Can SMART recovery work with AA membership
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 106
I'm going to my first SMART meeting today. I appreciate hearing the differences between AA and SMART's philosophies. I credit adhering to AA's principles for helping me get sober and stay sober for a good while but I can't shake the feeling of needing something else in addition to this...so here I go! Gotta keep growing.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
The third tradition would apply. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. That's the short form, but it means that what you do outside of the fellowship has no bearing on your membership.
Any two alcoholics gathered together for the purpose of sobriety may call themselves an AA group provided, as such, they have no outside affiliation.
That part of the tradition, along with the fifth tradition, sets out the purpose of the group, as distinct from individual membership. Each group carries its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Thus the priest who is a member, does not give sermons in meetings, the academic does not lecture, the doctor does not diagnose, the architect does not talk about design, the therapist does not practice therapy, the religious enthusiast does not practice conversion, while participating in AA. Each group has but one primary purpose.
So I guess the guideline would be to remember which hat you are wearing at which meeting.
Any two alcoholics gathered together for the purpose of sobriety may call themselves an AA group provided, as such, they have no outside affiliation.
That part of the tradition, along with the fifth tradition, sets out the purpose of the group, as distinct from individual membership. Each group carries its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Thus the priest who is a member, does not give sermons in meetings, the academic does not lecture, the doctor does not diagnose, the architect does not talk about design, the therapist does not practice therapy, the religious enthusiast does not practice conversion, while participating in AA. Each group has but one primary purpose.
So I guess the guideline would be to remember which hat you are wearing at which meeting.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest
Posts: 274
I go to both, one aa a week and 2 smart. I go to aa just in case there are any interesting stories I hear and some of my friends go. I prefer smart but to be honest my main recovery method is just determination and self-confidence in staying sober at the minute (coming from within not without).
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 31
I love SMART Recover and the clarity and intelligence it brings to recovery, its self management and responsibility focused, a lot of thought is in the program... I also attend AA occasionally as well...they both work well for me in different ways....SMART for the process...AA for the fellowship
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