This self-assessment is specifically designed for first responders in early substance use disorder recovery to evaluate and reconstruct the five fundamental elements that comprise what recovery communities call "the geography of recovery": people, places, patterns, things, and thoughts. As a first responder, you've been trained to assess and secure scenes, identify hazards, and create safe perimeters for effective emergency response. Recovery requires applying these same systematic assessment skills to your personal life, recognizing that addiction has created an entire ecosystem of relationships, environments, routines, possessions, and thought patterns organized around substance acquisition and use.

The traditional recovery advice to "change your people, places, and things" often feels oversimplified or unnecessarily harsh, particularly for first responders whose professional identity and social connections are deeply intertwined with their work environment. However, understanding these five elements as an interconnected system—rather than isolated factors to eliminate—provides a more nuanced framework for creating sustainable recovery while maintaining professional effectiveness and meaningful relationships.