Stage 2 – Self Control and Communication Exercises

Drugs block unwanted feelings in life, but also essentially numb a person to the point where they cannot confront life in general, not just those undesirable parts. During this part of the First Step Program, clients are paired together to do a series of exercises that are designed to increase self control, comfort and communication. By being paired with another client, each individual also starts to increase responsibility oneself as well as for another.

Clients learn to face other people and communicate comfortably, allowing them to feel more at ease in any environment and to rebuild social skills necessary to live without alcohol or other drugs. The client becomes more extroverted and able to face things around them. Whereas drugs tend to stick people in the past, this portion of our program helps them to focus on the current environment and situation.

By improving a person’s ability to communicate, problems in life become less difficult, therefore reducing a desire to find an escape and reducing the chance of relapse.

The first step of handling anything is the ability to face it, and that is why we have these exercises – to help the addict learn to face his problems and handle them in a way that does not include drug use.