Teen Addictions & Recovery Workbook: Facilitator Reproducible Self-Assessments, Exercises & Handouts

Teen addictions come in many different shapes and forms. When most people hear the word addiction, they usually think of drug use and abuse. In reality, many different types of addictive behaviors exist. Addictions have very different effects on the body and mind of the person. Different types of addictions include drugs and alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, steroids, computer use and social networking, gambling, cigarettes and cigars, video games, texting, pornography, sex, sugar, money, shopping, self-injury, exercising, thrill-seeking and prescription drugs.

Teens have these addictions for a variety of complicated reasons including:

• To fit in
• To be accepted
• To change an image
• To feel more social
• To get in with a specific clique of peers
• To feel excited when bored
• To distance themselves from family
• To provide distance from school problems
• To relax from pressures of everyday life
• To gain confidence and loosen inhibitions
• To boost self-esteem
• To feel less lonely
• To “numb” feelings
• To feel important
• To feel less depressed
• To feel less anxious
• To rebel
• To seem “cool”

The Teen Addictions & Recovery Workbook contains six separate sections to help participants learn more about themselves as well how addictions are impacting their lives.

• Do I Overdo My Habits? Scale helps individuals explore those types of habits they tend to overdo and identify ways to overcome these negative habits.
• Am I Likely to be Addicted? Scale helps individuals examine if they have a constellation of personality traits that predispose them to various addictions.
• Am I Addicted? Scale helps individuals to determine the level of their addiction to substances, activities and/or thought and behaviors.
• Am I Relapsing? Scale helps individuals identify the changes in thinking, feeling and behavior that accompany relapse.
• Can I Stop? Scale helps individuals define a clearer picture of the excuses that they may be using to continue their addiction and guides them to ways they can stop.
• Change and Recovery Scale helps individuals explore the level of self-discipline and will power they have in combating addictions.

Use the exploratory activities, reflective journaling exercises and educational handouts to help teens discover their habitual and ineffective methods of managing addictions, and to explore new ways for bringing about healing.