Crystallization Of Discontent
Motivation For Self-Change Pete Soderman, SMART Recovery Facilitator Three-quarters of us who have abused or were dependent upon a substance or activity have either self-remitted or moderated to non-abusive levels, either completely on our own, or with minimal help....
Benefits of Exercise in Addiction Recovery
You Don’t Have to Become a Fitness Fanatic to See the Benefits ~Green-In-MI, SMART Recovery Online Member SMARTies who participate in SMART Recovery Online (SROL) will sooner or later hear me sing the praises of exercise as an integral part of recovery. For me,...
MtnMan’s Story
MtnMan writes: Last year was a pretty tough one indeed. The first six months of the year I treated myself to a $1000/wk crack habit, the later half, about a case of beer a day while using plenty of women for my own pleasure not thinking about their feelings. On...
Family & Friends CAN Help a Heavy Drinker
8 Tips to Support a Friend or Loved One with an Alcohol Problem A guest blog provided by Dr. Reid Hester, Ph.D. of CheckUp & Choices If you’re concerned about someone’s drinking or drug use, this post is for you. “Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is...
History
History of SMART Recovery Founded in 1994, SMART has grown steadily since its inception, and now offers more than 2,000 local meetings, and is available in many countries around the world. See our video (below) for how SMART Recovery fits into the history of the...
Boundaries – A Powerful Tool for Family Members & Friends of Someone With Addiction
A blog provided by Kathy Lang, SMART Recovery Family & Friends Facilitator All healthy relationships are based on respecting other’s rights. When we respect each other’s rights, we are recognizing our boundaries. Boundaries are guidelines that define what we feel...
A Rock ‘N’ Roll Recovery Story – Part 1 of 2
The future was bright for young Caitlin Darfler. An only child born in Metro Detroit, she was loved beyond measure by her parents. She told her mom at age four that she wanted to be a rock star, and throughout Caitlin’s life, she and her parents did everything in...
Tips for Celebrating the Holidays with Recovering Family Members and Friends
Celebrate the Holidays Safely, Comfortably, Joyously Peter Gaumond, Chief, ONDCP Recovery Branch This time each year can be stressful for anyone, but the holidays present a special challenge for people recovering from an addiction. Those in long-term recovery...
Leading a Balanced Life
Lifestyle Balance is critical to recovery – but how do we balance our lives? The fourth point of the SMART Recovery® 4-Point Program is to “balance momentary and enduring satisfactions.” Of the four points, it is probably the one that gets discussed the least. This...
Heroin & Opiate Addiction Help & Resources | SMART Recovery
Heroin and Opiate Addiction Are you abusing heroin or other opiates? If so, you’re not alone. In 2009, 605,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health...
DISARM the Addiction Salesman
Destructive Imagery and Self-talk Awareness and Refusal Method Defeat the Addiction Salesman in Your Head DISARM is a tool that helps us see the self-talk and images that tell us to use as lies, excuses, and rationalizations. It challenges those urge-producing...
Binge Drinking vs. Heavy Drinking: What are the differences? Should I be concerned with either?
A guest blog provided by Dr. Reid Hester, CheckUp & Choices Excessive drinking is a concern for many, but there is confusion about the terms binge drinking and heavy drinking. Differences between the two have different implications for both self-change and...
Moving Away from the Terms “Alcoholic” and “Alcoholism”
Although the terms alcoholic and alcoholism are often used in discussions about heavy drinking, the science community has been moving away from these terms for years now. There are two primary reasons to use more nuanced terms: Alcohol problems are not a “yes” or “no”...
What does it mean to lead a balanced life?
Lifestyle balance is critical in preventing relapses. Individuals whose lives are full of unenjoyable activities are likely to relapse back to addiction (which may provide intense, although temporary, satisfaction). We may not enjoy our daily activities if we are too...
