THE SEVEN CHALLENGES ACTIVITY BOOK

THE SEVEN CHALLENGESACTIVITY BOOK Robert Schwebel, Ph.D.with activities contributed byRichard Barr, John T. Beazoglou, Sharon Conner, Debbie Cook,Travis Fretwell, Cindy Garcia, Greg Garcia, Deborah Hargadon,John O’Neal, Mike Panico, Mary Ellen Patton, Wendy Pipentacos,Melanie Wharton, Jeff Wheatley and Chris Wilson

Table of ContentsMASTERY OF COUNSELING ACTIVITIESChapter One: Overview of Activities .3Chapter Two: Special Skills for Leading Activities .9Chapter Three: Applying Seven Challenges Counseling Skills .19Chapter Four: Making the Most of a Seven Challenges Activity.27Chapter Five: Activities in Individual Sessions .39COMPENDIUM OF ACTIVITIESTrust / Safety / Ice-Breakers1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.Are You More Like ? .47Free Association .51Safety and Trust .52Circle of Friends .54Drug Hangman .56Mine Field Rescue .58Anonymous Survey .60Describing Designs.65Tell the Story Before Your Story .69What Is the Role of a Drug Counselor? .73Talking About Yourself .77Masks .79Speedy Feedback .82Drug Benefits14.15.16.17.18.Love Letters to Drugs.87What I Like about Drugs .91Balloons .94Drug of Choice Advertisement.96The Best Party .97Drug Harm19.20.21.22.Levels of Drug Use.101Put Yourselves In Line .102What Is a Drug Problem? .105The Drug Lifestyle .109vii

Table of ContentsPluses & Minuses of Drugs / Decisions23.24.25.26.27.28.29.Talk Show .115Use, Abuse or Dependence?.118Telling Your Story (timeline) .123The Pluses and Minuses of Drugs .129The Biggest User .133The Good, The Bad and The In-between .138Debate: Give-up Your Friends?.142Abstain / Resistance Skills30.31.32.33.Drug Party .149Refusal Skills Role Play .152Your Support Circle .156First Day Home Role Play .160The Rest of My Life / Conflict / Relationships / Other Problems34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.My Life .165Giving and Accepting Constructive Criticism . 168Sex . 172Battle Ready .176Zapruder . 179Emotion Ball . 183Fear .184The Gift .185Venn Diagram (family) .187Life r .191Anger Skits . 196Emotions: I-Statements . 198Stress: Deep Breathing .202Stress and Coping with Stress .205Stress: Progressive Relaxation .212Stress: The Four Corners . 216Impulse Control: Popcorn.218Impulse Control: Rule Breaker . 219Fun and Boredom: Drug-Free Party . 221Fun and Free Time. 224Asking for Help .225

Table of Contents Responsibility55.56.57.58.59.60.61.It’s a Giant Meatball .229You’re All the Same .232Ways to be Powerful .235Social Issues Topic Board . 237Tree Diagram .240Ways I Helped (family) . 243How I Made Things Worse (family).245The Future / Values / Dreams62.63.64.65.66.67.68.Collage of Life with and without Drugs .249Drug Use: Past, Present, and Future.251Business Card .253Positive Rewrite of Your Story .255What I Keep Safe from Harm . 258Road Map .261Dream the Dream .263Leadership69.70.71.72.Asking One More Question .267Lead Your Own Group. 271Chat Room .273Giving and Receiving Feedback .275ix

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Trust / Safety / Ice-Breakers This activity gets youth moving and helps them think about what they like in life – what theydo for fun and pleasure. It also provides a more relaxed way to ask some personal questions.Are You More Like ?By Robert SchwebelMATERIALS / PREPARATIONMasking tapeINSTRUCTIONS FOR LEADING THIS ACTIVITY1. Introduction. “One of the reasons people use drugs is to have fun. So today we have anactivity which is kind of a get acquainted activity, but also an opportunity to think about whatsorts of things you like to do for fun in your leisure time. The activity is called ‘Are You MoreLike .?’ and you get to choose. For example, are you more like ‘a quiet evening at home’ or‘a large party?’ You’ll see how it goes in a minute.”2. Reading. From The Seven Challenges, p. 24, “Fun and Boredom.”3. Rate yourself. “Rate yourself from one to ten on boredom: You’re a ten if you are bored alot; and a one if you are hardly ever bored.” (After youth pick a number, have them talk aboutthemselves a little bit in terms of when they get bored or why they are not bored more.) Do you tend to use drugs when you are bored – or did you in the past? Do drugs work in taking away your boredom?4. Instructions. “Now we need to clear out the middle of the room so we can do this activity.”(Counselor and group members move tables, chairs, desks, etc., – or else do this aheadof time).“Now I’m going to make a straight line down the middle of the room with masking tape.”(Counselor runs a line of tape down the middle of the cleared-out space.)“I would like to ask all of you to please stand on the line of tape in the middle. This line is thefence between the two sides. Then I will ask, “Are you more like which of two things, and youwill go to one side or the other of the line, depending on what you select. For example, the firstone is:“Are you more like ‘A quiet evening with a friend or two’ or more like ‘a big party?’ If you aremore like ‘a quiet evening with a friend or two,’ I will tell you to go to one side and if you aremore like ‘a big party,’ you would go to the other side.”“OK. Everyone please get in the middle and stand on the tape line.”The Seven Challenges Activity Book 2009 Robert Schwebel47

Trust / Safety / Ice-Breakers“You are sitting on the fence right now. Ready? OK, if you are more like a quiet evening witha friend or two, go to this side (point toward one side). If you are more like “A big party” pleasego to this side (point to other side).“Understand?” (Pause)” OK, go ahead. Remember, more like a quiet evening with a friend ortwo, go here.” (Point) “More like a big party, go here.” (Point)“Notice who is with your group, and see who has similar interests. Now I’ll throw a ball (or asmall stuffed animal) to one of you at a time, and when you catch it, I’ll ask some questions.Ready?”(Leader tosses the ball to one youth.) Why did you put yourself on this side? How does it feel to be on this side (have a quiet evening with a friend or two)? Would you sometimes like to be on the other side?(or) Do you ever want to be on the other side? How does it feel to be on the other side?“Thank you.” Now the leader tosses the ball to someone on the other side of the fence and asksquestions. This can be repeated as much as the counselor would like to pursue it, and as timeallows.Let clients know that they can switch sides after their initial selection. If they do switch sides,ask them why.5. Choices. Here are some more combinations that can be used in this activity:– Friends or family– Dress shoes or tennis shoes– Bicycle or motorcycle– Marijuana or coke– Volleyball or ping pong– State park or resort area– A dressy outfit or blue jeans– Diet cola or a milk shake– Daredevil excitement or safe excitement– Go to the mall or go to the park– Telephone or texting– Cartoon or a soap opera– Big group of friends or smallgroup of friends– BMW or VW– Music event or sports event– Birthday party or drug party– Hyper or relaxed– A risky thrill or something safe,but sure fire fun– Running or walking– Butterfly or eagle– Outdoor fun or indoor fun– Fall or spring– Planned or spontaneous– Hang out alone or bewith friendsCounselors can allow youth to name combinations they would like to try.48The Seven Challenges Activity Book 2009 Robert Schwebel

Trust / Safety / Ice-Breakers 6. Discussion: Questions / IssuesDo you see any patterns in your choices? Any types of things you generally like to do and ones you don’t like to do? What did your family do for fun when you were young? How about now? When you were young, if you were bored and went to a parent and said, “I’m bored,” howwould he or she respond?(Plan fun for me; Say, “leave me alone;” Tell me to watch TV; Buy me something; Help thinkabout possible activities and choose one, etc. In this activity, help youth think about whetherthey got help in learning to plan their own recreation; whether their parents entertained themor made all the choices for them; whether parents promoted passive activities, such as TV andvideo games, or active ones, such as sports. Help youth think about whether recreation wasvalued in the family.)“Describe yourself in terms of your idea of fun, recreation, and choosing what you like to do,such as: ‘I am a sort of person when it comes to fun, recreation and choosing whatI like to do.’ ”“Here’s an example: I would say that I like playing sports and doing things with friends,but I also like a lot of time alone. I don’t go for big parties, but I like hanging out withfriends. I like active things to do in the outdoors.”“Can you see how this activity relates to your own drug use?”NOTESSeven Challenges connectionsFirst, this is a team-building, getting acquainted sort of activity, related to Challenge One, andbuilding trust.This activity also deals with fun and recreation – clients’ ideas about what is fun, exciting, andappealing to them. Many people use drugs because they are bored or not having as muchenjoyment of life as they would like. To counteract boredom, they drink or do drugs. So, thisis Challenge Two.Youth with serious drug problems often find that their idea of fun or a good time began toconstrict as they started to focus largely on drug use. This activity might enable youth torecognize the connection and comment about it.Challenge Four includes consideration of the opportunities youth were given to learn how tocreate their own fun when they were young, and opportunities for recreation they were denied.Some of the discussion and questions about fun and recreation with family will open up theseissues. Also, some youth may have begun to enjoy doing things that are exciting (such asstealing), but are harmful to others.The Seven Challenges Activity Book 2009 Robert Schwebel49

Trust / Safety / Ice-BreakersChallenge Five is devoted to thinking about the future. Daredevil excitement could lead toinjury or, if it involves criminal behavior, incarceration. Also, learning to have fun in safe, legalways can help a young person stay clear of drugs and other high risk behavior. Thrill seekerscan think of safer thrills.In Challenge Six, youth begin to think about making changes in their lives. If they are goingto quit using drugs, then they will probably have to find new ways of having fun, or return toways they used to have fun before they began their drug use. So they need to review – andperhaps develop and expand – their recreational repertoire.In Challenge Seven, youth who are overcoming drug problems need to make sure that theyhave ways to get the joy and excitement they want in life. Sometimes fun is spontaneous.However, often recreational activities need to be planned ahead of time. Youth will want toavoid boredom which could prompt a lapse or relapse.Modification: On other occasions this activity can be modified from a “get-acquainted”emphasis to a more personal and probing experience by asking more personal questions, suchas the following: Hold in feelings or let feelings out Hold in anger or let anger out Relaxed or nervous Argue and fight or let issue go Unhappy or happyAnother modification could be asking about drug choices: Marijuana or cocaine; alcohol orstreet drugs; stimulants or depressants.(Special thanks to Chris Dunn, an expressive therapist, who told me about this very creative activity.)50The Seven Challenges Activity Book 2009 Robert Schwebel