Addiction Coping Skills Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Worksheet published on May 13th, 2025
Addiction is powerful, and recovery is an ongoing process that requires healthy coping skills. While in recovery, an important part of maintaining abstinence is knowing how to cope with addiction triggers effectively.
It is important for clients in recovery to know how to use their coping skills. Addiction recovery can be achieved, and learning how to cope with triggers is a pivotal part of abstinence.
About This Worksheet
When in recovery from addiction, it is helpful to establish a plan of how to use coping skills. The Addiction Coping Skills worksheet outlines 3 important coping skills a client can use when recovering from addiction. These coping skills offer healthy methods of coping with triggers or high-risk situations that compromise abstinence and sobriety.
The Addiction Coping Skills worksheet can be used with people who are in addiction recovery. The coping skills provided on this worksheet can help clients at any point in recovery. It can be used with adolescents and adults participating in individual or group counseling.
Instructions
Begin by reviewing the worksheet introduction and directions with the client. Then, review each coping skill and explain how it can help them in recovery. Instruct the client to answer the reflection questions.
Review the client’s responses with them and start a dialog about how to use the coping skills in day-to-day situations. Ask questions, like:
- What will be your biggest challenge when confronted with a trigger?
- What are some situations you anticipate needing to use each coping skill?
Use the worksheet to help the client establish a relapse prevention plan. Give them a copy of their completed worksheet and encourage them to refer to it regularly.
