First SMART Meeting
 

I was so freaked out but went to my first SMART meeting tonight. It was pretty good I must say. We sat in a circle and had a good open discussion and the group touched on some of the things/methods/techniques that they had been using. It wasnt all drinking related although the majority of the group were seeking help for alcohol. The groups I have attended of AA, people sat facing the group speaker like theatre fashion so no one can see eachother. That configuration doesnt make sense to me so the SMART group was pretty good in that respect. I was also the only lady there which was kinda uncomfortable at first but it got better as the group progressed in discussion. I think I will go back, but man is this hard. You know people on SR say you have to do the work? Well now I understand a little about what this work is all about. Recovery seems like a full time job.

Awesome I am glad you like it. I went to a couple at their headquarters in Mentor Oh.

I dont know how much AA you went to , but lead (speaker) meeting are theater like. But most discussions, bb study, step meeting, ect.. are in a round fashion. At least here in cleveland.

I do laugh knowing AA started just south of Mentor and Cleveland , and SMART is here also. I guess this area was in despret need of recovery. And I am so glad I am here.

Keep going since you liked. The tough thing for me is I love meetings, and attend AA almost daily. And the SMART meetings where just to far inbetween.

Good love to you, and keep it up. :)

Congrats! I'd like to try a SMART meeting but I don't know where any are! I'm glad you went and had a good time. Best wishes in your sobriety. It DOES feel like a full-time job and sometimes that's one of the hardest parts for me. I'm trying to keep things simple and not get so caught up in trying to "cure" every little issue I think I have with myself, all at once, but rather just ease up a little on myself and on life. Easier said than done though, I know!

Thank you for that reply. No, I havent been to many AA meetings so that gives me hope that I can attend some that are more discussion oriented. I would like to attend as many meetings as I can, but childcare is an issue. Had to pay for 3 hours of sitter to attend one hour of meeting. Wish I could just go whenever I please but I am greatful I got to go tonight. Its nice your area has so many options. blessings

Pigtails. not sure if there is a SMART meeting in your area, but you can check this site to see: Self Help Substance Abuse &amp Addiction Recovery | SMART Recovery®

The group I attended was almost a half hour away but its worth it to me!
Yes indeed, things have a way of working themselves out, we can't try to control eveything-but drinking yes I must control that.

Try giving your AA cental office a call and just ask if they know of any kid friendly meetings in your area. I know many men and women that have and do bring there kids to meetings. :)

I'm so glad you decided to go to the SMART meeting and hope you will share your experience with it. I'm AA recovered but would love to hear more about SMART.

Take heart - recovery is not ALL bad at the beginning - just different, like breaking in a new pair of sobriety shoes.

Once broken in, you'll never want to toss em away....

Cool, they have them in San Francisco during the evenings and I keep thinking I will go to one but my schedule needs to change a bit first so I can get there on time.

I love SMART and am glad you enjoyed your first meeting.

For those who are interested in more information about SMART, it's a free program which:

• Teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance.
• Provides meetings that are educational, supportive and include open discussions.
• Encourages individuals to recover from addiction and alcohol abuse and live satisfying lives.
• Teaches techniques for self-directed change.
• Advocates the appropriate use of prescribed medications and psychological treatments.
• Works on substance abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction and drug abuse as complex maladaptive behaviors with possible physiological factors.
• Evolves as scientific knowledge in addiction recovery evolves.

Check out the SMART website for further info: Self Help Substance Abuse &amp Addiction Recovery | SMART Recovery®

I'm really glad that you made it to the SMART meeting and found it helpful.

I've been scanning their site. I might be going to a non-12 step-based program here in the next week or two and I think they are based on "health realization" instead of wrongs of the past.

OP can you elaborate further as to what was discussed in your group and so forth? I would appreciate it since I am not sure where I am going right now. I know I need to be locked up for a 12 month program at this point my life has deteriorated but the last time I did treatment (both inpatient followed by outpatient) I hated it.

I hate to speak in public, period. I would rather die, grab the biggest case of booze and crawl under a rock somewhere and booze myself to death, to be entirely honest.

I've exhausted just about everything at this point - friends, family, resources - bank accounts - and I'm going to die in the next year or so if I don't find a miracle soon.

If you could just touch on a little bit more how and why this program was positive or other things I would be grateful.

Regards

Hi Am,
Sorry to hear you are in such a bad state, I really hope you keep hanging on because it does get better. I just liked the meeting because it was a nice open discussion and people kind of we're free to talk about what was on their minds and their struggles of the week. A couple of participants had different addictions rather than alcohol and it help me look at addiction in a different light. The group was help by a facilitator who I believe was a drug and alcohol counselor and had his own past w addictions (as a lot of them do). He explained to me that there is another group that meets too that focuses on SMART tools and programs so this time was not a lot of book work but just open discussion. I felt like this group may have been more like free counseling or focused and guided facilitation. The focus was on abstinence and the consequences of not being sober and undoing all our work. It focused on triggers or environments that may set us up for relapse. Please know that I'm not an expert at these meetings, have really gone to few of them, I just felt that the vibe was different. I plan on going to AA too I just want to see what fits for me and I want to be able to have alternatives and a choice. This is all work and it's difficult and humbling at times so I want to see what suits me best.

I too really like SMART - only been to one meeting (and def need to keep going to more) but I liked the format and alot of what was said. But like AA, RR etc. to me, its all about putting the tools in practice that you learn- and that, again to me, is the hard part. Much easier to go to the default habit of drinking

I looked into SMART when I first got sober, but they only have ONE meeting, once per week, on the other side of town from where I work and live. The time also doesn't work well, so I've never made a meeting! I think this is why a lot of people end up with AA, it's much more accessible. I have meeting locations across the street from where I work, down the street from my house, and everything in between. Meetings on the hour, every hour, until early morning (5AM) to late (midnight).

Pigtails - SMART might be what you need, I know they have online meetings too.

Also, NewHouse, those meetings you are talking about are speaker meetings. I've actually never been to one! All of my meetings are circle format, some are crowded, others not. All of them are speak if you want to, otherwise, that's ok to not speak too.

The tools of sobriety are definitely awkward at first, it's like learning a whole new way to live - compared to my last 20 years of living.

But I disagree, drinking was hard for me. Trying not to spend too much time at the bar (so my husband didn't get mad at me), trying not to drink too much at the bar (so I could drive home), making sure my little bottles of vodka were hidden well in my purse (in case I got pulled over), making sure I had enough booze at home, making sure I didn't look too drunk to my husband and others, making sure there'd be a bar at whatever place we were going to, trying not to look like I'm drinking too much when out to dinner, trying not to look/smell hungover at work, trying to get through the day hungover, trying to get to work on time (because I was hungover), trying not to puke (after I drank too much), trying to get dinner together on time and presentable.

So I have that long list - or I can just not drink.

Thanks.

I have an idea a bit more now. AA meetings I've been to (some court ordered, others on my own, a couple times) we just picked a "step" each time and went around with what we had that time for that particular step. As far as the speaker-type meeting, we did have a few of those the times I was in treatment, and they are alright as well as of course we can learn from others.

About lack of meetings for various programs...well, there will only ever be MORE meetings if people who want recovery attend the meetings and seed new ones. There is no magical someone out there who creates them out of thin air, it takes the determination and dedication of people who want recovery.

If you want one near you, attend another for awhile and find out what it takes to start a new meeting. Often a few people from another group will travel to the new one for awhile at least to help it get up and running.

THIS is how groups start, spread and thrive. Commitment.

Yes, I agree. However, it's not my goal in life to start a sobriety group and be the team leader for SMART. I find that AA suits me just fine. I know others disagree with me on this, but at this point in my sobriety, I personally am beginning to believe that many use the steps and culture of AA as an excuse to not work hard at living a new life. Just my 2 cents. Now let the bashing begin.

I dont bash I :grouphug:

Inda ***hugs***