In this section of the module, we will create a firm plan for changing your drinking, smoking or using habits. 

During this process, it is normal to be a little uncertain about change, or even in thinking about making a change to your alcohol or other drug use.

It may be that you are not ready to make any changes at all.  Maybe you are only ready to look at your mood, your thoughts or feelings - and in trying to set some goals for change that focus on improving these parts of your life and perhaps improving your quality of life.  If so, that’s OK, and the next section will guide you through this process.

Before we get there, however, it is often useful to summarise all the information you have been given so far, and see where that leaves you.
Just take a few moments to fill out the Summary Sheet in front of you.

Answer the questions in the spaces provided on the form.

Start with the first question…What concerns you the most at the moment?  Answer this question in terms of what concerns you the most about your alcohol/other drug use and then your depression.  Write down a few points under each of these first two sections.

You may find that some of the concerns are related - in fact that is really common among people with depression and alcohol/other drug use - it is difficult to tease out which problems are related to depression and which belong to the alcohol/other drug use.  That is why it is often easier to take both sets of problems together - because they really are related.

Take a few moments to write down your concerns at the moment.
Click here to continue
Planning for change