SMART Recovery

[yawnsvillex]

Does anyone have any experience with SMART recovery?

AA is not for me, there are various reasons but I think SMART maybe better for me.

Would welcome anyone's experience if you're able to share.

Hi, my husband follows the SMART programme, he is over a year sober. He wasn't keen on AA either, even though I am part of AA myself. It seems to have good success rates. It's quite well established and seems to be growing, so definitely a valid alternative

I've been doing SMART for about 6 months now after realising AA wasn't for me and I've found it so so helpful - the techniques they use are all very practical and I find myself using them on a daily basis, I'm not 5 months and 2 days sober

@vangoghing can you point me in the right direction for getting started with one?

Do I just go on their website?

I've just started doing the SMART recovery groups, after about 5ish years of 12 step. I'm still doing 12 step (I'm an absolute fan!) but I am finding the SMART approach very interesting and helpful in a different way ie practical. It's crucially different to 12 step eg SMART doesn't subscribe to the 'disease' model of addiction (it doesn't even like the words addiction or addict) but focuses on problematic behaviour around mood-numbing substances and practises and provides understanding/research/strategies/peer support. The facilitators at the group I attend (zoom) say the groups are more like training sessions. The sessions are 1.5hrs long.

I'm finding it really valuable - not least the lovely warm support from other attendees. I heard about SMART Recovery through a great psychologist called Nick Wignall - he's worth looking up too.

To find meetings I logged onto the site. Most are still zoom but some are beginning to meet f2f.