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Seek support.
Everybody needs support. Talk to family members or friends that you trust
about your feelings, or write them down in a diary. The services listed at the end of this
booklet may also be useful.
•
Plan to do something each day that brings a sense of achievement.
Often
everyday tasks like washing, cleaning, paying bills or returning phone calls, tend to
pile up when a person is going through a hard time. This can become overwhelming as
the pile gets bigger and bigger. By just choosing one of these activities to do each day,
you can prevent things piling up and can help you feel a bit more in control of your life.
The flow-on effect can be a real sense of achievement (or relief) that this activity has
been completed.
•
Monitor your emotions.
Try keeping track of your mood in a diary. Write down how
you have felt at different times of the day. When were your moods lowest and you felt
the worst? When were your moods highest and you felt best? What were you doing
and what were you thinking at those times? When did you have cravings to use alcohol,
tobacco or other substances? How much sleep did you have each night? Keeping a diary
of your moods can help you learn the patterns between the way you feel, the things you
do and the way you think.
What strategies do you find help manage your moods, and your
alcohol, tobacco or other drug use?