Substitute behaviours are the activities, relationships and roles that replace the work a substance was doing for a person, such as relieving distress, providing company, giving structure and supplying sensation. Recovery is far more likely to last when those needs are met in other ways, so a community should look at what the substance did for the individual and fill that gap deliberately with physical work, connection and purpose.
Substitute behaviours are healthier activities that meet the needs a substance once met.
Ask What The Substance Was Doing
The parent guide says that addiction fills a void, and that taking away the substance without filling the void makes relapse likely. The principle is sound, though “nearly certain” is stronger than I can support; relapse is common and the risk is high. The void differs from person to person. Ask:
| The substance was providing | Possible replacements |
|---|---|
| Relief from emotional pain | Support, talk, grounding, treatment of trauma or grief; see Trauma & PTSD Management Without Professional Help |
| Company | Regular contact; see Social Connection as Replacement |
| Sleep | Routine, physical work, sleep help; see Sleep & Nightmares |
| Structure and purpose | A role that matters; see Purpose & Productivity |
| Sensation, excitement | Physical challenge; see Physical Activity as Replacement |
| A ritual (the evening drink, the pipe) | A new ritual: tea, a walk, a shared meal |
| Social acceptance | A place in a group that does not centre on use |
What Else Helps
- Rewards for staying off. Clinical research on stimulant and other drug use has found that giving valued rewards for abstinence, called contingency management, works better than many alternatives (from recollection). A community could offer recognition, a valued share or a privilege; the principle is to make progress visible and rewarded.
- Peer groups and accountability; see Peer Support Groups and Accountability Partners.
- Plans for cravings: knowing the triggers, such as time of day, places, people, moods, and having a plan for each.
- Avoiding high-risk places and companions in the early period.
- Treatment of the problem underneath.
Cautions
- A substitute can become a new compulsion. Overwork, constant exercise or fixation on a new habit can be a way of avoiding the original pain.
- The replacement for a dangerous drug must not be another one. Switching one sedative for another does not solve the problem.
- Not every substitute works for every person. Try several.
- Substitutes do not make withdrawal safe. For alcohol and sedatives, see Withdrawal Management.
- Relapse after a break can kill, particularly with opioids; the substitute plan should include safety; see Opioid Withdrawal (Miserable but Survivable).
Common Mistakes
- Removing the substance and leaving the day empty.
- Choosing the replacement for the person.
- Pushing heavy exertion onto someone who is ill or dehydrated.
- Assuming that one successful month ends the need.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Physical Activity as Replacement — the first of the three
- Combine with: Community Support Framework — the structures that carry it