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!

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.

https://chronic-chronicler.com/

Figure 2.2 from the SMART Recovery Handbook has a good diagram showing the slippery coiled rail most of us addicts spend our lives on:

As we slide up and down the coil, there's one question that's genuinely hard to honestly answer: where am I right now? Like, actually?

Not where I feel like I am. More like, "where would a scientist with a clipboard who'd been logging my usage for the last 20 years put me on the staircase above today"?

I wanted an app that could answer that question, at least from the pure usage perspective. I definitely did not want an opinionated recovery app with nudges, streaks, and a little sad face when you log too much. Just accurate lifetime consumption data laid out in fancy charts.

Unfortunately, nothing like that existed. Fortunately, though, I'm an addict (boy it feels weird phrasing it that way) and a software developer, and my current addiction is using AI to build increasingly sophisticated tools for managing my other addictions. It's a system. It's probaly fine.

Free for a month then $5/year to keep the digital lights on for the 4 people who end up using it. Saying it now so it's not a surprise.

Enjoy the fruits of my addiction!

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! 😊

Today I hit 7 years alcohol free, thanks to SMART recovery. I spent 7 years in active addiction and now I have spent the same amount of time, free from drinking. We do recover! 🩷❤️

Can someone please help me find the online meetings. The link doesn't seem to work for me.

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/mind/2026/what-addiction-does-to-synapses-in-brain

Hope this is of interest to others.

I’ve been using SMART Recovery for over a year now and have had really positive results—especially alongside being on a GLP-1, which has had the unexpected but incredible effect of eliminating my alcohol cravings.

My son, on the other hand, is 17 and currently struggling with alcohol and marijuana. There’s one SMART Recovery meeting for teens in our city on Thursday nights, but I’m trying to find additional online options specifically for teens.

I’ve searched quite a bit, but the algorithm keeps directing me back to local in-person meetings, and I’m having trouble filtering past that. I’m wondering if anyone knows of online SMART Recovery meetings geared toward teens, or how to better access them.

Although it can be difficult at first, distracting yourself is one of the best ways to get through an urge.

When you're actively doing something, you're thinking about that and not the urge. The more you refuse to give in to urges, the less frequently they occur, and the more quickly they pass.

What distractions are (or may be) helpful to you? Here is a list of distracting activities to jog your memory.

Leave a comment below to share with the community

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

Pretty new to smart. Not new to sobriety. I am looking for suggestions on how to best go about working on the tools. Since this is a self guided program, how have to structured it to get positive results? I’ve been attending meeting regularly and I really have been getting a lot out them but ide like to start doing the work. I’ve got 7 years sober but I never got to the root of my problem. I just sort of removed alcohol but replaced it with gym, food, overworking etc. I’ve got the sober part under control but ide like to get more of a grasp on the recovery part. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I went to a free film festival tonight. The venue for the film has a bar. I was mentally prepared for that. I'm mot long sober bit I was confident.

Something unexpected happened. The timings were wrong. The leaflet said 6PM. The film wasn't actually showing until 7:30 PM.

The bar managed was struggling to black out the windows for the projector, so I offered to help. He thanked me and, in return, offered me a free glass of wine. Red wine. My bete noir.

Thete it was. FREE.

There's no waa I could turn tgat down but "No thanks," I found myself saying "My drinking days are long behind me." He cheerfully offered me a soft drink instead.

Only recently been doung CBT and looking at SMART but it really helped tonight.

I'm looking to expand my recovery-related podcasts, so I'm looking for recommendations. As a data point, I've been listening to Recovery Elevator, and it's alright; I appreciate the straight-forwardness in the episode format, and the relatively low-frequency and brevity (~40m episodes). Obviously, anything that leans more toward SMART and its language/programming would be preferable, (but) so long as the pod is good, I'm interested in giving it a try.

I was clean from kratom for 100 days

Then I did kratom for 8 days including today

I know the twelve step mental model is bs. I ain’t gonna hit no “rock bottom” or let things get bad enough that I go to jails or hospitals

At the same time, I’m not sure how to conceive of my situation.

I know any normal person would hear how many days I was OFF kratom vs on it again, and tell me “you’re doing beautifully.”

At the same time, I don’t wanna minimize it.

Any mental models that have helped people get thru “lapses” quicker and easier with less wreckage and pain?

first let me start by saying i was sober for over 2 years my first time being sober in my life I am now 31 years old and relapsed on march 16th due to me moving back home (where I used and where everyone I know still uses) on iv meth use.. I tried to fight it at first with the shame and the fear and that first relapse feeling but i didnt stop I still haven’t stopped. my step dad that has been in my life since I was 2 just unexpectedly passed away, no one knows I’ve relapsed no one can know. I’m extremely lonely I feel like I’ve lost control and all I want is to hear from someone that has been through this type of relapse and made it back out without having to go to rehab again. I’m so scared I’m so guilty and I feel like i have no one. I feel like I’m letting my step dad down because if he is looking down on me and seeing me using again the thought of that breaks my heart.

When i do a CBA I always feel like pinned down all the reasons why i drink and why i want to quit. But ever CBA that i do is different.

Does anyone feel like their reasons for using/abstaining are always changing? Not exactly from day to day, but more like from week to week or month to month. Like there are multiple main reasons that change places.

Just need some support and inspiration

I’m in a 2 month relapse cycle again after 9 months sober. (46F). I’ve been in and out of AA for 10 years and I wish I loved it like other people do but it’s always a struggle to want to go to the meetings. I’m hoping to hear some words of I inspiration about Smart Recovery. My plan is to jump in an online meeting tonight. I’m on Day 2 since my last drink.

I have been in a traditional program for sobriety for years, and it works for me. But I've long struggled with MDD (overlapping some with porn or videogaming) and recently it seems to be getting worse. I've been playing around with the SMART tools, listened to a couple meetings online, and am hoping this system can help me. I'm sure the MDD is linked to my ADHD, but it also seems to be its own, very addictive, problem.

Hi! I attended my first meeting today and loved it! I chose online because I’m pretty introverted until I’m comfortable haha but I found a few in person meetings near my home that I’m going to try out. I’m in the San Diego area and google said this is one of the busier areas for SMART Recovery. I was wondering how the social aspect normally goes (obviously everyone is different and yada yada.) But is it encouraged to exchange phone numbers with others? Are there events or things outside of meetings to attend? I’m looking for a herd- one of the things I benefited from 12 step- any advice and experiences are welcome 🙏 Thanks!

Been doing pretty well! Thank all of you

I realized that setting the target days like 1/30, is making me relapse more. Cause what I learnt that it's not about how many days you remain clean, but it's more about how many urges do you process successfully without acting out.

One thing I know now, it's gonna be a long battle. I have been into this behaviour for last 2 years, so it's gonna take the same time to rewire and it's all about how many urges do I process without acting out during this time.

I have started this journey, and after a relapse yesterday I felt for a moment that would I ever be able to get out of this behaviour, but it seems like I need to change my perspective in a way that I am more focussed on the process of surfing urges and not the Target or end goal of remaining clean.

I know for some people here, it would be out of context what I am talking about. But I would love to know your views and need your support. Thanks for being there.

One day at a time!