Tools for Maintaining Abstinence
THE DO’S
- Clarify your goals, values and priorities
- Get regular exercise – daily, if possible
- Eat a balanced diet – three meals a day
- Get as much sleep as you need
- Make friends with healthy, positive people
- Go to church
- Go to support group meetings
- Get involved in hall government
- Join a club or service organization
- Light a candle at the Grotto
- Practice optimism
- Get a job
- Meditate
- Say your prayers
- Develop an attitude of gratitude
- Ask someone out for a date
- Check out climbing at the Rock
- Acoustic Café on Thursday night
- Plan a weekend road trip
- Call your mom
- Buy something cool with your beer money
- Get involved in the production of a play
- Work at developing a positive self-image
- Play broomball
- Teach yourself to play guitar
- Read a biography about someone you admire
- Go on a retreat or NDE
- Go to a Flipside event
- Ask your rector to see a copy of the Fun Book
THE DON’TS
Stay away from that first drink – the urge will pass; you just need to buy some time
- Find something else to do
- Drink a Coke or water instead
- Call a friend or family member
- Think the drink through to the negative
Don’t isolate yourself – self-pity can be a relapse symptom
- Do something fun in place of drinking
- Socializing keeps us sane
Don’t dwell on the “good old days” – they weren’t that good
- Never associate intoxication with pleasure
- Reminiscing is a symptom of psychological dependence
- Drinking buddies are likely to support and encourage the part of your brain that likes to drink
Don’t test your willpower – if you are not absolutely positive that you can remain abstinent in a certain setting, find something else to do
- Beware of complacency
- Avoid temptation
- Remember your social-psychological vulnerability
Don’t allow yourself to become psychologically unhealthy – abstinence is hard work
- Avoid unhealthy relationships
- Avoid loneliness
- Avoid getting stressed out
- Avoid resentments and jealousy
- Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up