Recovery is Not a Four Letter Word
In American society there tends to be a great deal of stigma associated with being ‘in recovery’. After their founding in 1935, Alcohol Anonymous (AA) has been the leading recovery organization in the US and Canada due in-part, to their view of addiction as disease, instead of a moral failure. Unfortunately, AA is pretty exclusive when it comes to the structure of healing they provide. AA relies heavily on accountability (sponsorship), religion (a higher power), and the belief that substance abuse is a disease one will always struggle with. The same rings true for other AA groups such as Narcotics Anonymous, and the process addictions groups including Gamblers, over-eaters, sex addiction and several support groups for families and friends of those who struggle with substance abuse.
The work they do is great for those who fit-in with their program beliefs and structure. But what about people who believe addiction is a habit, not a chronic illness? People who do not believe in higher powers? How about people who do have abstinence as a goal, but want to learn moderation and harm reduction? It is these people who tend to struggle in traditional AA groups. Personally, I have had periods in my life, in those early adulthood years, where drinking was a newfound freedom — a choice I made because I wanted to. Unfortunately, I got into some trouble and was made to attend AA. Having to call myself an alcoholic, or else I would be called ‘in denial,’ made me feel unseen and resentful. In my experience, as a counselor since then I have realized this sentiment was shared by many others. Many people do not want to rely on a sponsor checking up-on or in-with them. We want to be in control of our own life and learn to make better choices. For me, my difficulties with alcohol were not a lifelong disease, they were a signal that I needed to learn how to be responsible in a world of freedoms.
The thing I needed to learn was how to “think healthy.” So many times, substance misuse is really a symptom of something deeper. While you can address the symptom (too much drinking) through traditional 12-step groups, the root of the issue often goes overlooked. These overlooked roots, and our thoughts about them, tend to be the driving force to overindulge.
SMART Recovery is a mode of recovery that teaches us how to recognize irrational thoughts, what to do if you have an urge, and how to build and maintain motivation to change our behaviors. There is no inherent stigma or diagnosis in SMART Recovery, no scarlet letter to be worn around forever. While there is a community, there is no powerless disease talk or telling of war stories. Instead, there is conversation about what triggers lead to maladaptive behaviors (drinking, substance use, overeating, gambling, etc.) and how to process those triggers in a healthy way. Participants do not learn to rely on a group or a special person to keep them strong, instead participants learn to rely on the self by using healthy coping skills.
SMART Recovery is based on a mixture of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, all empirically validated treatments. While in SMART Recovery, facilitators and group members work together to identify the unhealthy thoughts that result in overindulgence in habits and learn healthier ways to process those thoughts and emotions. There is a heavy reliance on healthy coping skills and rational thinking which addresses the issues people often try to escape in unhealthy ways. SMART Recovery empowers people to oversee their own life; this can look like abstinence from maladaptive behavior all together or learning how to use moderation without overindulgence. There are no labels, no steps. Rather, there are 4 parts that can be worked on whenever needed. SMART Recovery teaches tools to help participants succeed towards their goals. As participants learn the tools and learn to replace irrational thinking with rational thinking, they become stronger in multiple aspects of life. Often, while hearing someone else’s struggle participants notice and learn to apply tools to their own situations.
The community within SMART Recovery is all inclusive. There is no requirement to find a higher power, to work structured steps, or to publicly display a chip that marks your perfection on the journey (a relapse is a relapse, but it does not undo the work and learning that has already been put in). There is not a culture of shame or failure when a peer struggles to meet their individual goals. Struggles are lessons we can all learn from.
I have found SMART Recovery to be one of the best recovery models out there for the simple fact that participants are learning how to take control of their own lives, make better choices, and nurture the garden of their own thinking mind. It is through addressing these thoughts and learning healthier ways of thinking that naturally addresses the urges to return to numbing, maladaptive behaviors. While this program is designed for treating substance use, it is useful for anyone wanting to learn to take power over their own life and to get closer to living the way they have always wanted to. Many of us have addictions that go unaddressed because they are more accepted by society. I’m looking at all the caffeine, sugar and nicotine addicts right now. SMART Recovery is effective at addressing all of these, which makes it an excellent choice for anyone who wants to live a healthier, happier life!
If SMART Recovery sounds like something you or someone you know would benefit from, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You will be amazed at how transforming and empowering this mode of recovery can be! We can work one-on-one or in a small group, at a pace you are comfortable with and honor the goals you set for yourself.
There is no lifetime commitment expected with SMART Recovery; you use it until you feel ready to take on the world solo, and then live the life you have dreamed of by using the tools to maintain a healthy mind and lifestyle balance.
