Here is a typical situation that we tried to replay in one of our recent meetings:
Joe: “Hi Steve, I am the new Joe. I had some significant drinking problems until a few month ago. Then I decided to change my life. I built motivation, took some drastic steps, and gained control of my life. I know that I still have a long way to go. Would you like to support me in my recovery?”
Steve: “Joe, this is great news. What can I do to support you?”
(Substitute “drinking” for “substance abuse” or others to reflect your situation.)
What have we achieved in this conversation?
1) We admit that we had a problem.
2) We state that we have taken action and regained control.
3) We ask for help in a gentle way that almost nobody can decline.
As soon as Steve offers support, we can tell him what we need:
“Please don’t make me feel uncomfortable when I am around you while you are drinking and I am not.”
“Let’s find some activities together that do not involve social drinking.”
” Could you talk to uncle Walt and tell him that I am back to normal?”