r/SMARTRecovery

Hi all

I am waiting for NHS treatment and wanted to be proactive in starting my recovery from bulimia in any way I can whilst I’m waiting for treatment.

I wanted to know whether anyone has had any luck using smart meetings for disordered eating instead of substance use challenges?

Hey all
I’m new to SR and haven’t got the handbook yet.

Been looking at the different tools online and I’ve noticed they differ between the US and UK sites - (I’m in the UK). Some of the acronyms seem different. For example DENTS in the US and DEADS in the UK. And there’s generally a lot more tools on the US site.

If anyone can shed any light, I’d be really grateful

Thx 🙏

3 months sober and this seems pointless what did you guys do

Im so lonely in my addiction is anyone willing to support me with friendship and WhatsApp communication

There is someone in my life who is trying to get sober but needs more help. I want to share the idea of SmartRecovery (because the only group/program he knows about is AA and doesn’t want to do that) but I worry about coming on too strong with it. I was thinking about ordering the literature from their site and leaving it out, but even that may be a little too forward and turn him off to it specifically because I suggested it. I know for a lot of things, people are more drawn to them if they’ve discovered it themselves vs having someone tell them to do it.

Is anyone else having issues with the meeting locator not working online or in the app?

I'm having doubts about the SMART program as a deep self work recovery tool and not just a way to get someone to stop using.

My LO has about 4 weeks sober. Has been attending SMART meetings. She is blaming me for her feelings of anger and sadness. She is extremely resentful of my boundaries and experiences them as rejection. I've had family members go through AA and early in the process they are self reflecting (taking a moral inventory) and exploring and admitting the nature of their wrongs.

My spouse has gone to maybe a dozen SMART meetings now and completely avoiding her role or ownership in the way addiction is affecting our family. Does SMART actually have the addict look at themselves and get over the delusion that everything is someone else's fault?!

Background on the boundary that was unacceptable to my LO.

I had to ask my LO to leave the house. She couldn't stop drinking and would not access resources to get sober, make a plan, or commit to a goal. And we have a school aged child. I waited over a year. After attempts to get sober and then drinking again, I finally asked for the boundary of my spouse living elsewhere while she got a plan together. My hope was she would get some solid sobriety under her belt and then come home. She came home after a week - this was my/our couples therapist's fault that we weren't clear on duration. She did come home with a solid plan and has about 4 weeks of sobriety now. But she's punishing me for implementing that boundary. Says it was betrayal, I kicked her while he was down, I abandoned her. Has said I'm weak for needing space from the stress- said she would handle it differently (aka better) in my shoes.

Will the SMART program get her to understand that my (respectfully and calmly implemented) boundaries are a good thing for our family and that I can't be the one to get her sober?

Hi guys, I’ve been clean for 5 years with a 12 steps after a long very relapsy battle and rehabs hospitals jails etc it was v messy.

Anyway over the last 6 months I started taking diazipam, for sleep and sometimes anxiety (self prescribed)

I was out with friends last night and I went back to a girls place and she was pouring whisky and cokes, so I shared one glass with her. I didn’t feel drunk or like I wanted to keep drinking so we went to bed, and today I’ve been very productive a little bit of brain fog from no sleep.

Anyway I wanted to ask about smart meetings in Sydney or online ones as I really can’t afford to fall back into old patterns. In the meantime I will go to 12 step fellowship although I just don’t want tons of attention around this like I have fucked everything up and reset my days and get a day 1 chip etc. I don’t care about loosing my clean time I just don’t want a massive reaction to make me feel like what I did was huge, cos it don’t feel huge. I live above a off-licence and I don’t have any ideas to grab a drink stall.

Any tips would be really helpfull

Is there a SMART Recovery guideline that affects how facilitators handle initial check-ins?

I’m asking because I’ve noticed a recurring issue in most online meetings. I fully support people having space to get things off their chest, and I understand that many people come to meetings needing to talk. At the same time, it's common for one or two people to take over the check-in portion with very long shares; sometimes 10–12 minutes or more. Then cross-talk starts, the meeting gets pulled off track, and there often isn’t enough time for everyone else to check in.

When that happens, we also rarely get to a dedicated topic or recovery tool, which is one of the main reasons I value SMART meetings.

I don’t want anyone to feel shut down, and I know people are often sharing because they’re struggling. But I also think some structure is needed so the meeting doesn’t become dominated by one or two people. It seems like there should be a tactful way for facilitators to gently redirect or time-limit check-ins while still respecting the person sharing.

I really appreciate SMART, but this pattern is exhausting. I’m curious whether others have noticed this, and whether facilitators are following a specific rule or guideline that makes it difficult to step in.

I think we need to start using a count down during check in’s. 3 min maybe. People need to remember this isn’t your personal therapy session. Check in say what’s on your mind but this droning on makes me not want to come back. Holy fuck shut up and wrap it up. Anyone else or am I out of line.

Hi,

I am looking for support with compulsive/emotional eating and unhealthy amounts of Internet use. I looked at the unofficial meeting link(so helpful!) but didn't see anything focused on more behavioral focused issues like these. Would SMART be appropriate?

Also--are there meetings that are tools focused?

Thanks!

The urges you feel aren't you.

They are merely a feeling or an impulse you experience, something separate from who you are.

Personifying your urge, or giving it a name, may help you deal with it by reminding you of this fact -- that the urge is something outside of yourself.

Have you named your urge? If you feel comfortable, leave a comment below to introduce it to the community.

If you haven't named your urge yet, give it a shot! For example, you might find it useful to give it a name that describes what it feels like when the urge comes on (ie. "The Brat," "The Salesman," "The Whiner," "The Enemy").

This tool and others like it can be found on the SMART Recovery website and in the handbook.

Hello - Has anyone had success talking your city, county, or state agencies into paying for your facilitator training course? If so, will you kindly provide a quick summary of the steps you took and any tips you feel may be helpful?

Several months ago, I moved to an area without any SMART Recovery meetings within 40 miles. After months of just being bummed that I was stuck with online meetings only, it finally dawned on me that I can probably start one myself (duh, lol). I'll pay the training course fee if I need to, but I figure there may be some kind of grant money available for something like this that will ultimately benefit the community.

I just came up with this idea tonight, so I haven't yet tried to make any phone calls. I apologize if my post is premature. Regardless, I'll be happy to share what I learn after going through the process myself in case it helps others. - Thanks! 😊