Conditions & Symptoms - Level 1
Goal: Continue to build addiction knowledge: Understanding of common types of addiction, treatments for addiction, and reasons to be hopeful.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out whether individual will identify and speak honestly about their addiction(s). What is his/her substance use status right now? Relapse or recovery?
- Talk about common criteria for substance dependence and have individual identify the ones that they think are true for them.
- Need for more
- Withdrawal symptoms
- Substance taken in large amounts over long period of time
- Desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down/control use
- Much time and effort spent to obtain the substance
- Other activities are eliminated or reduced due to use
- Use continues even knowing it causes physical/psychological problems
- Ask individual to discuss one or two troubling physical/psychological/social problems related to their addiction. What has helped to improve their health or mood in the past?
- Find out if the individual has had thoughts of suicide and/or death. If yes, talk about the need to call 9-1-1 or a doctor.
- Discuss any prescribed treatment for addiction. Have any medications been recommended? Has AA or NA (or other 12-step program) been recommended? Has psychotherapy been recommended? Has exercise/activity been recommended? Find out what the individual's thinks about their prescribed treatment for addiction.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Have the individual identify what is a priority for them with regard to how they feel and function.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual is open to making a small step change in their behavior that might cause them to feel better. If not, find out what the individual wants to do today and do that instead.
- Work with individual to choose a small action step to work toward what is important to them. Suggestions: get involved with a supportive community group, take one short walk each day, spend time with a friend each day, reconnect with a 12-step program, do something fun each day.
- Talk about individual's mood or mood "numbers" for the past few days. Can he/she "connect" bad mood days with anything specific? What seems to bring about the better mood days? Are bad-mood days connected with increased or decreased consumption of addictive substances?
- Ask individual to commit to taking a small action step to improve mood or stay in recovery in the upcoming week.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Work with the individual to ensure that they understand the importance of calling 9-1-1 or speaking with their doctor when any thoughts of suicide or death arise.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about what to do if thoughts of suicide and/or death occur. If not, find out what the individual wants to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Talk honestly about the increased risk of suicide among addicts, both intentional and unintentional. Ask individual if they know any friends, family or public figures who have died as a result of substance abuse.
- Find out if the individual knows how properly respond to thoughts of suicide and/or death.
- Discuss what the individual should do if they have thoughts of suicide and/or death.
- With the individual, role-play a conversation with a 9-1-1 operator or a doctor to report thoughts of suicide and/or death.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide a helpful supporting resource.
Goal: Continue to instill the importance of key behaviors to get in -- or stay in -- recovery.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if individual wants to talk about their recovery or relapse status. If not, find out what the individual wants to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Find out individual's ideas about what seems to keep them in recovery. What leads to relapse?
- Find out if the individual thinks there are any benefits to maintaining recovery by eating at least one healthy-delicious meal each day, taking a short walk each day, learning how to control stress, taking medications as prescribed, and spending time with positive people outside the family.
- Ask individual to take notice when a particular behavior makes them feel better. What makes them feel worse?
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Help individual understand how sickness and injury can exacerbate recovery from addiction. Learn how to reduce risk and maintain recovery.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual would like to talk about how getting sick or injured would impact maintaining recovery. If not, find out what he/she would like to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Discuss the importance of vaccinations to help prevent the flu and pneumonia.
- Together, make a plan how the individual can get routine prevention screenings and immunized for flu and pneumonia if they haven't done so already.
- Talk about the importance of staying in good physical shape, being flexible and balanced. What can happen when an addict in recovery sustains a painful, prolonged injury?
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Start to make a small step change to get in - or stay in - recovery.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about where they are in regard to recovery or relapse. If not, find out what he/she does want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Ask individual to identify what one small change could move them toward recovery, or staying in recovery.
- Find out if the individual has already made a connection between recovery/relapse and mood.
- Have the individual identify a small step change to begin the process of cutting-back or eliminating other "smaller" addictions (tobacco, caffeine, excess calories, sugary drinks, etc.)
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Develop awareness of healthy lifestyle guidelines for adults in recovery.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual would like to talk about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. If not, learn what he/she does want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Help individual start to think about what health improvements - aside from those related to their addiction - they would like to make.
- Help individual become aware of the importance of being physically active on most days, eating a heart-healthy diet, having positive social interactions, managing stress and practicing coping skills, having regular health check-ups and screening exams, being immunized for flu, pneumonia, shingles & whooping cough.
- Help individual become aware of the importance of keeping mood elevated via healthy behaviors.
- Remind individual of the steps to take if he/she has thoughts of death or suicide.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.