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Refusal Skills

Once you have made the decision to quit drinking, you may have to make an effort to stick to it. Of course, the opportunity to have "just one" will arise. It is important to remember that even moderate drinking can aggravate your head and neck condition.

Whenever you are in either one of the high risk situations identified in the prior section, or whether you are simply in a position where alcohol happens to be available, try to recall the advantages and disadvantages of having a drink.

For example, if the situation is that you have a friend over to watch television and you just feel like having a beer, you could consider the following:

Advantages Disadvantages
My friend is here and we always have a beer together. Maybe my friend won't want to visit if I stop drinking. My doctor said my drinking, even in small amounts, can cause a second cancer.
I like the taste of beer, plus it helps me relax and enjoy the television. If I do have another cancer, my friend won't be able to come over to watch television with me at all.
It's just one beer; it's not like I'm going to have the whole six pack. It might take only one beer to get me drinking regularly again.

Always keep in mind that drinking any quantity of alcohol increases your risk of a second head and neck cancer.

Review the situations you've already identified as being risky for you and think about how you will handle these situations. Thinking about these situations ahead of time will help you when/if you do encounter them.

 

Continue reading: Coping with Lapses

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Written by:

Sonia Duffy, Ph.D., R.N.; Marcia Valenstein, M.D.; Christine Kowalski, M.P.H.; Shara Kilarski, B.S.; Jeffrey Terrell, M.D.; Lynn Gregory, R.N.; David Ronis, Ph.D.; and Fred Blow, Ph.D.

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