SMART Recovery is a self-help program centered on the idea that people with addiction disorders can either learn to manage their behavior or let their behavior rule them. SMART stands for self-management and recovery training. The Bluffs offers a SMART recovery program in our treatment center because we understand the value self-help groups can add to an individual’s recovery experience.
Call The Bluffs today at 850.374.5331 for more information.
What Is SMART Recovery?
SMART Recovery works differently from most self-help recovery programs. It isn’t based on working steps or surrendering to a higher power. It uses an evidence-based approach to increase self-empowerment and decrease addictive behaviors. Four basic skills are the focus of SMART. They are:
- Abstinence
- Managing feelings and urges
- Solving problems
- Accepting the self as-is while also working toward improvement
The program uses cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques to retrain behavioral patterns and create more desirable outcomes.
SMART Recovery is a global organization. Participants support one another as they work toward creating more fulfilling and balanced lives. SMART prefers to avoid using addiction-related labels for its participants.
Instead, addiction is acknowledged as a coping mechanism that can be unlearned with the help of healthier short-term and long-term coping skills.
Benefits of SMART Recovery
One of the most appealing benefits of SMART Recovery is the program’s scientific approach to recovery. Participants can learn how to cope with anxiety, poor self-esteem, anger, guilt, and other potentially triggering emotions in healthy, constructive ways. The SMART approach is science-based, so it evolves as knowledge about addiction evolves.
The Bluffs provides a SMART Recovery program in Ohio at our treatment center. The program is also available online and in many places across the country. These free meetings are open to everyone, including friends and family members of the person working toward recovery.
It is suggested that you attend at least five meetings before deciding whether SMART is right for you. It takes that much time to fully learn about how SMART works and whether it will be helpful in your recovery journey or not.
4 Reasons to Choose SMART Recovery
SMART Recovery helps participants stay sober by teaching them how to:
1. Build and Maintain the Motivation for Recovery
“Build and maintain” is the first core principle in SMART Recovery. Without the tools needed to stay motivated, any person’s recovery could be short-lived. Learning how to maintain recovery for a lifetime may be one of the best reasons to choose SMART Recovery.
2. Reduce Relapse Risk
The second principle taught in SMART helps people learn how to identify triggers and what to do about them. Avoiding triggers reduces stress and minimizes the risk of relapsing.
3. Practice Self-Management
Learning how to manage your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors is one of the most important benefits of SMART Recovery programs. Many people who struggle with addiction have spent years being managed by their feelings and thoughts instead of vice-versa.
4. Enjoy a Balanced Life
The fourth and final principle of SMART Recovery is about clarifying your own set of values. Part of recovering from the cycle of addiction is reclaiming who you are and what your personal goals are. SMART helps members accomplish this so that their physical, mental, and emotional health are better balanced.
Vertava Health Offers a SMART Recovery Program in Ohio
If you’re looking for a science-based self-help group to enhance your addiction treatment program, SMART may be a good match for you. Attending SMART meetings while you are a patient at The Bluffs could enrich your treatment and help prevent relapse after treatment is over.
For more information about the benefits of SMART Recovery programs and how The Bluffs can help you restore balance to your life, call us at 850.374.5331.
