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Preparing My Alcohol Care Conversation

Explain alcohol-related concerns and ask about safe, appropriate care options.

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Standard fillable PDF

You may want to understand alcohol's place in your life, discuss a diagnosis, or revisit an existing plan. Start with your own concerns and goals. Medical safety matters when changing use, especially if you have experienced withdrawal or drink heavily or regularly.

How to use this page

Describe the pattern in broad terms and prepare questions. Do not use this worksheet to stop abruptly or design a taper.

Describe what matters

Identify a recent effect on health, sleep, relationships, work, or finances. Include what alcohol seems to help with so care can address that need too.

Ask about safe options

Tell a qualified clinician about your actual use, past withdrawal, and other substances or medicines. Ask about suitable medical, counseling, medication, and peer-support options without changing treatment yourself.

Reflection prompts

Use these questions in conversation, on paper, or in the downloaded PDF. You may adapt or skip a prompt.

  1. What alcohol-related concern would I like addressed?
  2. What goal feels meaningful to me right now?
  3. What withdrawal history or medication information should my clinician know?
  4. What care question or access barrier should we discuss first?
Facilitator notes and adaptation

Assess withdrawal and overdose risk, co-occurring conditions, and readiness without shaming. Do not provide tapering instructions. Suspected severe withdrawal, seizure, hallucinations, or confusion requires urgent medical care; preserve client choice within clinically appropriate options.

Sources behind the concepts

These sources inform the concepts in this original resource. They do not validate or endorse this specific page.

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