Pin on Recovery - Free Printable

This document is a worksheet designed to help someone working on "Step 4" of a 12-step recovery program. The goal of this step is to take an honest look at your life, your actions, and how your addiction has affected you and others.

Since there are no right or wrong answers (this is a personal reflection exercise), I will provide sample answers to show you how a person might fill out these questions honestly. These examples assume a general scenario where someone struggled with hiding their behavior from family and friends.

Sample Responses for the Worksheet

Question 1:
*Have you always had a predilection for addiction? Or did addiction take you by surprise?*

> Sample Answer: It took me by surprise. I never thought I would become addicted. At first, I just used [substance/behavior] to relax or fit in with friends. I didn't think it was a big deal because I could stop whenever I wanted. Over time, I needed more of it to feel normal, and before I knew it, I couldn't stop even when I tried. I didn't see it coming until it was already controlling my life.

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Question 2:
*Has anyone hurt you deeply by judging or outing your addictive behavior? Do you feel anger at this person? Is this anger justified?*

> Sample Answer: Yes, my best friend told my parents about my drinking after finding empty bottles in my car. At the time, I was furious and felt betrayed. I stopped talking to them for months. Looking back now, I am still angry that they broke my trust, but I understand they were scared for my safety. My anger is partially justified because I valued our privacy, but their intention was to help save my life, not just to hurt me.

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Question 3:
*Who is the person who was hurt most by your addiction? Why them? How do you feel about yourself when you think of how they felt?*

> Sample Answer: The person hurt the most was my younger sister. She looked up to me and trusted me completely. Because of my addiction, I missed her school plays, lied to her about where I was, and sometimes acted mean when I was under the influence. She felt confused and abandoned. When I think about how scared and sad she must have felt, I feel deep shame and regret. I hate that I let her down when I was supposed to be her role model.