Pathwaytofree

I'm thinking about going to a SMART recovery meeting. I'd like to hear from others what the meetings are like. Thanks.

JeffreyAK

I'm not the best resource, since I mostly went to Lifering meetings, but I did go to some SMART meetings at one location. They didn't strike me as very different from a typical Lifering meeting (with both being quite different from a typical AA meeting) - we all sat in a circle, the facilitator got us going, and we went around from person to person in the circle and talked about how things were going. Most of the people were in pretty early recovery, so there wasn't the pool of old-timers you often find at AA and Lifering meetings, and the facilitator took a fairly active directing role, more like a counselor at a medical treatment group. There were many references to REBT and how people use aspects of it to help themselves, but the discussion didn't revolve around REBT and was wide-ranging with active "cross talk".

So, that was the local meeting around here. I imagine they are not all the same.

Pathwaytofree

Thanks, JeffreyAK. I'm not familiar with Lifering.

I noticed some SMART meetings are listed as "discussion" and some are listed as "standard" but it doesn't give a description of what each are. Do you happen to know?

So is this like group therapy, or do people talk about tools and solutions?

What is REBT?

How did the facilitator take an active role? Was he in the psychology field?

PhoenixJ

go for it- they are good. just like aa meetings are- it depends on how much you want to learn.

fini

you can google for more info.
It is my understanding that the facilitators get some training and that there is a sort of program which consists of tools along the behaviour modification concept.
but that's only what i've heard from others.
in any case, why not go a couple of times and check it out?

Obladi

There is a SMARTRecovery forum - it's a .org address.
You can read up about the tools and also attend online meetings. Not the same as the in-person meetings of course (way more cross talk), but it will give you a sense of the thing.

Aellyce

SMART is by far my favorite kind of in-person peer recovery support group. The meetings where I am can vary, mostly depending on the size of group, but pretty much like JeffreyAK described. The program was quite useful for me after a relapse, for relapse prevention and can also be applied to many areas of life that require self-awareness and planned, conscious management of behaviors and situations. What I like the most about the meetings is that they have some formal structure and etiquette but are interactive during the formal meeting - I personally got far more out of them than AA meetings, for that reason. The program itself does not involve supervision outside of meetings, which is probably best for people who have a certain level of self-confidence and like to manage recovery in their own ways, with some peer support and exchange. The smaller groups are indeed a bit like group therapy except the element that therapy usually involves a certain focus and discussion on how people behave and interact relative to others, to observe and understand emotional and behavioral patterns, while a SMART meeting does not, at least as far as the program goes. It is focused on improving our independent lives.

Pathwaytofree

Thanks, everyone.

Thanks Alleyce, for this very detailed explanation. This sounds fantastic and along the lines of what I'm looking for now.

I will go to one next week and let you know how it goes.

greens

The meetings I've been to start with a weekly check in. Everyone is allowed to share or pass about the past week and what they've ben struggling with/whatever tools are helping them. Generally a topic is chosen from this and we work together as a group on something out of the workbook using SMART tools. Then we go around the group again and close the meeting with something like a goal that we have set for that week.

shockozulu

I'm a facilitator after using SMART to get sober myself. There was quite a bit of training including watching and learning the main tools and watching example groups. It is over a month and quite extensive. Not all facilitators are in recovery, some are listened therapists, others work in recovery facilities and want alternate programs as well as twelve steps for those in early sobriety.

SMART believes there are several stages to recovery and there are tools for each stage. This begins with those who wonder if they have an issue with a substance or behavior, the final stage is when a person is ready to step out of the program.

Meetings begin with a brief check-in. This is one way for me to gauge which tool will help the majority of the group. After check-in I will briefly describe a tool (cost-benefit analysis for example) and then ask for volunteers who would like to try it. As a group we all give positive help to the volunteer using a white board or flip chart. This is where constructive cross talk is so important to the meeting. If we have time we will work with another member with the same tool. We then follow with a brief check-out. The meeting then ends with passing of the hat and passing the brochure (to share the smart program with doctors, therapists and others who may not know of alternatives to other programs).

REBT is Remotive Emotional Behavioral Therapy. It is related to CBT and SMART was founded by the famed psychologist Albert Ellis.