Working a SMART Recovery

[Alera]

Well, I've been working SMART Recovery for a number of years now. It has helped me with my addiction, as well as battling nicotine and even interpersonal relationships!

SMART Recovery® Help with Alcohol, Drug, and Other Addictions

SMART offers both online and face-to-face meetings for those who benefit from their programs and tool chest.

So have you tried applying SMART to your recovery? What are your results?

I am currently working on a CBA for not smoking, and it has worked wonders. I add to it daily still, but consider myself "a work in progress" so I'm fine.

[otterbearcat]

I have been going to f2f SMART meetings once a week for the past fews months. It is helpful when I actually do the 'work'.

Cant say I have been doing as much work as I would like too.

Old thought patterns are hard to break...

[HuskyPup]

I found the in person meetings I went to very helpful, but the on-line version, not so much. Lots of bickering on the message boards, and lots of drama. I sometimes read to see how some of my old friends are doing, and noted I was 'banned for life'. Not sure why: somebody asked had I seen a certain member, and I just said, yes, over at Sober Village, they were banned from SMART. Lots of banning going on there lately.

You really have to watch what you say there, the guys who run the place can be pretty uptight, and they have a very vague user agreement, and a LOT of double standards. I liked the site much better when it first started, it has certainly gone downhill under the present regime,. in my opinion.

That said, I think it is very useful, practical and helpful, though I found myself seeking something broader, that focused at least marginally on the spirit, dreams, and such. So after trying it for five years, I’d say I’m still pretty much at square one, but it does seem to have helped many.

A.

[Alera]

Sorry to read about the recent troubles Husky. I don't post much on the forums there but do go to the online meetings. I have found it to be extremely helpful in that regard.

One thing about SMART Recovery, you can't just sit back and let the program work its magic, you have to work it hard. My CBA is written in blood, and that's only partly in jest. I did write it when it was painful to do the mental work and I felt like I was bleeding.

[Freepath]

The cost benefit analysis can be applied to almost every part of life. This is a tool that is useful for much more than evaluating the behavior of addictive substance use. I believe that overcoming addiction has a lot to do with examining the etiology of the abuse. Maybe I drink because I feel guilty or because I feel grief. Maybe I use drugs because life seems boring and pointless. By conducting a cost benefit analysis in other areas of life, the art of decision making is enhanced. We make better decisions, our lives improve. The strategy of living well becomes second nature, and life becomes more meaningful and fulfilling without intoxication.

The other kudos that I would offer to the SMART approach involves the vital absorptive creative interest.

I think many people suggest the advice of working longer hours to recover or going to more face to face meetings. I think that attaching one’s recovery to the behavior of other people is dangerous business. So, we might see people who quit because they are being pressured by their spouse, their boss, the police, their children…whatever. This reason for quitting is said to be as effective as any other reason when it comes to overcoming addiction. But I wonder. What if you break up with your spouse, or your children move away or your boss gets hit by a train? Now you have decided to quit for a reason that you have no control over, and that reason is gone. If people work longer hours or go to more face to face meetings when they quit, what happens if they lose their job? What happens if their sponsor falls off the wagon? Once again, suddenly the addict/alcoholic is left with no outlet.

By exploring our own vital absorptive creative interest, we develop an outlet which makes life meaningful. We also have control over this. If I decide to go running, or lift weights, or photograph animals, or scuba dive, or jump out of airplanes, or start playing a musical instrument, or read novels…..you get the idea….I have given my life more direction. I have given myself something to do besides get loaded. I have made life more fun and interesting for myself, so I am not simply drinking or using out of pure boredom. When stressful things happen, I have an interest that I can escape to and get lost in without making a trip to my dealers house or the liquor store.

[Alera]

Agree FreePath. I used the CBA to make the decision to live in my new home. We had another month to keep looking if we so chose, and the CBA really helped cement my decision. Now that I have moved in, I know a lot of the positives and negatives and don't have many surprises. This is because I had spent time working them out on my CBA.

[ElegantlyWasted]

Chantix baby!!!, with a little cbt is supposed to work wonders. SMART work sheets are a key part of what I'm doing. Good Quality CBT dyi! Sounds like your doing great. Anyone out there use smart in conjunction with AA? Seems like ther is some redundancy w/ the 12 steps..../

[miamifella]

Thanks for posting Husky.

I found people in the online meetings to be so dogmatic and rigid in their thinking that I figured it was not a program for me. But if the f2f meetings are different, maybe I should give it a try.

[Alera]

Originally Posted by miamifella

Thanks for posting Husky.

I found people in the online meetings to be so dogmatic and rigid in their thinking that I figured it was not a program for me. But if the f2f meetings are different, maybe I should give it a try.

I have heard they are different. I say give it a try. I've heard great things about their F2F meetings as well. Also remember that you don't have to attend meetings to work SMART. Its only one component of their recovery.

Sorry the online ones didn't work out for you. I had the same experience with another form of recovery so I just kept looking. You can't please everyone all the time

[OceanBound]

Hi Alera,

Could you recommend some of the good online meetings? There are no f2f meetings where I live. I used some SMART tools like CBA but I think I need more direction.

Thanks,
Ocean

[windysan]

I'm working a Dumb recovery.

[OceanBound]

We know.

[windysan]

[Alera]

Originally Posted by OceanBound

Hi Alera,

Could you recommend some of the good online meetings? There are no f2f meetings where I live. I used some SMART tools like CBA but I think I need more direction.

Thanks,
Ocean

Sure. SMART Online offers two types of meetings at their website. This includes both voice and text meetings. It can be reached at http://www.smartonline.org .

LifeRing/SOS have hosted chats at their site LifeRing Home Page . Click on "chat' and go to the bottom to see the schedule.

I hope this information was helpful.

[OceanBound]

Hi Alera,

Thanks for the links. I tried a couple of online meetings (SMART) but they seem like complete chaos to me. I was wondering if you could recommend some productive ones (I don't know what the rules are but if it's not possible to do here, then maybe in a PM)?

Thanks,
OB

[Alera]

oceanbound, everyone is different. Did you do Pal or text? Its been too long since I've attended an online but it really depends on who runs the individual meeting. In the text meetings some facilitators allow too much cross-talk and I need to put a person who interrupts the meeting on ignore while others I get a lot out of working the tools.

Often I get more from PalTalk as it takes an extra step for people to download the program, so you don't get as many wackos (so-to-speak).

[OceanBound]

Thanks, Alera! I've only tried text, I'll try talk too.

OB

[Found]

Originally Posted by HuskyPup

... I was 'banned for life'. Not sure why: somebody asked had I seen a certain member, and I just said, yes, over at Sober Village, they were banned from SMART. ...
A.

That was good practice, if someone chooses to blow their own on line confidentiality it is wrong of anyone else to draw public attention to it.

I'm interested in dreams too!

[Asta1]

I should have noticed and read thru this thread b/4 I posted my new thread re: CBA. Apparently several of you have done the exercise. The feedback certainly is positive. I, too, have posted a few times on SMART, but agree that SR is much friendlier. I continue to read there for motivation, but have yet to receive any feedback on my posts except for the initial welcome. I do believe the rational recovery method has a lot of merit and just ordered my first book on the subject this morning. Also, read a rave book review in the paper this AM on Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr. Thought I would give it a read too.