Substance Misuse worksheets
6 evidence-based resources for Substance Misuse. Preview any worksheet, then assign it to a client as an interactive digital worksheet.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
These worksheets combine motivational and cognitive-behavioural work. The Substance Misuse Formulation follows the cognitive model of Beck and colleagues (1993): early experience, beliefs about the substance and permissive thoughts such as "just one will not hurt" leading to use and the cycle that maintains it. The Functional Analysis of Substance Use takes single episodes apart — trigger, thoughts and feelings, use, short- and long-term consequences, and the function the substance served — and the Substance Use Diary sets the baseline.
Where ambivalence is the live issue, the Decisional Balance and Pros and Cons of Change worksheets draw on motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2013): use them to explore the client's own reasons, not to build a case for change. The Urge Surfing Record brings the relapse prevention tradition (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005) to cravings. Assess dependence early: abrupt withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines can be dangerous, so seek medical advice before a client stops, and warn that reduced tolerance after abstinence raises overdose risk. Screen for suicidality and safeguarding concerns, and work alongside specialist services where dependence is significant.
All Substance Misuse worksheets
Showing 6 of 6 resources
Substance Misuse
Functional Analysis of Substance Use
Explore the triggers, thoughts, feelings, and consequences associated with substance use to understand its function in your life.
Substance Misuse
Decisional Balance
Weigh up the pros and cons of continuing to use substances versus making a change. A core motivational interviewing technique.
Substance Misuse
Urge Surfing Record
Track urges to use substances without acting on them. Practice the skill of riding the wave of craving until it passes.
Substance Misuse
Substance Use Diary
Track your substance use day by day to identify patterns, triggers, and the relationship between mood and use.
Substance Misuse
Pros and Cons of Change
A simplified motivational tool to explore your reasons for and against changing your substance use.
Substance Misuse
Substance Misuse Formulation
A cognitive formulation of substance misuse based on Beck et al.'s (1993) model. Maps the pathway from early experiences through beliefs and automatic thoughts to substance use and its maintaining cycle.
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Request a worksheetFrequently asked questions
Which model does the substance misuse formulation follow?
The cognitive model of substance misuse set out by Beck and colleagues (1993), which maps early experience, core beliefs, beliefs about the substance, and the permissive thoughts that license use in a trigger situation. The functional analysis and urge-surfing worksheets add the relapse prevention tradition associated with Marlatt, focused on high-risk situations and cravings.
When does a decisional balance help, and when does it not?
Use it to explore the client's own reasons, in their words, rather than to argue for change. Motivational interviewing guidance (Miller & Rollnick, 2013) cautions that with an ambivalent client, eliciting the case for staying the same can strengthen sustain talk; if the balance favours continuing, respect that and keep the motivational work going.
What should be in place before this work begins?
An assessment of dependence and withdrawal risk, with medical advice or specialist services involved where withdrawal could be dangerous, and agreement not to do formulation work while the client is intoxicated or in acute withdrawal. Check overdose risk, suicidality, and safeguarding — including any children in the household — and agree how you will work with specialist services.
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