Thread: Smart???
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Old 11-06-2016, 11:48 AM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Aellyce
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,912
Yes. I have tried different recovery programs that involve meetings (AA, SMART, Refuge Recovery) and ended up liking SMART the best. It just fits with my thinking style, how I like to investigate and handle my addiction and other challenges, and I also very much like the open-minded attitude that LadyBlue mentioned: in contract to some other programs, SMART tends not to opposite or argue with different ideas and approaches and encourages people to use it in any way they like. It aspires to empower the individual, not only in the context of addiction recovery but in a more holistic way (if someone is interested in that). In particular, I find many of the SMART tools quite helpful for relapse prevention. They are down-to-earth and practical and do not offer much of the spiritual dimensions 12-step programs do. Of course, like any meeting, the quality and satisfaction depends on the actual participants that attend the meeting and the person who leads the discussion. There are also opportunities for service work and getting involved in running meetings (it is ran by trained volunteers).

My general feeling is that SMART might be appreciated best by people who do not want a super involved program (i.e. going to meetings daily or so, working with a sponsor) and who prefer to view recovery as a process led by ourselves, in a primarily self-reliant way. I personally like mixing and matching a bit of many different approaches.
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