Building My Recovery Routine Pack
Keep support contacts, care arrangements and everyday plans in one place. Start with the page you need now. The first-week, housing, travel, grief and return-to-care sections are options for particular situations, not steps everyone must pass through.
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Included Sections
- My Recovery Support Map
- My First Week After Leaving Treatment
- Housing and Recovery Support Questions
- Finding a Peer Support Group That Fits
- Recovery Goals Beyond Abstinence
- My Boundaries at Work and Social Events
- Planning for Holidays, Travel and Celebrations
- Grief and Loss in Recovery
- A Difficult Day: My Next-Step Plan
- Returning to Care After Substance Use
Choose where to begin
| What I need now | Start here |
|---|---|
| People and services to contact | My Recovery Support Map. Use it with any of the other sheets. |
| Practical arrangements after treatment | My First Week After Leaving Treatment. Use your care team’s actual discharge instructions. |
| An everyday connection or goal | Finding a Peer Support Group That Fits or Recovery Goals Beyond Abstinence. |
| A specific situation | Choose the housing, boundaries, event/travel or grief guide. |
| A difficult moment or return to substance use | A Difficult Day: My Next-Step Plan or Returning to Care After Substance Use. Use their urgent-help distinctions when relevant. |
My Recovery Support Map
Keep the contacts you choose in one place, with what each person or service can help with. A short, usable list is enough; an empty space identifies a question to ask, not something you have failed to arrange.
SAMHSA suggests asking specifically for the support you want, such as a conversation, help finding a professional, appointment help or a ride. Ask each person what they can offer and how they prefer to be contacted.
Sources: [1]
Original example: a contact needs a job
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen to compare all columns.
| Need | Contact and arrangement | If unavailable |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment question | Clinic office; use its stated contact hours and message instructions. | Follow the clinic’s instructions for another contact. |
| Company after a difficult day | Morgan agreed to a phone call after dinner. | Ask another chosen person; do not assume Morgan is always reachable. |
| Ride to a visit | Lee confirmed Thursday pickup at 2:30. | Call the transport service to check a backup; not yet booked. |
My contacts and what they can do
- Professional care
- Clinician/program; phone or other method; hours; what to ask; instructions when unavailable.
- Medicines or other ongoing care
- Pharmacy/prescriber or other care contact, if relevant; how to ask a question. Do not record passwords.
- Someone who will listen
- Name/contact; the support they agreed to; when/how to reach them.
- Practical help
- Transport, food, appointments or another task; contact; confirmed arrangement and backup.
- Peer or community connection
- Group/activity; official contact; meeting or access details still to confirm.
- A gap I want to work on
- What is missing; one person or service to ask about it.
Read more or take the next step
My First Week After Leaving Treatment
Use this sheet to arrange the next few days around your care team’s instructions and your actual needs. It is a flexible planning window, not a required recovery stage or a test of success.
Build around essentials and chosen support
Recovery can involve treatment, medication, peer support and other personally chosen approaches. SAMHSA describes health, a stable home, meaningful activity and supportive relationships as important dimensions. A first-week plan can therefore include food, sleep arrangements, transport and company as well as appointments.
Sources: [3]
Use the clinical discharge plan for treatment and medicine instructions. Confirm the next appointment and how you will reach it; if an arrangement falls through, contact the service rather than leaving a referral unaddressed. Continuing support should fit the needs identified in treatment.
Sources: [4]
An example of a small, workable plan
Hypothetical first-day plan — adapt, do not copy
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen to compare all columns.
| Need | Arrangement | If it falls through |
|---|---|---|
| Follow-up visit | Confirmed Thursday at 10; clinic number saved. | Call the clinic about the next available option. |
| Medicine access | Check the written list with the pharmacy today. | Call the prescribing service if the medicine or coverage is unavailable. |
| Food and contact | Ask a friend to bring groceries and call this evening. | Use the backup contact already chosen. |
Choose a few actions you can use. An unanswered item belongs on the follow-up list; it is not evidence that you have failed. These are original planning prompts, not a clinical program.
My week
- Care and medicine arrangements
- Appointments, pharmacy/clinic details, dates and whether each item is confirmed.
- Where I will stay and daily essentials
- Housing, food, phone, transport, caregiving or accessibility arrangements that need attention.
- People and support I want
- Who, the specific help I want, contact details and when we plan to connect.
- A manageable routine
- One or two activities that give the day structure; include rest and room for appointments.
- The first unresolved item
- What needs confirming, who can help, when I will ask and my backup if there is no answer.
- What I want to tell my care team
- New concerns, difficult situations, side effects or a plan that is not working.
Keep completed notes private. Share only what you choose with the people helping you. These are original educational and planning prompts, not a validated assessment.
Useful next steps
Housing and Recovery Support Questions
A place to live and a treatment program are different decisions. Ask what a recovery residence actually provides, which care you would receive elsewhere, and what the written agreement requires before moving in.
Recovery residences combine housing with a recovery-focused community. NARR describes four broad support types: peer-run, monitored, supervised and clinical. They differ in governance, staffing and services. Only the clinical type includes clinical addiction treatment as part of that designation. These housing support types do not, by themselves, decide what medical care you need.
Sources: [7]
Compare the Support, Not Just the Name
| NARR support type | Main distinction |
|---|---|
| Peer-run | Residents govern the home and use shared rules and peer accountability. |
| Monitored | House rules and peer accountability, often with a house manager. |
| Supervised | Structured recovery and life-skills support with supervised, trained or credentialed staff. |
| Clinical | Recovery housing that also incorporates clinical addiction treatment. |
Sources: [7]
Before You Agree to Move In
| Area | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Identity and oversight | Legal operator, exact address, written rules and any claimed certification. Verify with the named body. |
| Fees | Rent, deposit, extra charges, refund terms and notice requirements in writing. |
| Daily life | Room arrangements, visitors, curfew, work expectations, transportation and accessibility. |
| Medication and appointments | How prescribed medicines are stored and accessed; how you can attend treatment and pharmacy visits. |
| Problems or emergencies | Who is available, how to raise a concern, what happens after a return to use, and how a departure is handled. |
Residence Comparison Notes
- Home, contact and written agreement
- Address, person contacted, date, fees and documents received.
- Support and outside care
- What is provided; appointments, medication access and transport to arrange elsewhere.
- Unanswered questions before moving
- House rules, certification claim, privacy, complaints or departure arrangements.
Check Support Options
Finding a Peer Support Group That Fits
Look for a meeting where the purpose, approach and practical arrangements fit the support you want. Use the organizer’s current information, then decide what you want to try.
Mutual-support groups bring people together around recovery experiences. NIAAA describes several options and notes that these groups usually are not led by clinicians. They can sit alongside professional care; they are not a substitute for individual medical advice. The examples below come from NIAAA’s alcohol-treatment guidance.
Sources: [8]
Some starting points, not a ranking
| Option listed by NIAAA | What to explore |
|---|---|
| Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) | Alcohol recovery and a 12-step approach with a spiritual component. |
| LifeRing | A secular peer-support approach to abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. |
| SMART Recovery | A program emphasizing motivation, coping, problem solving and life balance. |
| Women for Sobriety | A self-help program designed by and for women. |
Sources: [8]
Find current meeting information
These are examples, not every option or a recommendation that you join one. The organization names and links are listed by NIAAA; local availability and each meeting’s arrangements still need checking.
Sources: [8]
Questions before a first meeting
- Who is this meeting for, and what does a newcomer do? Is speaking optional?
- Is it online or in person, at what time and time zone, and is access or booking required?
- What beliefs, recovery goals or expectations shape the group?
- How does the group approach prescribed addiction medicines and other professional care?
- What are the privacy expectations, costs and accessibility arrangements?
- Is there an organizer I can contact before attending?
Choose a first option
- Meeting and confirmed arrangements
- Name; organizer/official contact; time/location; access needs; what is still unconfirmed.
- After trying it, if I choose to
- What felt useful or uncomfortable? What question do I want to ask? Return, try a different meeting, or choose another kind of support?
Read more or take the next step
Recovery Goals Beyond Abstinence
Choose an everyday change that would make life better for you. This sheet adds a practical goal to discuss alongside your substance-use and treatment goals; it does not replace or redefine those goals.
Care can address more than a single symptom. SAMHSA’s quality-treatment guidance includes support for other medical and practical life needs. The goal examples here are original planning ideas, not a validated measure of recovery.
Sources: [2]
Make a broad hope small enough to act on
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen to compare all columns.
| Hope | A possible next action | What I could notice |
|---|---|---|
| Feel more connected | Ask one person whether they would like to meet or talk. | I made the invitation; their answer is not under my control. |
| Keep up with care | Ask the office to clarify my next appointment and transport needs. | The date and travel arrangement are confirmed. |
| Feel less overwhelmed by paperwork | Choose one letter and ask someone to help me understand it. | I know what the letter asks and the next contact. |
| Make room for something enjoyable | Choose an activity and a realistic time to try it. | I tried it and can decide whether to do it again. |
My goal
- What matters to me
- Describe the part of life you would like to improve and why.
- My next action and support
- What I can do or ask for; who could help; one obstacle to discuss.
- When I will look again
- A date or occasion; what I will notice; how I could make the step easier or change it.
Read more or take the next step
My Boundaries at Work and Social Events
Prepare a few words for an invitation or personal question before you are put on the spot. You decide what you want to share; this guide does not determine workplace rights or disclosure requirements.
Original response cards: choose your level of detail
Scroll the table sideways on a small screen to compare all columns.
| Situation | Brief response | If the question continues |
|---|---|---|
| Someone offers a drink | No thanks. I would like sparkling water. | That is what I am having tonight. |
| A colleague asks about an appointment | I have an appointment at that time. | I would rather keep the details private. Can we talk about scheduling? |
| An invitation does not fit | I cannot make that event. Would you like to meet for lunch another day? | Thanks for inviting me; I am going to pass this time. |
| Someone asks for your recovery story | I am not ready to talk about that here. | I appreciate your concern. Let’s change the subject. |
These are optional scripts, not a test of assertiveness. Change the wording to sound like you. A different setting, activity or conversation may fit you better.
Prepare for one situation
- The situation and what I want
- Event, question or request; my preferred outcome.
- My first response and a repeat
- Two short lines I can actually say.
- A practical arrangement
- Transport, a different activity, a chosen companion or a scheduling request; what needs confirmation.
SAMHSA suggests telling a trusted person what kind of help you need. You could ask someone to change the subject, join an alternative activity, or be available for a conversation afterward.
Sources: [1]
Read more or take the next step
Planning for Holidays, Travel and Celebrations
Plan for one event or trip. Choose what matters about attending, confirm the arrangements you need, and give yourself an alternative if those arrangements change.
Original worked example: a family celebration
| Decision | Fictional plan |
|---|---|
| Why I want to go | Spend time with my cousins at the meal. |
| What I will say | No thanks, I am having something else. |
| Support I have asked for | Alex agreed to meet me outside if I want a break. |
| Travel | I have my own return ride arranged. |
| If plans change | Leave earlier or meet a cousin another day. |
Before an event or journey
- Confirm the date, place, travel and accommodation you need.
- If travel affects appointments or medicines, ask your own provider or pharmacist about arrangements before you go. This sheet supplies no medication or travel-law instructions.
- Ask your chosen support person for a specific task or check-in; confirm they can do it.
- Keep joining details for any planned remote appointment or meeting accessible.
- Decide how you will take a break, leave, or choose another activity if that is what you want.
A specific request helps a trusted person understand what support you want. SAMHSA describes asking for practical help, company or listening rather than assuming someone knows what is needed.
Sources: [1]
My event or trip
- What I am choosing and why
- Where/when; the part I want to participate in; what I may decline.
- Arrangements to confirm
- Care/medicine questions, travel, accommodation, costs or access; who can confirm each.
- Support and words I want ready
- A confirmed contact/check-in; one response to an invitation or question. Use AH-R150 for contact details.
- If the plan changes
- An alternative activity, route home, or person/service to contact.
Read more or take the next step
Grief and Loss in Recovery
You do not have to make a loss fit a recovery milestone. This guide helps you ask for support with the days in front of you, without requiring you to tell the whole story.
Original words you can borrow
| What I need | A possible opening |
|---|---|
| Company without advice | I do not need you to fix this. Could you sit with me or call this evening? |
| Help with one responsibility | I am struggling to handle the errands this week. Could you help with groceries on Wednesday? |
| Room to remember someone | Would you be willing to listen to a memory? It is okay to tell me if this is not a good time. |
| A conversation with my clinician | Since this loss, these parts of my days have changed. I would like to discuss what support I need. |
SAMHSA advises being specific about the help you want and choosing someone you trust. If a conversation is not helpful, another trusted person or professional may be a better next contact.
Sources: [1]
A small support plan
- What I want someone to understand
- Write only what feels useful. You can describe the effect on your days without details of the loss.
- One request and who I will ask
- Listening, company, practical help or an appointment; when/how to ask.
- What I want to discuss with a professional, if relevant
- Changes in sleep, daily functioning, substance-use concerns or ongoing care; questions, not a self-diagnosis.
Read more or take the next step
A Difficult Day: My Next-Step Plan
Prepare this short plan when you have time, then keep it somewhere easy to find. It is a personal support aid, not a risk score or a substitute for a clinician-developed crisis plan.
Decide what kind of help is needed
Choose the appropriate next contact
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Immediate physical danger, suspected overdose, inability to awaken or serious breathing difficulty | Call 911. For possible opioid overdose, give naloxone if available and stay with the person. Do not finish the worksheet first. |
| Emotional distress or a mental-health, suicide or substance-use crisis | In the U.S., call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also contact 988 because you are worried about someone else. |
| A difficult moment without immediate danger | Use your chosen support contact and care-team instructions. Say what help you need now. |
Make the first action easy to begin
Asking clearly for the help you want can make a conversation more useful. You might want someone to listen, help call your clinician, or stay with you while you reach support. Choose a person or service you can actually contact and include a backup.
Sources: [1]
Pick one non-medical action that has helped you before, such as moving to a familiar calmer place, pausing a stressful task, or calling a supportive person. Treat it as a bridge to support, not a requirement to manage distress alone. If you already have a clinical safety plan, keep it with this card and use its instructions.
Sources: [1]
My quick-use card
- I notice I need support when…
- A few words in your own language; this is not a symptom score.
- My first manageable action
- An action that fits your situation and any care-team guidance.
- My first contact and what I will ask
- Name/service, number, likely availability and one specific request.
- My backup contact
- Who or which service I will try if the first person cannot help.
- Professional advice I already have
- Where I keep it and the clinician/service number for questions.
After the moment has passed
- What helped or needs changing
- Something to bring to the next appointment or use to revise this plan.
Keep completed notes private. Share only what you choose with the people helping you. These are original educational and planning prompts, not a validated assessment.
Useful next steps
Returning to Care After Substance Use
Use this guide to ask for help after using again. Begin with safety and a direct account of what happened; you do not need to turn the conversation into an apology or wait until you can describe it perfectly.
First, check for urgent danger
Sources: [6]
After time without opioids, reduced tolerance can make a previously used amount dangerous. Also tell the team about alcohol, sedatives and other medicines; combinations can add serious breathing risks. Do not assume old dosing or treatment instructions are right for the present situation.
Use the information to adjust care
A return to use can signal that the treatment plan or support needs review. NIAAA’s guidance on alcohol treatment describes responding with additional help or adjusted care rather than treating a return to drinking as a moral failure. The change needed depends on an assessment, not a worksheet score.
Sources: [4]
Information to bring to the conversation
- What you took, approximate amount if known, timing, route and other medicines or substances. Say when details are uncertain.
- Current symptoms, interrupted medications, recent treatment and what helped before.
- Changes in stress, housing, pain, relationships or access to treatment that you want help addressing.
- What you need now: assessment, medication review, a safer setting, transport or a supportive person for the call.
My return-to-care notes
- The service or clinician I will contact
- Name, number, when I can reach them and a backup option.
- What happened and current concerns
- Keep sensitive details private and share with the clinical team; use another page if needed.
- What was missing or not working
- Treatment, practical barriers or support needs I want to discuss without blaming myself.
- The agreed next step
- Who, when, where, instructions before the visit, and what to do if it cannot happen.
Keep completed notes private. Share only what you choose with the people helping you. These are original educational and planning prompts, not a validated assessment.
Useful next steps
Sources
- SAMHSA: How to Ask for Help
- SAMHSA: Finding Quality Treatment
- SAMHSA: About Recovery
- NIAAA: Questions for alcohol treatment programs
- CDC: Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain, 2022
- CDC: Preventing Opioid Overdose
- National Alliance for Recovery Residences: Standards
- NIAAA: Long-term Recovery Support
- SAMHSA: 988 versus 911
- SAMHSA: 988 Frequently Asked Questions
- FDA: Benzodiazepine boxed-warning safety communication
- NIAAA: Should You Cut Down or Quit?
Related Resources
- My Recovery Support Map (PDF)
- My First Week After Leaving Treatment (PDF)
- Housing and Recovery Support Questions (PDF)
- Finding a Peer Support Group That Fits (PDF)
- Recovery Goals Beyond Abstinence (PDF)
- My Boundaries at Work and Social Events (PDF)
- Planning for Holidays, Travel and Celebrations (PDF)
- Grief and Loss in Recovery (PDF)
- A Difficult Day: My Next-Step Plan (PDF)
- Returning to Care After Substance Use (PDF)