The Coping Behaviors Inventory (CBI)

INSTRUCTIONS: If there are times when you want to start drinking again, how do you try to stop yourself? Here is a list of ways some people have tried to stop themselves. Which of these ways have you tried? There are four choices: Usually, Often, Sometimes, and Never. Please circle the number which comes closest to how often you have used these ways to stop yourself from starting to drink again. There are no right or wrong answers or trick questions. We want to know what you have tried.
Usually Often Sometimes Never
1. Thinking about how much better off I am without a drink……………………………. 0 1 2 3
2. Telephoning a friend………………………………………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
3. Keeping in the company of non-drinkers……………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
4. Thinking positively…………………………………………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
5. Thinking of the mess I’ve got myself into through drinking……………………… 0 1 2 3
5. Stopping to examine my motives and eliminating the false ones………………… 0 1 2 3
7. Thinking of the promises I’ve made to others…………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
8. Staying indoors – hiding…………………………………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
9. Pausing and really thinking the whole alcoholic cycle through……………………. 0 1 2 3
10. Leaving my money at home…………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
11. Recognizing that life is no bed of roses but drink is not the answer……………… 0 1 2 3
12. Going to an A.A. meeting……………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
13. Knowing that by not drinking I can show my face again without fear of what others will think…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
14. Cheering myself up by buying myself something special instead………………. 0 1 2 3
15. Facing up to my bad feelings instead of trying to drown them…………………… 0 1 2 3
16. Working harder…………………………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
17. Realizing it’s just not worth it………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
18. Waiting it out until everything is shut…………………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
19. Remembering how I’ve let my friends and family down in the past………………… 0 1 2 3
20. Keeping away from people who drink………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
21. Going for a walk……………………………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
22. Looking on the bright side and trying to stop making excuses for myself……….. 0 1 2 3
23. Realizing it’s affecting my health………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
24. Start doing something in the house …………………………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
25. Considering the effect it will have on my family …………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
26. Reminding myself of the good life I can have without drink …………………………. 0 1 2 3
27. Getting in touch with old drinking friends who are better now ………………………. 0 1 2 3
28. Making up my mind that I’m going to stop playing games with myself …………… 0 1 2 3
29. Eating a good meal …………………………………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3
30. Avoiding places where I drank ………………………………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
31. Thinking about all the people who have helped me ………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
32. Saying I am well and wish to stay so ……………………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
33. Going to sleep ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
34. Remembering how it has affected my family …………………………………………………. 0 1 2 3
35. Forcing myself to go to work ……………………………………………………………………….. 0 1 2 3
36. Trying to face life instead of avoiding it ………………………………………………………… 0 1 2 3

Scoring: The CBI can be scored by summing the responses for a total raw score or by dividing the total by the number of items to obtain an average score. Lower scores reflect more frequent use.