Developing Discrepancy from “Expletive” Decision-making

George DuWors, MSW, LCSW, BCD

This one-day workshop starts by demonstrating that physical relapse universally starts with one of two attitudes. Today we focus on the “expletive” (“F— it!”) decision when stress has become “too much,” the addictive equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Group Exercise “Expletive Deleted” develops four generic discrepancies between the typical ideal self and the very act of saying “F— it.” This is an interactive exercise with detailed handouts. From the discrepancies, we generate maintenance tasks and menus. This includes proceeding from what coping is to how to actually do it. We develop and apply the SPARROW Model (menu!) for taking the common sense principle of the Serenity Prayer down off the wall and putting it to work. The model integrates explicitly with Twelve Step Recovery. It also integrates comfortably with any other coping models (RET, CBT, etc.) An added motivational dialog, “My way or the highway,” connects the “expletive” relapse experience with the need for transformation. Finally, the right-hand branches of the “Motivation for Maintenance Decision Tree” summarize and integrate our day.

Objectives: The Participants will be able to:

1. Elicit “Expletive thinking” from clients who have relapsed.
2. Develop any of four generic motivational discrepancies from such thinking.
3. Generate menus of coping tools based on the actual discrepancy experienced by the client.
4. Integrate Motivational Enhancement with Twelve Step and other maintenance approaches.

Target Audience: Clinicians trying to motivate their clients to both learn and maintain coping skills for lasting recovery.

Content Level: Core to advanced.

Methods: combines thirty-six PowerPoint slides with matching workbooks to complete over a dozen interactive exercises. Role-play, small group brainstorms, sharing dyads. Concepts and tools drawn out of group experience then personalized to individual experience.

Instructor: George DuWors, MSW, LCSW, BCD is a seasoned addictions specialist, who has led workshops across North America and in the United Kingdom. He is the author of White Knuckles and Wishful Thinking, Learning From the Moment of Relapse in Alcoholism and Other Addictions ( Hogrefe and Huber: Seattle, 2000).

Contact information:

• Bellevue: 425-213-2657
• Email: gduwors@yahoo.com
• Fax: 425-671-0672.