Conditions & Symptoms - Level 1
Goal: Find out what the individual knows about how stress impacts addiction; discover the positive role stress management has in addiction management.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about the ways that stress negatively impacts his/her addiction and health. If not, find out what he/she does want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Have the individual identify what they consider to be healthy and unhealthy coping strategies.
- Problem solve on ways to reduce the individual's stress.
- Problem-solve how to use a new healthy coping strategy.
- Ask individual to choose one way to reduce stress and try it out in the next few days.
- 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 strengthen self-management routines and strive for consistent guideline-level behaviors.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about better self-managing their addiction. If not, find out what he/she does want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Learn what the individual currently does on a routine basis to manage their addiction. Where does the individual think they are doing a good job and where could they make improvements?
- Together, make a plan to address situations in which routines and recovery will be challenged and - travel, holidays, eating at restaurants, days with doctor appointments, visitors, etc.
- Find out if the individual knows which behaviors improve/worsen their mood.
- Find out if the individual knows how to respond to thoughts of suicide and/or death.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Help individual prevent acute illnesses that can exacerbate addiction.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about how getting sick with a cold or flu would impact ongoing recovery from addiction(s). If not, find out what he/she wants to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Discuss the warning signs for the cold, flu and pneumonia.
- Discuss the importance of vaccinations to help prevent the flu and pneumonia.
- Ask individual if they have been immunized for flu and pneumonia in the past 12 months.
- Help individual make a plan to get an annual check up, suggested prevention screenings and fully immunized -- if they haven't done so in the past 12 months.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Help the individual understand that recovery efforts, overall health and functioning are improved when social connections are intact.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if individual wants to talk about how social connections have powerful positive health effects. If not, find out what he/she does want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Encourage individual to talk about their social connections -- including family, friends, members in recovery and community groups.
- Encourage individual to think about how social connections and significant others help to reinforce healthy behaviors and promote recovery and sobriety.
- Together, develop a plan to increase social connectivity.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.
Goal: Help the individual have hope for a relapse-free future.
Possible Action Steps
- Find out if the individual wants to talk about their long-term health prognosis - do they think that addiction is forever, or if it is self-limited? If he/she does not want to talk about that topic, find out what they want to talk about today and talk about that instead.
- Explain to the individual that while they will always struggle with addiction, it is something they can manage and they can live in recovery forever.
- Encourage individual to describe their recovery plan and assign a letter "grade" for how well they have adhered to the plan. What could be further improved?
- Ask individual to talk about the things/behaviors that lead to a more positive mood and outlook on life.
- Discuss some simple things that might help to improve mood in the upcoming week: Take one short walk each day, eat one healthy-delicious meal each day, do one fun activity each day, or join a community group that supports a cause that is valued.
- Together, develop a plan to change one mood-influencing behavior in the upcoming week.
- Provide individual with praise for participating in today's health coaching session today and provide an interesting supporting resource.