Worksheet
Helps clients understand what a substance use disorder is and how it has shown up in their own life, a solid first step for early treatment.
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This worksheet, titled “Understanding Substance Use Disorders – Worksheet 1” by Hal Baumchen, PsyD, LP, LADC, focuses on helping individuals identify the underlying emotional needs and reasons behind their substance use. It encourages reflection on how drugs or alcohol have impacted their lives and offers insight into the emotional pain that drives addiction. The worksheet guides clients in recognizing their attempts to escape through substance use and other behaviors and emphasizes the importance of addressing these emotional triggers. By developing healthy coping strategies, clients can build emotional resilience and move toward lasting recovery.
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.
