In one sense, we are an accumulation of our choices and experiences: the good, the bad and everything in between. Some people have many to choose from, while others make better use out of a more limited set of options. Sometimes what we need is directly in front of us, however, we just can’t see things clearly at the time.
Like an important ingredient for an intricate recipe, what we need can be sitting in front of us, hidden in plain sight, but it takes another set of eyes to see everything clearly.
After years of trying and failing, alone, to manage the self-sabotaging behaviours and beliefs of addiction, I had a better life choice pointed out that wasn’t visible from my impaired perspective.
The choice was SMART or Self-Management And Recover Training, and, for me, it has been a cornerstone to rebuild my life and make healthier choices, a chance to have some balance and clarity.
During years of struggle with addictive behaviour, I naively thought the only choice for getting help was the more traditional AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous) models. Although these methods of treating addiction have worked for many people, they just felt awkward and dusty to me. I did not want to surrender to a higher power or be made to correct my self-harming actions with guilt. I instinctively felt uncomfortable with the methods the older models of addiction treatment employed.
The SMART recovery program is based on four main points: building and maintaining motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts and behaviours and, therefore, living a balanced life.
The cleaner, more evidence-based approach to getting help directly spoke to me. I could wrap my head around a behavioural science-based therapy. With the help of my clinical therapist, it was a choice that I felt safe and comfortable making.
Another aspect of SMART therapy that I find encouraging is it continuously evolves as the science around addiction rapidly changes. There are constantly new insights around the neurological and behavioural aspects of addiction and the SMART program responds accordingly. Addiction needs to be treated with the most current technologies and knowledge available. Considering the depth of damage addiction inflicts to individuals and society as a whole, it is fundamentally wrong to do otherwise.
There is an online component to SMART, as well. Much of modern life exists in the digital space, and so should a recovery program that is in sync with everyday reality. The world is a complex network of communication and information, so it’s fitting there is a place to find solace and community in a virtual sense too.
SMART is related to other programs in that individuals gather in the same physical room, feeling safe and connected to others who struggle with similar behaviours and thoughts. Although a core teaching of SMART is self-empowerment and self-reliance, the connection to people with similar experiences and goals provides the strength to continue making the smart choices.
Robert Skender is a qathet region freelance writer and health commentator.
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