Opi_Kid_Rock
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2018
- Messages
- 933
I’ve been attending SMART groups as they claimed that it was science based recovery. Anyone else approve or disapprove. Based on CBT and DBT (therapy).
SMART Recovery group
- Thread starter Opi_Kid_Rock
- Start date
Rio Fantastic
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,727
It is definitely science-based recovery, but you still have to bring to it the true willingness to quit and the capacity for reflection and honesty. Certainly more effective IMO than 12-step based recovery. I don't know how anyone could disagree that it's science-based, despite how they may quibble with their opinion on how effective it is.
RV Mystery Journey
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2020
- Messages
- 99
I didn't like the location of the one here.
I walked in and shockingly to my dismay I found myself so repelled by the entire thing and perhaps it was the location more than the program itself (I literally took one look in the room they were gathering to sit down for the meeting in and didn't even walk in lol), and it is just that a program not a one size fits all cures all solution amigo as recovery programs and actually a lot of other things tend to be, but sounds like you dig it and I hope the science helps you, anyways 12 Steps is certainly not science based but apparently it works for like five to ten percent of people who step into them haha!
I simply won't check this out ever here I am thinking but it wasn't the program that repelled me and now I found another program, Refuge Recovery, that works for me because it meshes with my beliefs and we meditate in the meeting which I love and the location is fine by me (not in a rehab clinic of some kind but I was going to SOS in one and it is like ghosts from the past have I been around here before).
I will say I would check this out again if I discovered they were having it somewhere else. I actually like science lol even if I don't view science as the ultimate anything.
Wait up. I am not against unbiased rehabs that don't stigmatize all drugs because drugs are bad mmmkay and they label people addicts who might not actually be just to squeeze them through their profit model it is just this was a small cramped windowless room that looked uniniviting but better than a jail cell you say? Lol hey I still have the power to choose what meetings I go to don't I?
Oh ya I might go actually just to give you the benefit of the doubt that it is worthwhile. Let you know how it goes.
I walked in and shockingly to my dismay I found myself so repelled by the entire thing and perhaps it was the location more than the program itself (I literally took one look in the room they were gathering to sit down for the meeting in and didn't even walk in lol), and it is just that a program not a one size fits all cures all solution amigo as recovery programs and actually a lot of other things tend to be, but sounds like you dig it and I hope the science helps you, anyways 12 Steps is certainly not science based but apparently it works for like five to ten percent of people who step into them haha!
I simply won't check this out ever here I am thinking but it wasn't the program that repelled me and now I found another program, Refuge Recovery, that works for me because it meshes with my beliefs and we meditate in the meeting which I love and the location is fine by me (not in a rehab clinic of some kind but I was going to SOS in one and it is like ghosts from the past have I been around here before).
I will say I would check this out again if I discovered they were having it somewhere else. I actually like science lol even if I don't view science as the ultimate anything.
Wait up. I am not against unbiased rehabs that don't stigmatize all drugs because drugs are bad mmmkay and they label people addicts who might not actually be just to squeeze them through their profit model it is just this was a small cramped windowless room that looked uniniviting but better than a jail cell you say? Lol hey I still have the power to choose what meetings I go to don't I?
Oh ya I might go actually just to give you the benefit of the doubt that it is worthwhile. Let you know how it goes.
Last edited:
I would be interested in checking one out, just have trouble finding one in my area. I like the idea of science based recovery, but at the same time I also feel the science behind drug addiction recovery is still inadequate in many areas. Pretty much every recovery program will claim to be evidence based, afaik, but in terms of group- they're all proven to be about equally effective. The real benefit comes from the social aspects of a group focused on recovery: positive peer pressure, building self-esteem and confidence, companionship, learning from and teaching others. It isn't the 12 steps, or lack of 12 steps, that makes a recovery group effective, as far as I can tell. This is just what I have actually seen evidence for when looking into the effectiveness of different approaches.
CBT and DBT are both proven to be effective for a number of disorders, substance use disorder and many of the co-occurring disorders are some of the disorders these approaches are commonly used for. I believe CBT can be fairly easy to learn and practice on your own, I'm not sure I think the same about DBT- maybe for some. And as far as using these techniques to help others, I think there should be some sort of counseling qualification by whoever is using these therapies on others. To be honest though, I would need to learn more to give a fair criticism. I definitely like a lot of SMART recovery's ideals.
CBT and DBT are both proven to be effective for a number of disorders, substance use disorder and many of the co-occurring disorders are some of the disorders these approaches are commonly used for. I believe CBT can be fairly easy to learn and practice on your own, I'm not sure I think the same about DBT- maybe for some. And as far as using these techniques to help others, I think there should be some sort of counseling qualification by whoever is using these therapies on others. To be honest though, I would need to learn more to give a fair criticism. I definitely like a lot of SMART recovery's ideals.
LucidSDreamr
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 23, 2013
- Messages
- 7,327
i attended smart first before trying NA. All the god/higher power stuff and NA not being based on science is what turned me off to NA. Smart was a bunch of new people in recovery with one facilitator. there was nobody attending that had significant clean time. Basically just a bunch of addicts complaining about their problems.
First off, while 12-step was not designed scientifically, it has been scientifically shown to be effective see:
I finally attended NA years later out of desparation and liked it much more. First there are so many more meetings, there is always a meeting all times of the day everywhere if you live in a big city. Second, there are MANY people that still attend with significant cleant time 5--20 years clean, they still attend regularly. NA is a family to these people, for life. These are the people that you want to be interacting with. Thirdly, they have speakers with a real message and organized speech each meeting, as opposed to SMART listening to addicts complain about their cravings. Lastly, a study did just come out recently showing that AA (and by extension NA) is scientifically shown to work better than psychotherapy and rehab alone.
NA has its corny shit like the god stuff and the literature sounds like its written from someone from the 1930's with no education. However the real benefit is the people you meet not so much the "program materials" themselves.
First off, while 12-step was not designed scientifically, it has been scientifically shown to be effective see:
I finally attended NA years later out of desparation and liked it much more. First there are so many more meetings, there is always a meeting all times of the day everywhere if you live in a big city. Second, there are MANY people that still attend with significant cleant time 5--20 years clean, they still attend regularly. NA is a family to these people, for life. These are the people that you want to be interacting with. Thirdly, they have speakers with a real message and organized speech each meeting, as opposed to SMART listening to addicts complain about their cravings. Lastly, a study did just come out recently showing that AA (and by extension NA) is scientifically shown to work better than psychotherapy and rehab alone.
NA has its corny shit like the god stuff and the literature sounds like its written from someone from the 1930's with no education. However the real benefit is the people you meet not so much the "program materials" themselves.