How to Use the Workbook: Goals, Structure, Personal Recovery Plans
The 12-session My Life in Recovery continuing care workbook guides readers through developing a complete, personalized plan for staying sober and living in recovery. It is used in conjunction with The Recovery Book: Answers to All Your Questions About Addiction and Alcoholism and Finding Health and Happiness in Sobriety.
Workbook Goals
My Life in Recovery readers will:
- Understand what recovery is and what it means to “live in recovery”
- Learn about the Recovery Zone SystemTM and understand how to use it
- Do some of the work of early recovery, and learn skills that will help them stay sober
- Develop a personalized My Life in Recovery Plan, outlining exactly what they will do to build a strong sobriety, avoid relapse, rebuild their lives, and thrive for many years to come
Workbook Structure
Each session focuses on a reading assignment in The Recovery Book, and includes three sets of exercises:
- Reading Questions: homework questions to be completed before each session, based on the reading
- Discussion Topics: ideas for in-session group discussions, expanding on and personalizing the reading assignments
- Personal Exercises: topics for more personal reflection or journaling, as well as guidance on developing and implementing a complete My Life in Recovery Plan
See the table of contents.
The My Life in Recovery Plan
Readers will develop a complete, personal My Life in Recovery Plan over the 12 sessions, including:
- My Red Zone Plan
- My Continuing Care Plan
- My Step Work
- My Amends List
- My TAMERS Plan
- My Red Zone ReCap
- My Yellow Zone Plan
- My Recovery Zone ReCheck
- My Personal Inventory
- My Yellow Zone ReCap
- My Green Zone Plan
Those who complete the 12 sessions can be awarded a My Life in Recovery Certificate of Course Completion, honoring their commitment to recovery. (Download here.)
How to Use the Workbook
My Life in Recovery can be used in any setting: large or small discussion groups and classes, one-on-one sessions with a counselor, sponsor or coach, or individually.
- Recovery counselors and other professionals. Use the workbook to guide groups (or individuals) through the 12 sessions. Start each session with a check-in, a brief review of how everyone is faring. Then have a brief discussion about the previous week’s reading assignment, and review their Reading Questions homework answers. Next, lead the group through one or two of the Discussion Topics of your choice. Finally, introduce the Personal Exercises and help people start to work through their personal recovery issues and develop a personalized My Life in Recovery Plan.
- Sponsors, coaches, peer groups. Use the workbook in a similar manner to above: with your sponsee or small group, complete the reading assignments, answer the Reading Questions, and review homework answers. Use the Discussion Topics as prompts for one-on-one talks, informal chats, or discussions over coffee. Use the Personal Exercises to build a personal recovery plan.
- Individuals. You can easily work through My Life in Recovery on your own. At your own pace, complete each reading assignment and answer the Reading Questions homework. Then use the Discussion Topics as a prompt for journaling or blogging, or something to talk about informally with friends or in an online forum. Work through the Personal Exercises to build your My Life in Recovery Plan.
- Lecture settings. If you teach a class that requires you to cover other material (such as a DUI program), use the workbook to assign homework readings and help your attendees develop their recovery plans using the Personal Exercises.
My Life in Recovery is designed to be flexible. While we hope readers will complete most of the reading assignments, we want you to use the exercises in whatever format works best for you. For example, you can choose Discussion Topics that relate most closely to your group. Or, you might want to work on the Personal Exercises only outside of the group setting, rather than together. Or, your group members might prefer to write in their private journals about some of the more sensitive Discussion Topics, instead of having a group discussion.
Please note: My Life in Recovery is not therapy, nor is it addiction treatment (though you might use the workbook with a therapist or in a treatment program). It’s a practical tool for learning about recovery and developing a plan that will help you stay sober for a lifetime.
Recovery Zone System Wristbands
You may want to use a set of Recovery Zone System wristbands as you develop your new life in recovery. Read more about them at Recovery Zone System Wristbands.
