Addictions and Recovery
Addiction is a national problem that affects a lot of people but assistance and resources are available to guide us to treatment options. Those who relied on drugs can sometimes come to the mental realization that they are now dependent on a substance, or that their underlying behaviours are affected by their drug use. A treatment program can become an option. Accurate information about drug use is an important resource. We might recognize that our mental habit is actually abuse. Addiction can be about more than use of a drug and is something mental health professionals subscribe to as more information becomes available. A Book and other publications available today will present a picture of a national problem affecting the physical and mental health and give us the data we require as we close the door to the past if we seek treatment. In fact, many of the resources available today allow us to form new ideas about addiction as a mental health disorder and guide our treatment. It may take us a while to see what will work for us. Please consider some of the following as you form new ideas or seek data, resources and assistance for treatment of mental health and addictions;
- Missing, losing, or constantly looking for new work.
- Difficulties with changes at work.
- Financial hardships.
- We learn ideas from the press and form new concepts about ourselves.
- Criminal charges.
- Relationship issues with a partner, family member or co-workers.
- A new partner raises concerns.
- A partner who guides us to continue to abuse drinking or other unhealthy behaviors
- Our drug use or drinking has become uncomfortable at times.
- Our partner or others have suggested we need assistance or they have become uncomfortable with our behaviors.
- Previous trips to a treatment program for substance abuse or other mental health disorders.
All these can work to guide us to consider whether we have substance abuse disorder or other harmful behaviors. It is not a complete guide or list so best to form your own ideas as well. It’s important to educate oneself, check data from available resources, treatment programs and consider some books and other publications that might improve our mental health. Understand that not everything will work for us as a resource so we will likely develop our own program.
National assistance is widely available for those who suffer or suspect they suffer from addictions to drugs and other harmful behaviors. Program data is available as we look at mental health treatment, drinking/drug treatment, national assistance programs, 12 step meeting attendance or any resources. Data about any program is a resource we can use.
Critical help might involve drug or drinking treatment if our physical health has suffered considerably as detox can be dangerous. Data about mental health are covered by the press and let us form ideas about our mental health. Any Books and other publications can guide us as we look at information to help ourselves. The work to increase our self awareness might be new but it is important to go forward. Seeking assistance from a partner might be the start of beneficial work in our own recovery. There is also something to gain from other people on a similar journey so we do not want to close doors to new ideas.
Smart Recovery
The smart recovery’s treatment program is based on science and provides assistance by using a simple 4 Point Program.[1]
- Building and maintaining the motivation to change.
- Coping with urges to use.
- Managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an effective way without addictive behaviors.
- Living a balanced, positive, and healthy life.
Self-Management And Recovery Training (SMART) is a global community of support groups that provide mental health treatment program options to get an individual away from abuse of drugs, drinking or other negative mental behaviors. This is important as we subscribe to new ideas about mental health and go for assistance and treatment. Assistance with treatment of drug addiction might require a lot of data that is new and a guide is beneficial. These groups will have a facilitator who is familiar with the program, the publications, treatment program options, and data about treatment for mental health disorders and substance abuse. There are also online health treatment options. Each meeting is like an advisory council where members share their experiences with the tools available in SMART. Participants go share what resources are helping them. This program offers a variety of tools to assist members with finding the strength within themselves to deal with their substance abuse and mental health problems and may not require treatment. Participants become your partner in the treatment of the disease. Smart Recovery is an abstinence orientated, non-profit organization that provides the opportunity to gain skills needed to assist ourselves with treatment of mental health disorders. You can shop on their website for books or publications.
Meeting participants can become meeting facilitators with the tools they learn and teach others about the treatment program. The council of others is important in a group setting and you can find that in online treatment as well from the program. Assistance with acquiring all data about our treatment of mental health or substance abuse is important to consider. The success of the program helps everyone subscribe to the solutions in the treatment available. Many of the publications will help participants close the door on old harmful habits and get back to healthy ways of living, and this is part of the treatment. Online resources provide threads that offer helpful tips. Forum statistics can show a discussion is popular and this is a resource for those that are new. Treatment of our mental health issues, drug abuse or excessive drinking can be achieved with learning mental self help techniques in the many publications available.
The program also utilizes online tools as well for treatment. This data is valuable as we go through the threads and something important we could gain from might be seen in the last post we read. Assistance with the treatment program of our mental health is important so new data is beneficial. There is a lot of national data available to help with our treatment. A facilitator or other member can donate their time to help with forum actions to present mental health treatment and treatment information data. The last post you read on a thread might be the assistance you needed to end the self abuse you face or help others with their treatment program. Information and data is important to our mental health treatment. Others are also searching and the treatment of drug addiction is a national crisis so these resources are important.
There is not a lot of press coverage about SMART and sometimes inaccurate data about treatment. Assistance is important to our own treatment when we look at new data. Some will go back to treatment a number of times before they are successful in ending the abuse of drugs and drinking, or unhealthy behaviors. You can search for a local meeting and attend to discover for yourself what might work best for you. SMART can be an important resource as we close the door to the past and guide our lives into the future.
Treatment and Mental Health Forums Point to SMART
National and local treatment centers (or other mental health centers) like to provide multiple paths to mental health and using science based principles of recovery from the Smart Recovery program is a good partner for the industry. Smart Recovery not only offers support to individuals but also allows mental health organizations the opportunity to sponsor meetings by providing information. Facilitator training is available. This new opportunity to facilitate a Smart Recovery program in the organization allows staff to provide a recovery resource and edit our new way of life. Smart Recovery will try and partner with any national or local council/facility that provides treatment and recovery options. Public relation efforts will guide new allies to this treatment program.
Smart Recovery has tremendous options available to the treatment industry. Their advisory council is made up of treatment professionals familiar with mental health; Go to this list to see information about who is involved in SMART from the mental health and the treatment industry.
We Can Edit Our Ideas and Guide Ourselves to New Ways of Living
Drug and alcohol use is in many aspects of society and the abuse may or may not be clearly visible. Some of the ideas we form go all the way back to our childhood and form our mental image of the world. It might be important to search our past for an understanding of our mental health treatment today, as we go forward. As a society, we have come to realize that addiction is a disease but not everyone with a substance abuse problem has the disease. There is a lot of information available in online forums, and other publications so assistance is available. Mental health issues, past trauma, information in the press, press statistics can all lead you to seek a guide or assistance with recovery options and not everyone is prepared to identify as a drug addict. Many are searching for help with their health issues. The more information we have about our treatment program options, the better choices we can make. We do not want to close the door to new ideas and SMART does not want to close the door to anyone seeking a guide.
Search for Meetings Available
This program has a wide range of meetings available. A meeting is just one resource but an important one in our drug or mental health treatment program. A meeting list can be an important guide to treatment as we begin to search what will work for us. Some people go once, and never go back because they are just looking at resources before they decide on a treatment plan. The program may not work for everyone. Those who attend are asked to donate if they are able. Please consider the following list.
Go Regularly to Find Resources That Help
Smart Recovery meetings are a mutual support group who meet regularly to help each other and discuss how to get back to healthy ways of living. It is good to have a guide and a resource as we face abuse. A treatment program is sometimes an option but some find simply attending meetings regularly helps us understand the program. Having our partner attend can work if the meeting allows but a supportive partner is always beneficial.
Dealing with addiction isn’t always about drug abuse or drinking alcohol excessively. Many people who attend meetings are dealing with behaviours that they have identified as destructive and ask for help with other behaviors, like overeating or gambling. Smart Recovery is an open forum for discussion. Some people might subscribe to one way of thinking but meetings allow us to shop ideas around. All available data suggests that help is available and recovery is possible. We need to go and decide for ourselves.
Smart Recovery has book stores in various countries to purchase publications – click the link then Click close or back to return;
Subscribe to Tools That Help on the National Website
Registering for a free account on the national website will open the door to tools that will help with addiction and other harmful behaviours. The account is completely confidential and is a forum where you can begin to discuss your drug, drinking or other issues with abuse. Members freely share their experiences and knowledge. SMART offers suggested book readings and other tools, like online forums. Finding what will work for us can take time since many resources are new to us. It’s important to not close our minds to the assistance available and edit our preconceived notions about a treatment program.
Smart National Tools Offer Assistance and Information
The SMART 4 Point system includes tools that work;
- The Cost/Benefit Analysis
- Change Plan Worksheet
- Hierarchy of Values
- ABCs of Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy
- DISARM
- Brainstorming
- Role-playing/Rehearsing.
- SMART Recovery 3rd Edition Handbook: by Dr. William Abbott, Jim Braastad, John Frahm, Randy Lindel, Richard Phillips, Henry Steinberger, Rosemary Hardin: isbn 9780615852676
There are also online premium services like Checkup and Choices. There are a number of forms or worksheets available. All of these publications can help. Seeing drugs, drinking or some behaviors can be a trigger to old feelings so resources help us close the door to a relapse and get back on track quickly.
Questions about the Program
What does ABC stand for in smart recovery?
ABC is a worksheet that helps with dealing with triggers and urges. When a person feels the urge they can look at the sheet and it helps them navigate through the feelings;
- Activating Event – What happened?
- Beliefs – What are my beliefs about the event?
- Consequences – What do I feel about the event?
There is a publication called the ABC worksheet to help members. This resource lets us make changes to our mental health and promote recovery. Attending meetings will allow others to council us in what has been effective for them. If you prefer an online forum, then post and participate in a thread to learn new behaviors. The abuse we suffered can end if we utilize the resources available. Our relationship with our partner, at work and everyone we come into contact with can become opportunities for improvement in our mental health.
What is the recovery process?
Members attend and use the resources available in the meeting to self-empower themselves. Membership is not a lifetime commitment and other resources are available like 12-Step based recovery tools. If you go online to a forum statistics will show that many people find full recovery from drugs or alcohol abuse and other negative behaviors. Those same online forum actions are important clues to helping us find a healthy lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with an online experience, then smart recovery’s meetings can give you the same information.
What does Vaci stand for in smart recovery?
A Vital Absorbing Creative Interest, or VACI is an activity that brings us pleasure and enjoyment, free from addiction or other unhelpful behaviors. Any activity can become a problem if we allow our addictive behaviors to dominate our lives. There is a publication called a VACI worksheet. Change is an important part of our recovery. Drinking, drug use or other behaviors that we see as not healthy can be replaced by healthy ones. This is one tool we can use. If we post online, spend time with our partner, shop, donate our time and develop healthy experiences then it benefits our recovery.
[1] Smart Recovery – 4 Point Program, From www.smartrecovery.org