Avoidance of Risky Substances
It is well known that tobacco use and drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of many chronic diseases and death, which is why avoiding risky substances is so important. 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, but 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
- Counseling many quick visits
- Counseling longer more intense visits
- Medications (anti-relapse)
- Counseling plus medication is more effective
Slips and relapses are normal and considered part of the change process. Goal setting, support and persistence is key!
Goals for Avoiding Risky Substances
SMART goals guide goal setting to help plan and achieve goals. 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?
Achievable – Do you have what it takes to follow through?
Realistic – What can you actually do? (improvement over perfection)
Time-Bound – How frequent? How long will you commit?
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