

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 87

Common Relapse triggers

Automatic-pilot: unconsciously using behaviour or compulsive-
ness
Impatience and intolerance: Things are not happening fast
enough for you. Or, others are not doing what you want them to do;
trying to catch up on lost time.
Frustration: because things may not be going your way.
Anxiety & Depression: Overwhelming and unaccountable despair,
low self-esteem and self-doubt may occur. Fear of life and social anxi-
ety.
Self-Pity: Feeling like a victim, refusing to acknowledge that you
have choices and are responsible for your own life.
Exhaustion: Allowing yourself to become overly tired and stressed.
Not following through on self-care behaviours. HALT
Conflict: Arguing over small and insignificant points, indicating a
need to always be right.
Cockiness: “Got it made,” compulsive behaviour is no longer a
problem; complacency; character defects; dry drunk syndrome
Expectation: too much from others and self, “I’ve changed, why
hasn’t everyone else changed, too?”
Co-dependency and Boundaries: playing victim or being en-
abled; loneliness or feeling isolated.
Lack of Discipline: Recovery rituals, daily inventory, positive af-
firmations, 12-Step meetings, therapy, meditation, prayer.
Boredom: waiting for things to change, feeling not stimulated, un-
satisfied, lazy.
Dishonesty: or denial, begins with a pattern of small, unnecessary
lies with those you interact with, family, social, and at work; avoid-
ance.
Old behaviour: Trigger or slippery acting out, people places or
things; Self-will not taking advice.
The Fuck its: telling yourself, “I don’t care.”
Not had enough: stinking thinking or negative self-talk, “just one
more;” reward seeking or relief seeking.
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
88 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

Dealing with cravings

Cravings are caused by internal and external triggers. Cravings are
characterized by strong urges to use drink or drugs. These crav-
ings usually come as very intense waves lasting around 20 minutes,
subsiding for another 20 minutes but remerging again for another
period of 20 minutes.

You know you’re experiencing a craving when you start to feel a tingle of
anticipation. You hear, see, or smell the trigger and your thoughts center on
the memories of using. You can’t get it out of your head.
Cravings aren’t something that you can schedule around, since you never
know when they are going to occur. You can get a craving just by watching
television or going out to town, while you are trying to work or go to sleep.
All you know is that your body is telling you how much better you’d feel if
only you took that drink or used that drug.
You can ease the urge of cravings by using one of the following:
• Recognize the feeling
• Don’t be afraid of cravings
• Understand control
• Ask for help
• Learn about your craving triggers
• Call your sponsor
• Get physical
• Get to NA and AA meetings

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 89

Assignment 27 – Blocks to recovery

The frustration of being stuck in recovery greatly increases the risk of
relapse. Recognizing, addressing and overcoming obstacles to recovery
during and after treatment is important. Identify three blocks to your
recovery and explain the behaviour, find an effective way forward by
replacing those blocks with assets. Describe your behaviour around this
block to recovery? Give examples.
Below is a list of possible Blockages to recovery
1. Dishonesty
2. Boredom
3. Fear
4. Ambivalence towards recovery
5. Blaming others for problems
6. Isolating
7. Frustrated with lack of progress
8. Demanding of self and others
9. Not asking for help
10. Rigid thinking
11. Negative attitude
12. Self-pity
13. Overconfidence
14. Resentfulness or anger
15. Focusing on outside problems
16. Ignoring advice
17. Not being in touch with feelings
Below is a list of possible Assets to recovery
1. Being realistic about oneself
2. Taking responsibility for actions
3. Socializing with recovering people
4. Acting mature and sensibly, discipline
5. Having patience
6. Trusting others and taking risks
7. Reaching out to others for help
8. Willingness to try new ways
9. Positive attitude or faith
10. Gratitude for life
11. Forgiveness and peace of mind
12. Listening to others advice
13. In touch with and sharing feelings
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
90 HOPE REHAB THAILAND

No 1 – Behaviour

Why is it a block to recovery?

What can I do?

No 2 – Behaviour

Why is it a block to recovery?

What can I do?

No 3 – Behaviour

Why is it a block to recovery?

What can I do?

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 91

Recovery Skills
Although having the desire to quit using drugs is fundamentally im-
portant, there are some times when this desire is not enough. High risk
situations, triggers and cravings can be so overwhelming and powerful
that we need to take some form of action upon them. In order to be
successful in recovery, you must take time to think about what are your
alternatives to drink or drugs going be?
Think about your alternatives to drink and drugs as like a first aid box
to help you steer through difficult emotions and situations. These are
distractions to take your mind away from cravings; they should be a
range of things that you can access anytime of the day. We call these
short-term alternatives:
❏ Having a cup of tea/coffee ❏ Praying
❏ Calling your sponsor ❏ Going for a walk
❏ Calling the NA helpline ❏ Watching a DVD
❏ Speaking to someone ❏ Going round a friend’s house
❏ Having a glass of water ❏ Going to the gym
❏ Breathing slowly ❏ Reading a book
❏ Using mindful meditation ❏ Going for a run

If you think as your short-term alternatives as a first aid plaster to your

problems, you will know that the deeper the cut, the less effective plas-
ters will be. Therefore, in order to successfully prevent relapse, you will
need to think how you can best change your life for long-term alter-
natives to drink or drugs.
❏ Dealing with difficult emotions ❏ Taking up commitment
❏ Working the steps ❏ Avoiding high risk situations
❏ Applying the 12 steps to your life ❏ Controlling your emotions
❏ Attending NA/AA meetings ❏ Reading daily
❏ Working with a sponsor ❏ Coming to terms with loss
❏ Escaping from triggers ❏ Avoiding triggers

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Early Morning Daily Afternoon Evenings
Monday
Tuesday
My Weekly Planner

Wednesday
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
92
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 93

Assignment 28 – Recovery planning

“Without engagement in recovery activities, addiction
can result in disability or premature death.”– ASAM
The recovery-map is a visual tool that looks a bit like a target. It’s also a
living-tool that changes with time. It becomes more flexible as we mature
in our recovery. We recommend you stay as safe as possible to start with.
Mapping helps you visualize your plan – it’s the best way to memorize it.
Your ultimate goal is to stay away from your bottom lines. List your DON’Ts
or triggers to protect your goal. Finally, the rest of the space is to create
your new life-style, the DOs.
❏ Exercise and health ❏ Fellowship
❏ Emotional ❏ Fun activities
❏ Spiritual ❏ Affirmations
❏ Social ❏ Voluntary work
❏ Sleep ❏ Core-beliefs
❏ Accountability ❏ Personality traits
The disease of addiction can be both brutal and subtle at the same
time. We need a dynamic and safe plan that includes people, places and
self. Your aim is to maintain the gains achieved at Hope Rehab. Failing
to follow one’s treatment plan is the first warning sign of relapse.
❏ Ignoring relapse warning ❏ Co-dependency/relationship
signs and triggers difficulties/spouse who still
❏ Symptoms of your addiction uses
❏ Hanging around old ‘slip- ❏ Expectations/setting unreal-
pery’ people and places istic goals
❏ Hiding in your bubble or iso- ❏ Lack of routine and struc-
lating ture in life/boredom
❏ Keeping alcohol, drugs, and ❏ Avoid unnecessary dramatic
paraphernalia around the changes in the first year
house ❏ Depression, stress and anxi-
❏ Euphoric recall/obsessing ety
about using ❏ Low self-esteem/meaning-
❏ Not attending meetings/not lessness in life
using the telephone for sup-
port
PROGRAM WORKBOOK
 Recovery Map
Health and Lifestyle Recovery
Triggers
HOPE REHAB THAILAND

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Bottom Lines
Risky Behavior
Work/Education/Hobbies Relationships
94
 HOPE REHAB THAILAND 95

Behaviour Wheel

PROGRAM WORKBOOK
Feelings Wheel