Total Abstinence

Goals of Session

Help clients understand that they need to stop

using alcohol and all mood-altering drugs.

Help clients understand that continued

substance use will cloud their decision
making and endanger recovery.
 Understanding the Connection Between Alcohol
and Other Substance Use and Relapse to
Stimulants

Substance abuse clouds judgment and throws lives out of balance.

People and things that had been priorities before a person became
substance dependent—family, friends, work—often get ignored as
substance abuse takes precedence. To put their lives back into
balance and to reorient their priorities, clients need to be able to
think and act clearly. Stopping stimulant use is an important part of
this process. But continued use of marijuana, another drug, or
alcohol can jeopardize this process.
 Understanding the Connection Between Alcohol
and Other Substance Use and Relapse to
Stimulants

Clients may not think these other substances pose a problem. Some
may even argue that occasional use of alcohol or marijuana helps
them cope with the stress of stopping stimulant use. Clients need to
be convinced that any substance use will interfere with their brain’s
ability to heal and their mind’s ability to reason clearly. Any
substance use interferes with recovery. However, the counselor
makes it clear that clients should continue to take prescribed
medications required to treat chronic physical or mental disorders.
 Understanding That It Is Not Possible To Learn
How To Cope Without Stimulants if Clients Turn
to Alcohol or Marijuana or Other Substances To
Escape
The counselor reminds clients that they signed an agreement not to use any
substances when they began treatment. Even if clients have not used stimulants
during treatment, use of alcohol or other mood-altering substances is a way of
avoiding a full commitment to recovery. By continuing to use substances, clients
are hedging their bets, using alcohol or marijuana as an escape hatch in the event
that recovery is too hard. Clients lessen their chances of successful recovery for
stimulant dependence if they continue to use alcohol and other substances, even
once in a while. Alcohol use makes relapse to stimulant use eight times more
likely; marijuana use makes relapse three times more likely (Rawson et al. 1995).
 Total Abstinence
Have you ever found yourself saying any of the following?

◇ My problem is my meth use. Alcohol (or marijuana) is not a

problem for me.

9
Relapse ◇ Having a beer or glass of wine is not really drinking.
Prevention
◇ I drink only when I choose to. My drinking is not out of control. I
don’t really care about alcohol. I drink only to be sociable.
Remember, if it’s more difficult to stop drinking than you
expected, maybe you are
more dependent on alcohol than you think
Thank you!