Alcohol & Your Goals Counseling Center University of Cincinnati

What are your goals? ● Dean’s List? ● Life-Long Friendships? ● Meaningful Romantic Relationship? ● Graduating?

● Grad School? ● High Paying Job? ● A Close Family? ● Financial Independence?

Personal Goals My goals are: 1. _______________________ _______________________ 2. _______________________ _______________________ 3. _______________________ _______________________

Your Drinking & Your Goals Is your drinking consistent with your goals? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe d. Not Sure

What is causing the (in)consistency? My drinking is/is not consistent with my goals because: ___________________________________

Why do students drink? Some students say they drink in order to: Have a good time or celebrate with friends. Relax or relieve tension. Make friends or fit in. Cope with boredom, loneliness, or sadness.

How about you? Why do you drink? _________________________________

Cost & Benefits Most things in life have costs and benefits.

Cost/Benefit Analysis What are the benefits (positive effects) of your drinking? 1. ______________________________ 2. ______________________________ 3. ______________________________ 4. ______________________________ 5. ______________________________ 6. ______________________________

Cost/Benefit Analysis What are the costs (negative effects) of your drinking? 1. _____________________________ 2. _____________________________ 3. _____________________________ 4. _____________________________ 5. _____________________________ 6. _____________________________

Cost/Benefit Analysis How do your costs and benefits compare? a.My drinking causes a lot of problems and very little good comes out of it. b.My drinking causes some problems, but I seem to get some benefits from it. c.My drinking causes few problems or benefits. d.My drinking causes no problems with some benefits.

Identifying Goal-Limiting Drinking Researchers have developed screening questionnaires to determine if a person’s drinking is impairing his/her functioning. The World Health Organization has created the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

Questions from the AUDIT: During the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking? Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking? Has a relative, friend, doctor, or other health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested that you cut down?

Your Goals vs. Your Drinking Has drinking ever gotten in the way of your academic success or career goals? Has drinking alcohol ever caused or intensified problems in your relationships? If so, how?: ____________________________________

Ambivalence According to Miller and Rollnick (1991), ambivalence occurs when a person has coexisting but conflicting feelings about something. Example: I want to get good grades, but I also want to party whenever I want.

Exploring Your Ambivalence Which statement best describes you? a.If I want to achieve my goals, I will need to cut back my drinking. b.If I continue drinking at this level, I will put my goals at risk. c.My drinking does not obstruct my goals, but only because my goals are so low. d.I have big goals, and I make sure my drinking does not get in the way. e.Other______________________________

Strategies to Keep My Drinking from Getting in the Way of My Goals.

When drinking, I will drink less than one drink per hour

I will designate a driver or take a cab

I will not drink the night before a class.

Three is my limit.

What are your strategies?

Making Changes

What are reasons for adopting new drinking behaviors? _______________________

What would improve if you drank less? ______________________

What encourages you to drink less? _____________________

If you decided to reduce your drinking, what potential obstacles do you foresee? _______________________

How would you overcome those obstacles? _______________________

Are you ready to make a change?

Making a Commitment to Drinking Less

Make a Plan My first two steps towards drinking less: 1.____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 2.____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

Put Your Plan Into Action Visualize Yourself Putting the New Behaviors into Practice

Put Your Plan Into Action Use the Buddy System: Tell a Supportive Friend about Your Plan and Be Accountable

Put Your Plan Into Action Never Give Up: If You Fall Short Once, Don’t Throw the Plan Away. Keep Trying!

References & Further Reading Material Babor, T.F., de la Fluente, J.R., Saunders, J., Grant, M. (1992). AUDIT: The alcohol use disorders identification test: Guidelines for use in primary care. World Health Organization: Geneva. Miller, W.R. & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people to change addictive behavior. Guilford Press: New York. Blood Alcohol Calculator College Drinking—Changing the Culture Facts About Alcohol & Drugs for College Students