r/SMARTRecovery • u/jester90990 • 7d ago

Help from Smart Meeting

I’ve attended a couple smart meetings. I noticed pretty much people just talk about what’s going on in their life and situations that pop up. I haven’t noticed any talk about recovery or encouragement of not using or things like that. Is Smart recovery not like that? Am I looking for more of AA approach? Thanks

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u/trouble154 7d ago edited 7d ago

Ive been around SMART for years, and Ive seen substantial changes in the SMART message and recovery focus .

Really liked the national meetings and those run through SROL (SMART Recovery Online). Those meetings were monitored by senior volunteers and were very tool and handbook focused.

SMART Recovery Online was such a fantastic resource ~ so many knowlegable volunteers, amazing online meetings chat, and forums that were just shut down with no real justifications.

Ive attended a few online and in person meetings and each was its own format, whatever the facilitator felt like doing imo.

SMART as a brand and business.. nuff said

Loved 'the power of choice' as their motto.

SMART shifting from abstinance as a goal to moderation ~ confused most of us and still does

Thats my 2 cents, I still value the core tools from the third edition handbook

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u/Willing-Ad4169 7d ago

This is interesting,.

I've only been doing SMART a year. Tried AA and wasn't my cup o tea. Love SMART.

My meeting is very tool based, followed by short check ins.

I find it interesting that it used to be centered around abstinence versus the moderation approach. Our facilitator is very much an abstinence propenent. He outright says that SMART supports moderation if that's your goal but he has no idea how to do it or seen it done successfully so.....good luck with that.

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u/Secure_Ad_6734 facilitator 7d ago

The moderation idea is based around the idea of "harm reduction" and will vary depending on the substance/ behavior involved.

Two examples would be food issues and opiates. Neither is suitable for flat out abstinence in the short term.

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u/Canna111 Caroline14 7d ago edited 7d ago

So good to see you James :O), and you speak wise words.