If you're trying to overcome an addiction that you've had for years, it can be hard to go through the old methods. If you need immediate assistance at the best rehabilitation center in India, you can go to a SMART group. These groups can help people over a wide variety of substances, including working through anxiety and depression. The 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous have been proven effective, but SMART groups are more appealing to younger generations. By joining these groups, people suffer fewer relapses and are able to finally overcome the addiction they've been facing.
To understand why SMART is effective, it helps to understand more about why people become addicted in the first place. They are experiencing some type of negative emotion and they want to feel better. They may find relief in a substance or simply in an activity. But then, they use that substance or activity to cover up the negative emotion, which grows into a bigger problem. The SMART program is designed to help people find healthier ways to deal with these emotions and learn to accept and manage them in a healthier way.
SMART Recovery is a free worldwide addiction recovery support group. It uses a 4-Point Program which includes self-empowerment, self-reliance, self-determination, and self-help. SMART Recovery practitioners and members adhere to the 12-step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous while adapting them to their own recovery experiences. The organization is based on sound scientific evidence and research which has led to effective therapeutic approaches. SMART Recovery meetings are available in over 70 countries.
SMART Recovery's 4-point program teaches participants the skills they need to control their addictive behavior and live a sober life. Based on cognitive behavioral and motivational enhancement therapies, the program helps participants learn self-reliance, identify and manage triggers, cope with urges, and develop a support network. The SMART Recovery Handbook [1] is a comprehensive guide to the 4-point program, providing tips and exercises to help you maintain sobriety.
Staying sober is a lifestyle change, as it means abstaining from drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, this can be difficult because the person may feel uncomfortable with the amount of social pressure they're facing. In order to remain sober, it's important to have the proper motivation, such as weighing the costs and benefits of using drugs or alcohol versus staying sober. This can help them determine their priorities and make better decisions.
The second point looks at what sets off a craving. Participants learn how to put a craving on hold through methods like distraction techniques. They also find and work past irrational beliefs about urges to use.
The part three of the program is designed to teach participants how to prevent relapse. They will learn self-acceptance and how to manage difficult feelings, such as depression, that may contribute to relapse. By listening to this third segment of the program, program participants will learn about the nature of addiction, how to identify internal and external factors that can contribute to relapse and explore ways to make lasting changes which is covered in de-addiction programs available at the top rehabilitation centers in Delhi.
It's important for anyone in recovery to take a step back and really decide what they want out of life. The decisions you make in a sober life can change how you live, and it's important to think about what you really want out of life. For example, if you wish to move up in your workplace and get a better job, focus on how you can achieve that success. By focusing on your goals, you'll be able to accomplish so much more in life!
SMART and traditional 12-step programs share some similarities. Both consist of recovering alcohol and drug users working through a series of assignments to beat their addiction. SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) is a framework used in addiction recovery and treatment that helps addicts learn how to plan, manage and organize their recovery process. SMART differs from AA in that addiction is viewed by the organization as a dysfunctional habit, rather than a disease as it is framed in AA, while allowing that it is possible that certain people have a predisposition toward addictive behavior. [2] SMART recovery participants work on four different aspects of recovery: "Goals", "Skills", "Attitudes" and "Triggers".
A key distinction between 12-step programs and SMART is how each program defines addiction. We don't see our participants as "addicts" or as having a "disease" because we find that these labels are unhelpful and discouraging. SMART focuses on helping participants develop the skills and knowledge they need for lasting success, rather than just managing their symptoms in the short term. This is another key difference between SMART and other recovery programs that various best rehabs in the world offer: participants can graduate from SMART and go on to lead healthy, productive lives.
SMART is a cognitive-behavioral approach to recovery from substance abuse and addictive behaviors that is based on the idea that individuals can take charge of their lives, rather than submit to a higher power. People who agree to attend SMART meetings provided at the 10 best rehab centers in India learn the importance of self-acceptance, self-responsibility, and self-help (staying engaged with treatment and 12-step recovery groups).
It’s important to understand that there is no one approach that will help everyone struggling with a substance or behavioral addiction. It’s up to the individual to determine which recovery program best fits his or her situation. What works for one person may not work for another, and it’s important to understand why that is. For example, it’s a common practice for people struggling with substance use to attend both a 12-step and a SMART meeting. In fact, the SMART Recovery Handbook wisely points out, “What works for one person in one situation may not work for another in the same situation.” The program does not use the twelve steps that make up the basis of the various "Anonymous" self-help groups (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), etc.) and is generally listed as an "Alternative to AA" or an "Alternative to the Twelve Steps. [3] [4] [5]
In the final stage of recovery, participants no longer feel tempted or triggered to use drugs. They have regained full control over themselves and their lives. Once they reach the final stage, participants in SMART now have the skills to maintain a sober life. SMART was developed as a tool to help those suffering from addiction, as well as those with addictive behaviors. It can also be beneficial for people with co-occurring mental disorders, such as depression.
If you or someone you care about has tried 12-step programs without success, SMART may be a better option. SMART is an evidence-based program provided at the best de-addiction centers in the world that has been shown to help people struggling with addiction.
REFERENCES-
- 1. Hovarth, A. Thomas (2004). SMART Recovery Handbook. Mentor Ohio: Alcohol & Drug Abuse Self-Help Network, Inc. pp. Section 1/Page5. ISBN 0-615-13135-2.
- 2. Horvath, AT (October 2000). "Smart Recovery: Addiction Recovery Support from a Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective". Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. 18 (3): 181–191. doi:10.1023/A:1007831005098. S2CID 140442826. Accessed on 13/01/2023 from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1007831005098
- 3. Miller, W. R.; Kurtz, E. (1994). "Models of alcoholism used in treatment: Contrasting A.A. and other perspectives with which it is often confused". Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 55 (2): 159–166. doi:10.15288/jsa.1994.55.159. PMID 8189736. Accessed on 13/01/2023 from https://www.jsad.com/doi/10.15288/jsa.1994.55.159
- 4. Volpicelli, Joseph; Maia Szalavitz (2000). Recovery Options: The Complete Guide. Wiley Publishing. pp. 149–151. ISBN 0-471-34575-X.
- 5. "SMART Alternative Self-Help Groups Tackle Substance Abuse". Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
AUTHOR- Dr. Niharika Singh (MBBS, MD Psychiatry, MIPS)
Dr. Niharika Singh received her MBBS degree from Kurukshetra University, following which she went on to complete MD Psychiatry from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore. During her residency program she pursued her thesis on psychosocial factors and personality profile of early and late onset Alcohol dependence syndrome. With a view to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of mental health, she then continued to train regularly with premier institutes such as Harvard Medical School - McLean Hospital (USA) in Mind-Body Medicine, Beck Institute (USA) in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, NIMHANS (Bangalore) in Addiction Psychiatry, Behaviour Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation and has completed Fellowship in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation from Duke University (USA). After post-graduation, her goal has been to inform the public on addiction issues. Her mission is to help those in need of treatment find the best option for them. And with this being her consistent vision, she believes in de-stigmatizing the field of addiction psychiatry and rehabilitation center treatment in India and has been working at a licensed dual-diagnosis facility in New Delhi. Through her contributions to rehabsindia.in she aims at providing licensed, professional rehabilitative care choices to patients and their families.
REVIEWED BY- Sudipta Rath (M. Phil in Clinical Psychology)
Sudipta Rath has completed her MPhil in clinical psychology from Utkal University in Odisha (India) in 2020 and is currently practicing in New Delhi as a clinical psychologist at dual diagnosis facility. She is a licensed RCI practitioner specializing in all forms of psychotherapy. Addiction and mental health are personal subjects for her, and her goal is that she can give a helping hand to those seeking healthy and lasting recovery.