Opiate Addiction Treatment - Today Is Never Too Late To Be Brand New

SMART Recovery During Opiate Addiction Treatment

 

Despite the various information and stories you’ve heard about SMART Recovery, you’ll still feel lost and wondering what it looks like, particularly during the beginning of your opiate addiction treatment.

What everyone knows about these social support groups is that they are meetings, where you meet the counselor and other people who are also in he same place as you. They should know that these forums are places where you’ll meet the most non-judgmental and supportive people you’ll know while you’re in undergoing opiate abuse cure.

One place that is gaining popularity these days is the SMART (Self Management and Recovery Training) Recovery. Get to know how this group can help and assist you in your road to recovery.

What is SMART?

SMART is classified as a social support group that works on self-empowerment. People appreciate this program that is based on a research addiction treatment such as in opiate addiction treatment. 

How does SMART Recovery work?

SMART Recovery is an effective group that helps stop addiction from painkillers and other mind-altering substances through the following  4-point program:

•    Coping with triggers or urges
•    Improving and maintaining motivation to sobriety
•    Problem solving such as managing feelings, thoughts and behavior
•    Lifestyle balance

The group uses 10 recovery tools that have been found effective in helping people who are in the treatment for opiate addiction:

1.    Stages of Change
2.    USA (Unconditional Self-Acceptance)
3.    Change Plan Worksheet
4.    Role-playing and Rehearsing
5.    Cost/Benefit Analysis (Decision Making Worksheet)
6.    HOV (Hierarchy of Values)
7.    ABCs of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) for Urge Coping
8.    DISARM (Destructive Imagery and Self-talk Awareness & Refusal Method)
9.    Brainstorming
10.    ABCs of REBT for Emotional Upsets

Who leads the SMART Recovery program?

If you’re in your opiate addiction treatment or you are a newly sober individual, you’ll meet trained volunteer facilitators, who manage the meetings.  Most of them are non-professionals while some of them are also in their path of recovery.

There are also trained professionals and non-recovering facilitators who devote themselves in helping the people, who want to recover from their opiate and other substance addiction. No payment is needed in order to attend the SMART Recovery, but donations are welcome.
Differences of SMART Recovery from other 12-step programs:

SMART Recovery	12-Step Programs
No sponsor	With sponsor
Not applicable	Frequent contact with sponsor
	Labels like “addicts” are discouraged
Face-to-face counseling/ Online meeting	Members interact with one another in the meetings
Facilitators who are trained in the SMART Recovery approach leads the meetings	Counselor presides the meetings
SMART recovery tools and Evidence-based addiction treatments	Members apply the tools of recovery
Members may believe or not believe in God	Members may believe or not believe in God
Addiction may be a disease or not	Addiction may be a disease or not
Self-empowerment approach	Powerlessness approach

 

SMART Recovery  is just one of the mutual help groups that people in opiate addiction treatment can choose to join. It is important to discover other options if one doesn’t work or support fully your recovery. 

The program is not only for those who have not joined any support groups. It is also ideal for attendees, who are interested to improve their 12-step participations through CBT-based programs.

If your loved one is presently under an opiate abuse cure, it is good to consider other options for 12-step groups aside from the well known Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Narcotic Anonymous (AA).