Therapy task:
lifestyle change
How to do it…
Try out the Lifestyle Change self-completion questionnaire…
About lifestyle change
Lifestyle and drinking or drug taking are so intertwined that the two change together but, in any event, it is a good idea to plan lifestyle change as early as possible as it can support change in substance use itself.
There are two elements to lifestyle change – a change in daily routine and the introduction of nice things to do that are incompatible with drinking or drug use. Daily routines may have been taken over by the desire to procure and drink alcohol or take drugs.
Using worksheets
We encourage you to use worksheets - they are not an end in themselves but they do...
help you and your network remember your plans
show how you are doing
highlight success and difficulties
There is an example of a commonly used tool in this task: the daily activities worksheet.
You will find worksheets to complete if you go on to make an action plan at the end - for now they are just examples.
Making it happen
To support abstinence or successful control of an addiction in the long term, lifestyle change is the key element. Doing fun things can result in good feelings, reduce bad feelings such as boredom or feeling isolated, which are relapse risks. Alternative activities can make you feel more confident about abstinence or cutting down, and make the network stronger.
Ensure that you have a good balance of things that need to be done and things that are enjoyable, particularly for times when drinking or drug taking occurred in the past. It is a good idea to make the plan as precise as possible, including planning meals and shopping in such a way that drinking/drug use triggers are avoided (places and people for instance).
Example of a daily activities worksheet
The aim of this worksheet is to sketch out how you spend the day. It can be a detailed account of every part of the day, and it is a way of getting into thinking about daily routines and nice things to do.
What do you want your daily activities to look like?
Is there some structure to the day and does it include some enjoyable activities?
Repeat the exercise from time to time and keep the worksheets as a record of progress.
Promoting lifestyle change
Aim
To establish a lifestyle free of alcohol and drug problems with network support
To do
Establish an understanding of an alcohol/drug problem free lifestyle based on the vision of the FP and NMs
Identify roles in achieving new routines and activities
Have an action plan in place for activities including a weekly schedule for routine activities and nice things to do
Use a problem solving approach to address challenges to the plan
General principles
Ensure that there is a good balance of things that need to be done and things that are enjoyable, particularly for times when drinking or drug taking occurred in the past. It is a good idea to make the plan as precise as possible, including planning meals and shopping in such a way that drinking/drug use triggers are avoided (places and people for instance). A change in shopping habits is a good idea for people who have associated shopping with buying alcohol: for example the shopping could be done with an NM for support and in different places.
Establishing a daily routine
Identify how a new routine can kickstart a new lifestyle
Elicit desirable routine activities
Help organise NMs to support the FP with specific activities and share the enjoyment
Agree a daily plan for the coming week
Summarise; get session feedback; agree to review
Examples of daily routine dialogue
“Let’s discuss your previous shopping routines and how these might be changed to avoid triggers for buying alcohol” “Who in the network is likely to be able to help?”
“How would you like your daily life to look in three months’ time?” “What would you like your daily routine to look like?”
“Who are the people you want to avoid? Who is going to help you to avoid them?”
Increasing pleasurable activities
Identify alternative pleasurable activities
Identify NMs to support the FP with specific activities
Agree a daily pleasurable activity for the forthcoming week
Summarise; get feedback; agree to review
Examples of pleasurable activities dialogue
“Let’s think of some things that you have enjoyed doing in the past; which of these do you most want to do again?”
“What sorts of things might be a good idea to do after the chores have been done?”
“Who will you see as a matter of course during the day?”
"What new activities will you plan to do on a regular basis?"
The scope for improving daily routines and finding pleasurable things to do is vast.
It will be particularly useful in this step to help the FP and NMs to search the internet or local sources, such as libraries or community centres, for information about what is going on.
For FPs to establish a new daily routine it helps to…
Tell themselves how a new routine can be part of a new lifestyle
Think of new routine activities
Think of other people to support specific activities and share them
Set out a daily plan for the coming week
For FPs to find new enjoyable activities it helps to…
Tell themselve about the importance of pleasurable activities
Identify pleasurable activities
Identify somebody to do specific nice things with
Plan 2-3 activities for the forthcoming week
In this video Dr Gillian Tober demonstrates how a practitioner approaches lifestyle change. The two people she is talking with are role playing father and daughter.
Notice Gillian starts by getting ideas from father and daughter then keeps focussed until she is satisfied that a specific, realistic plan that is likely to be implemented, has been agreed.
Finally some issues that might arise…
Financial constraints
You might have run into financial difficulties. Don’t be put off by the thought that you cannot afford to do nice things…
Explore nice things to do that are free
Explore possible sources of funding for essentials
Explore free or cheap sources of essentials
Identity crisis
For people who have been lifetime drinkers or drug takers sometimes it is difficult to have a sense of belonging other than in drinking or drug taking circles, and giving up an addiction lifestyle may leave you feeling lost and friendless. If this is you…
You might join a mutual aid group
Have a discussion about this with a trusted person to explore ideas of making new friendships.
Lifestyle change is a difficult process best started as a group exercise and then given as a take-home task from the Guided Self-help