avoidance of risky substances

It is well known that tobacco use and drinking too much alcohol increases and risk of many chronic diseases and death. People who are ready can and do quit smoking; there are more former smokers in the world now than there are current smokers. Some treatments work for alcohol abuse. Treatments often take time, different approaches and many attempts. Giving yourself patience as well as getting support from others is an important part of reaching your goals.

effective treatment models

• Counseling

• Individual, group, telephone

• Many quick visits

• Longer more intense visits

  ** Slips and relapses are normal and considered part of the change process. Goal setting, support and persistence is key!

goals for avoiding risky substances

Setting goals around substance use (tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs) is a great way to start making changes. An example of a goal is, “I will swap my morning cigarette with chewing gum at least 5 days this week, for the next four weeks. I will ask my partner to help keep me on track and use the free texting service for more support.”

SPECIFIC- What are you going to do to decrease your substance use?

MEASURABLE- How much will you reduce it by?

ATTAINABLE- Do you have what it takes to follow through?

REALISTIC- What can you actually do? (Improvement over perfection)

TIME-CONNECTED- How frequent? How long will you commit?

guidelines:

Standard alcoholic drink is:

12 oz beer

5 oz table wine

1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits

Typical Containers and Portions they contain:

750 ml wine=5 drinks

750 ml spirits= 18 drinks

1 Liter spirits= 24 drinks

low risk drinking guides by national institutes of health

MEN

No more than 4 drinks on any day

No more than 14 drinks in 7 days

WOMEN

No more than 3 drinks in any day

No more than 7 drinks in 7 days

helpful resources:

National Quit Link: 1-800-QUIT-NOW

SmokeFree.gov https://smokefree.gov/

Nami.org

NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator

alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

www.aaap.org

American Psychological Association

www.apa.org

American Society of Addiction Medicine

www.asam.org

NAADAC Substance Abuse Professionals

www.naadac.org

National Association of Social Workers

www.helpstartshere.org

Substance Abuse Treatment Locator

www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

www.aa.org

Moderation Management

www.moderation.org

Secular Organizations for Sobriety

www.sossobriety.org

SMART Recovery

www.smartrecovery.org

Women for Sobriety

www.womenforsobriety.org

AL-Anon Family Groups

www.al-anon.alateen.org

Adult Children of Alcoholics

www.adultchildren.org

www.psychologytoday.com/us