SMART recovery?

[StartingOver]

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with CPTSD a couple of months ago. In short, I lost my entire family tragically before age 18. I've been coping with alcohol for awhile and recently it's really become a problem. I've read all about AA and have a close relative who is a member, and I do not think that it would help me. I searched google for alternatives and I came across SMART recovery. SMART stands for self-management and recovery training. It's more of a scientific/psychological approach rather than a spiritual approach.

I was wondering if anyone has ever gone to a SMART meeting. If so, was it helpful? What was it like?

Thanks in advance!

Best wishes to you all.

[Three Roses]

Hi! I haven't personally been, but I think it's a great idea! 

[Elphanigh]

Hi there! I have not gone either, but it sounds like an intruiging aproach. If it hits you as something helpful, it is definitely worth a try.

[Blueberry]

I've read about it. There aren't any groups round here though. If it works roughly like AA etc then you can just go and try it out, with no harm done if you never go back if it's not your thing. I hope it is your thing though! It's good to have as many good anchors as possible when recovering from CPTSD and managing addictions.

[sanmagic7]

i don't know about 'smart', but i'm with the rest.  i've always heard to give a new option 6 tries before making up your mind.  that's not set in concrete, but i've found it helpful.

i've also found 12-step programs helpful for the addictions, but not for the symptoms of c-ptsd.   at times i was able to compartmentalize a specific problem, and the 12-step meetings did help.  i just looked elsewhere for the help i needed toward other symptoms. 

best to you with this - i give you a lot of credit for looking at your alc. consumption and wanting to do something about it.  i've been clean and sober for over 16 yrs., (but don't do 12-step programs anymore - i took what i needed and moved on) and if you ever need to chat or have any questions, you're welcome to pm me. 

standing with you.  hope you find something that fits for you.  big hug.

[Slackjaw99]

I'd like to very respectfully disagree from some of the previous encouragement towards alcohol abstinence via SMART, AA, Rational Recovery, etc. Here I'm assuming you acquired your drinking habit from the desire to numb the trauma caused by losing all your caregivers so young and not because you actually have the "alcoholic gene". If do you have the gene that causes you to crave alcohol no matter what, then by all means go to SMART or whatever works best and disregard the rest of what I have to say...

...otherwise, pursuing programs and treatments for *symptoms* of cPTSD rather than the causes is tantamount to wasting time playing whack-a-mole. I say this because I did this. I spent 35 years drinking nightly to smooth the pain from my traumatic memories bubbling to the surface. My family and insurance spent approximately $100K on residential and out-patient treatment programs, and I spent 10 years in the AA rooms "working the steps"- all thirteen of them. In the end, after following every suggestion for recovering, all I did was trade in alcohol for nicotine and sex/porn addictions because I still needed something to cover up the core trauma. The end result would not have been any different if I had gone to SMART or some other AA alternative. I don't know much about SMART, but I can say with confidence that that program is not "trauma informed" in their foundational approach.

If I had known then what I know now I, instead of all the time wasted whacking moles, I'd have sought out "trauma-informed" treatment and support, as well as learning everything I could about the psychopathology and neuroscience aspects of cPTSD on my own. I say this because having found a successful method for cathartic release of traumatic grief has eliminated the core pain that caused me to seek alcohol, as well as other drugs and vices to cover it up. In other words, treating the cPTSD has effectively treated my alcoholism where "abstinence programs" have failed miserably.

[Blueberry]

Slackjaw, I think there's nothing wrong with trying out SMART if StartingOver would like to. That's what my post up above is about. StartingOver will probably notice if SMART is not their thing. I think it's worth a try even though 12 Step groups aren't trauma-informed; Idk about SMART.

For a number of years being in 12 Step groups did help me and I don't consider the time I spent there a waste.

[Kizzie]

I haven't been to a SMART group myself StartingOver but I looked up the program and it sounds quite positive.  I stopped drinking about four years ago and did not attend AA meetings.  I went to an addictions counselor and interestingly he said that the traditional AA type programs do not work terribly well because they do nothing to deal with the underlying causes for drinking. This is not to say the traditional groups don't help, they do as BB has posted about.  I just knew being addicted to alcohol was a secondary issue and that I personally needed something different. Finding out about having Complex PTSD is when I knew what was/is the problem. As long as I deal with the stresses I don't feel any need to drink nowadays.

Anyway, I read through the SMART program web site and must say that had there been one near me I really would have considered attending because it is about self-empowerment and self-directed change in a group setting, just like OOTS 

SMART Recovery (Self-Management And Recovery Training) is not a 12-step group, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Our Approach

* Teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance.
* Encourages individuals to recover and live satisfying lives.
* Teaches tools and techniques for self-directed change.
* Meetings are educational and include open discussions.
* Advocates the appropriate use of prescribed medications and psychological treatments.
* Evolves as scientific knowledge of addiction recovery evolves.

I hope you'll let us know how it goes if you decide to attend     Good luck!