Worksheet
Clients examine how anxiety, depression, and other emotional pressures have contributed to their substance use and where to intervene.
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This worksheet emphasizes the importance of identifying and managing both external and internal triggers that may lead to substance use and relapse. It guides individuals to examine emotional struggles such as anxiety, depression, or other mental health symptoms that contribute to addiction. By recognizing these emotional pressures, participants can develop coping strategies to handle urges to use drugs or alcohol. The worksheet also encourages individuals to explore external triggers like people, places, and situations, and to receive support from peers and treatment programs. Managing emotions is key to long-term sobriety and involves developing healthy coping skills, such as talking through emotions, staying present, and regulating behavior.
Written by clinical psychologist Dr. Hal Baumchen, PsyD, LP, LADC, this printable PDF worksheet gives clinicians a practical, session-ready tool. The conversational, encouraging tone makes clinical concepts accessible to clients at any stage of recovery, while structured prompts keep the work focused and productive.
How clinicians use it: as an in-session exercise to open and structure discussion, as between-session homework to reinforce skills, as a progress tool to track growth over time, and as part of a treatment unit paired with the companion lesson and PowerPoint on this topic. Formatted for easy printing and immediate use in individual or group settings.
