Self-Help Tools

Many people are able to change their excessive behavior patterns without entering formal treatment. The Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School has created a series of self-change toolkits. These toolkits are designed to do three things:

• They will help people gain information about addiction-related problems.
• They will help people evaluate their own addiction-related behavior.
• They will help people develop change strategies, should they decide that change is the best course.

Please allocate approximately 20 minutes to complete one toolkit.  Participation is anonymous and we will not collect identifying information from participating visitors. The toolkits will keep track of your answers and allow you to print your results at any point during an individual session. However, if you close or refresh your browser during a session, your answers will be erased.  We will not keep records of your answers, and your identity will remain anonymous at all times.

We hope that this first step, you will find the change that you are looking for.

• Your First Step To Change: Gambling
  • Download English print version
  • Bajar versión en español
  • Download Chinese print version
  • Download Cambodian (Khmer) print version
  • Download Vietnamese print version
    
    
• Your First Step To Change: Drinking
• Your First Step to Change: Smoking
• Your First Step to Change: Marijuana
• Your First Step to Change: Shopping

USE OF PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT. The BASIS staff will conscientiously and carefully provide information about addictive behavior that conforms to the standards of professional practice prevailing at the time of publication. However, standards and practices in medicine change as new data become available. We encourage readers to consult their health care provider, the scientific literature and other sources for the most up-to-date information.

PLEASE NOTE: Though the information in the toolkits stems from the latest scientific research and has been reviewed by  licensed clinical psychologists, the information provided in this web site is no substitute for individual patient assessment based on the healthcare provider's examination of each patient and consideration of laboratory data and other factors unique to the patient. This web site should be used as a tool to help understand the issues that influence the development and treatment of addictive disorders. Individual and unique circumstances may lead to decisions not presented in this web site.