Getting Better Than Well In Recovery
By Rick Kuplinski, SMART Recovery Facilitator “I need to get well.” Many of us begin our recovery from addiction with this simple declaration. Perhaps wellness sounds like a modest goal, but it is a huge motivational shift to go from “I don’t have a problem” to “I...
A Reddit Community for SMARTies
[Guest blog by Carolyn Straub] As you’ve surely noticed, social networks are powerful tools for fostering community and sharing information. Reddit stands out from other platforms as a vibrant hub where likeminded people discuss with one another in communities called...
SROL Message Board and Chat Closing; SROL Online Meetings Being Migrated to SMARTfinder Meeting List
[Note: updated FAQ’s appear below original post] The recently announced closure of the SMART Recovery OnLine platform (SROL) has caused some concern in the community, which is understandable. At the time that it was developed, SROL was a community ahead of its time,...
Attending My First SMART Recovery Meeting
I was first introduced to SMART Recovery by hearing that it was an alternative to AA or NA. Having been through 12-step programs in the past with some success, I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk away from what I already knew. What I have come to learn is that SMART Recovery can be an alternative to 12-step programs, but it also can be an addition to other programs.
Dr. William Miller: “Going Upstream: Addiction Care for the Masses”
"Going Upstream: Addiction Care for the Masses" Lecture by Dr. William Miller 5/3/23 https://youtu.be/9Lpxj3jozt4 Dr. William R. Miller is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico having served as Director of...
The Urge Jar Tool
By Stefan Neff, SMART Facilitator. My therapist shared a great tool with me called an Urge Jar which is a simple yet effective technique that can help you break bad habits or form new ones. It works by creating a physical or virtual jar to hold your urges or cravings...
SMART’s DISARM Tool–for Family and Friends
[Ed. Note: big thanks to SMART Volunteer Anne Devenport for writing this guest blog] The DISARM tool is used in SMART Recovery to deal with urges – participants in recovery meetings imagine that an unpleasant salesperson is trying to push them into their addictive...
The 2023 Richard Saitz Memorial Lecture
Dr. William Miller The 2023 Richard Saitz Memorial Lecture registration is now open! We are pleased to welcome Dr. William Miller to present, "Going Upstream: Addiction Care for the Masses." Description: Although the vast majority of people with diagnosable...
Mooring Lines in Recovery
[Ed. note: Although Mooring Lines are not an “official” SR Tool, volunteer Stefan Neff and others have found them very useful in their recovery. This post represents Stefan’s views and analysis.] I was recommended to use a process called Mooring Lines by a counsellor...
My Own SMART Home
The drunk driver crossed the line and changed Kristal Field’s life forever. She was seriously injured and her best friend was killed. She required opiates for pain relief and struggled for the next ten years, crossing her own line at some point from taking opiates for...
Effective Recovery For All
As Black History Month concludes, we invited our grant writer Kenya Welch to weigh in on the immense and far-reaching impact of substance use disorders on communities of color, especially Black communities. Here’s what she had to say. While the current overdose...
Take 5 Spotlight – Steve Kind
You can call Steve Kind by his official title of National Support Team Administrative Assistant, and he’d be happy to answer, but it would be like calling a fully loaded Maserati just a way to get around. Steve’s role at SMART is multifaceted and extends in many...
Seizing Opportunities to Shine
Markita Renee is thriving. Now four-plus years in recovery, she runs OOAK Services LLC where she is a recovery coach, motivational speaker, and facilitator. In addition to that, Markita works part-time as an employment specialist for the state of Connecticut’s...
Mentoring was the gift he didn’t know he wanted.
Aaron Adkins loves everything about being in recovery. He lists the support he gets from his SMART Recovery peers, the practical tools he uses to address negative thinking, the understanding and insight he gains from being a meeting facilitator, and, perhaps most...
![[Podcast] Growing into someone I never thought I could be](https://www.smartrecovery.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gee-Podcast-Tile-400x250.png)
[Podcast] Growing into someone I never thought I could be
Gee Matamoros' journey to recovery included some very dark passages. Now he travels a brighter road, and insists on enjoying life as much as possible. Fortunately for us, one of the things he enjoys most is spreading the word about SMART. In this podcast, Gee talks...