SMART Recovery Tool Box

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SMART Recovery has a boatload of tools to choose from in the toolbox section of their website. The beauty of SMART is that we create our own recovery plan that works for us. I have found acquainting myself with different tools and trying them out has helped me find the tools that work for me on a day-to-day basis.

Lately my go-to tools are keeping my HOV at the forefront of my mind, utilizing the exchange vocabulary tool, adding more VACI’s and always working ABC’s on emotional upsets.

Here’s a great example of an ABC:

Empower yourself by getting to know some of the tools and find what works for you!  A new life can be yours.

Check out the SMART Recovery Toolbox here:
https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/

10 Things That Don’t Happen at SMART Meetings

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Here is a list of what not to expect at a SMART Recovery meeting:

1.) We do not use labels. We do not require that you admit to being an “alcoholic” or “addict”. We actually discourage the use of labels because they only further add to the stigmatization of addiction.

2.) We will not lay out a recovery plan for you. We will share with you many tools from the SMART Recovery toolbox and you will have the power to choose which ones work best for you.

3.) Arguments about whether addictions are diseases, disorders or behavioral maladaptations. SMART Recovery is science-based. There are arguments for either side. We will not debate this within our meetings.

4.) We do not believe that we “start over” in the event of a lapse or relapse. We’ve come too far to completely start over. Lapses and relapses are an opportunity to learn and keep moving forward.

5.) We do not commemorate recovery time with any type of token.

6.) We do not have any type of buddy system. We do build a sense of community within our meetings, though, and a toolbox filled with recovery tools to choose from.

7.) We will not have 100 member meetings. As meetings grow, we will have breakout meetings.

8.) We will not pray as a group. SMART Recovery is secular. Many of our members are religious and/or spiritual, but this is not included in our program.

9.) We do not require that you become a lifetime member. SMART encourages us to use the tools and to hopefully move on to our newly created life without having to attend meetings. How long we stay in SMART Recovery is our own personal decision.

10.) We are all-inclusive; therefore, you will not find just one type of addiction represented within our meetings.

I Quit Wishing for a Better Past – Creating a New Life

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Hula Hoop Analogy

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We can hula hoop within our own hula hoop and the proper space. We cannot hula hoop if we are trying to hula hoop within someone else’s hula hoop and ours. Both hoops are going to fall and chaos can ensue for you and possibly them. Regardless, it’s just not recommended. We must stay within our own hula hoop and let others be within their hula hoop.

Image Courtesy of @socialmichele

Image Courtesy of @socialmichele

Point 3: Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors

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In SMART Recovery, this is the point in the program where REBT is really put into action. REBT stands for rational emotive behaviorial therapy and was innovated by Albert Ellis. In layman’s terms REBT is our thoughts affect our feelings, and our feelings affect our behavior. We can change our behaviors by changing the way that we think. Easy peasy, right? It takes time and practice, but the SMART tools help us to dispute irrational thoughts and rethink our conversations with ourselves and others.

Check out a SMART Recovery online meeting or find a local face-to-face meeting to learn more!

Disputing Irrational Beliefs (DIBS)

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In moments of mindfulness, the studying of our thoughts, these three questions can be very helpful in guiding us to a healthier path of recovery.

Reality is not so much what happens to us; rather, it is how we think about those events that create the reality we experience. In a very real sense, this means that we each create the reality in which we live.

Albert Ellis

SMART Recovery has a great article on disputing irrational beliefs and you can read more here.

Combat Urges – DEADS Tool

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5 Ways to Deal With Urges and Cravings
5 Ways to Deal With Urges and Cravings
5 Ways to Deal With Urges and Cravings

Source: SMART Recovery

D = Delay. The mental activities of cravings and urges disappear over time unless you actively maintain them with your attention. Given time, they will run their course and disappear. If they aren’t gone in 10-15 minutes, then chances are you are still exposed to the stimulus that cued the urge in the first place. Just don’t give in no matter how bad the urge is and it will pass. All the urges you have ever had have passed. Once you have denied an urge, you know you can do it again and again. And after a short time, there will be fewer cravings and the ones you have will diminish in intensity. Waiting them out is a great step to recovery.

E = Escape. Just leave or get away from the urge provoking situation. Run away from it. Leave the pub so that you can stop staring at the beer taps. Leave the supermarket where all the bottles of wine are so nicely displayed. If there’s an alcohol ad on TV, switch the channel. Just the act of escaping the trigger will focus your mind on something new – which will quickly lessen the urge.

A = Accept. Put your urges and cravings into perspective by understanding that they are normal and will pass. It’s important in the recovery process to learn to accept discomfort. It won’t “kill” you and will be gone pretty quickly. You’ll feel good about what you’re learning and achieving.

D = Dispute. If you’ve worked through the ABC or DISARM exercises, you may have developed a rational “Effective new belief” or counter statement to help you attack your (irrational) urges and cravings. These exercises help you productively diagnose past addictive situations and develop useful tactics for disputing them when they occur again – which will help them pass much more quickly.

S = Substitute. When you get an urge, quickly substitute a thought or activity that’s more beneficial or fun. Take a walk or any other form of exercise. Pick up something new to read or turn on something to listen to. The possibilities to substitute (and lessen the craving more quickly) are endless. Think about and write down some possibilities to have a list on hand when an urge occurs. Then just pick one to employ an effective response.

Point 1: Building and Maintaining Motivation

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This is the first point of the four points of SMART Recovery’s Program. It’s important to know that we do not all enter the program linearly. We utilize the tools for where we are at or where we feel are most pressing.

Point one of SMART Recovery is building and maintaining motivation. It’s when we are in the pre-contemplative and/or contemplative stage of change. It’s when we may not think we have a problem or when we are a bit ambivalent about change.

My HOV has become the foundation of my recovery. It’s a very real reminder that if I choose to use, I choose to lose everything on that list. I’m not willing to do that and I’m thankful for the SMART toolbox for helping me maintain my recovery.

Tools suggested for this arena of recovery:

  1. HOV (Hierarchy of Values)
  2. CBA (Cost-Benefit Analysis)
  3. Change Plan Worksheet

Please visit SMART Recovery Toolbox for all tools available.

H.O.V. – Hierarchy of Values

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The very first tool I worked when I found SMART Recovery was the HOV. It has become the foundation of my recovery. The HOV tool is where I listed the things that mattered in my life. I went through the list and it was pointed out to me that when I was in the throws of abusing substances and behaving horribly, I couldn’t possibly prioritize my values. The addiction kidnapped my logic and quite frankly, my soul. My survival during addiction was simply the act of getting more. More misery, because that’s exactly what my life was like when it was hijacked with addiction.

I realize when I look at my HOV, I can lose every single thing on that list if I don’t choose properly. My recovery relies solely on my power to make the right choices. That’s my power. I can choose to live a more productive life or I can choose to completely self destruct.

Want to know more about an HOV? It has been helpful for me. Maybe it’ll be helpful for you!

SMART RECOVERY HOV (HIERARCHY OF VALUES) WORKSHEET

SMART RECOVERY TOOLBOX: https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/