The Recovery Files · Workbooks
Hidden Struggles in Recovery
Twelve workbooks on what surfaces once the using stops
Getting sober clears space, and some of what fills it can be hard to name: guilt that won't let go, cravings that come out of nowhere, a feeling of being a fraud in the rooms, worrying about everyone but yourself. These twelve workbooks each take one of those struggles and look at it closely. Most begin with a recovery story, explain where the pattern comes from and how it connects to addiction, and end with a self-check and a plan.
The self-check questions are printed without scores; scoring and results are in The Recovery Files app. Pick the one that sounds most like you right now. They are free to download and print.
These workbooks support professional treatment and are not a substitute for it. In a crisis, call or text 988, or call SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357.
Thoughts and feelings
The inner weather of recovery: worry, cravings, obsession, guilt, and self-doubt.
The Glass House
Catastrophic thinking in recovery · 16 pages
For the mind that jumps straight to the worst outcome. This workbook explains how catastrophizing develops, how it once fed the addiction, how it shows up in the body, and why it raises relapse risk, then gives practical tools for stepping back from it.
Inside: a recovery story · how catastrophic thinking cascades · the body's alarm system · the link to relapse · warning signs in your own words · roots in trauma · CBT tools and a decatastrophizing script · mindfulness and social strategies · signs of progress · a self-check and plan.
The Quiet Storm
Living with cravings in recovery · 14 pages
Cravings don't mean recovery is failing. This workbook explains what cravings are, what lies beneath them, and how they change over time, and it moves you from fighting them to observing them and learning what they're trying to tell you.
Inside: the layers of a craving · the neurobiology in plain terms · how cravings change from early to long-term recovery · mindful observation practice · a coping toolkit · questions to ask your cravings · a self-check and plan.
Obsession in Recovery
Finding balance in your thoughts · 10 pages
Obsession can be about using, and it can also turn into an obsession with not using. This workbook helps you see where your thoughts are stuck and gives you a wide set of ways to loosen their grip.
Inside: a three-part self-check (thoughts about using, thoughts about not using, impact on daily life) · fourteen strategies, from mindfulness and scheduled worry time to exercise, journaling, grounding, and when to get professional help.
The Weight of Memory
Navigating guilt in recovery · 16 pages
Guilt can push recovery forward or pull it under. Told through one person's story, this workbook looks at the different kinds of guilt, why milestones can stir it up, and how living amends and service change your relationship with the past.
Inside: a recovery story · the kinds of guilt, including survivor's guilt · guilt around milestones · living amends and service · a self-check on destructive guilt and self-forgiveness · warning signs that guilt is threatening recovery · reflection questions.
The Hidden Trespasser
Imposter syndrome in recovery · 15 pages
The feeling that you don't really belong, that your clean time is a fluke and someone will find you out. This workbook names that feeling, traces where it comes from, and shows how to build authenticity without slipping into self-put-downs.
Inside: a recovery story · how imposter feelings show up · the connection to addiction · four key distortions · thinking tools and small behavioral experiments · recovery as a process, not a performance · humility vs. self-deprecation · a self-check and plan.
Relationships and self
How we relate to other people, and how we see ourselves next to them.
The Invisible Thread
Codependency in recovery · 16 pages
When the using stops, the caretaking and people-pleasing that substances covered up can come into full view. This workbook traces codependency back to childhood, shows how recovery itself can feed it, and helps you find the self underneath.
Inside: a recovery story · codependent behaviors in recovery · childhood roots of hypervigilance · how substances masked codependency · recovery habits that can feed it · the "two houses" picture of boundaries · the HALT-C check · care vs. caretaking · a self-check and plan.
The Interwoven Path
Relationship dynamics in recovery · 10 pages
Relationships formed during addiction often carry manipulation, dishonesty, and blurred lines. This workbook looks at those patterns honestly and helps you build the skills of healthy connection, starting with boundaries.
Inside: a recovery story · patterns of manipulation · the challenge of honesty · boundary building blocks · warning signs of unhealthy relationships · a self-check on old patterns and new skills · an action plan.
The Invisible Wall
Overcoming comparison in recovery · 23 pages
"I'm not like these people" can keep someone out of the help they need. Through one person's story of comparing out, this workbook shows how comparison builds a wall, and how looking for connection instead of differences takes it down.
Inside: a recovery story, from first meeting to paying it forward · five kinds of comparison and five kinds of connection · a comparison and connection self-check · reflection questions.
The Crown I Could Not See
Entitlement in recovery · 23 pages
Entitlement is hard to see in yourself. This workbook looks at seven places it hides in recovery: money, relationships, the program, timelines, comfort, exceptions, and recognition. It pairs each with the humility and gratitude that loosen it.
Inside: a recovery story · seven kinds of entitlement · matching practices of humility and gratitude · a self-check · reflection and planning.
Building a new life
Reshaping the world around you: places, routines, screens, and the things you love to do.
The Geography of Recovery
Remapping your world · 15 pages
Your surroundings can support recovery or quietly work against it. This workbook looks at five dimensions of your world, people, places, routines, things, and beliefs, and helps you remap each one.
Inside: an environment self-check · people and relationships · places and spaces · patterns and routines · things and objects · thoughts and beliefs · the phases of change · a sample plan and your own restructuring plan.
The Empty Canvas
Rediscovering passion after addiction · 16 pages
Addiction often crowds out everything you used to love, and early recovery can feel flat. This workbook walks through the stages of reconnecting with interests, what gets in the way, and why passions protect recovery.
Inside: a self-check on interests and passions · the stages of reconnecting · reflections on past interests, barriers, and first steps back · how interests support recovery · a sample plan and your own interest plan.
The Digital Funhouse Mirror
Social media in recovery · 14 pages
Social media can connect you to support or pull you into old patterns. This workbook explains how scrolling can mimic addiction, from intermittent rewards to escape and comparison, and helps you find a healthier balance online.
Inside: how social media affects recovery · a self-check on your online habits · reflections on triggers, cross-addiction, and helpful use · how digital habits mirror addictive ones · finding balance · your digital wellness plan.
Not sure where to start? Pick the one that sounds most like you today.