Subject: SMART Recovery News & Views

Personal Stories and Universal Meanings

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there is a well known connection between substance use disorders and mental health issues. One important feature of SMART is that we focus on the behaviors and thought processes rather than labels in an effort to decrease stigma and judgement.

In this month's newsletter we offer several individuals who speak honestly and openly about their recovery journeys, mental health concerns, and how they have been able to move forward in life. We believe that their specific stories are relatable to a much broader community, including those of us who are pursuing our best lives beyond addiction.

Enjoy!

Podcast

Taking Back Our Power of Choice

Michael Marcum is a licensed professional counselor at the VA, and a former Army sniper. By his own admission he changed "countries, continents, and careers" to try and escape the reality of his substance misuse which plagued him for decades. After multiple stints in rehab and other pathways to recovery, he found SMART and it transformed his life.

In this podcast Michael shares his recovery journey and explains why the practical tools and future orientation of SMART finally allowed him to choose a different kind of life.

Listen Now

Podcast

Learning to Change My Thinking

DeeAnna Nichols is a Certified Peer Support Specialist at ChangePoint Behavioral Health in Lewiston Idaho. Her recovery journey changed significantly when she discovered SMART in 2015. After trying to attend a SMART meeting and finding no one there that day, DeeAnna decided to take the training to become a facilitator. In effect, she took charge of her own recovery by taking action and hasn't looked back since.

DeeAnna now provides support and shares her lived experience with others seeking help. After a lifetime of challenging circumstances and trauma of all kinds, DeeAnna has embraced the fact that by changing her thinking, she can change her behavior.

Listen Now

Blog

Boredom in 2 parts

[Two guest blog posts by SMART Facilitator Rick Kuplinski of Henderson NV]

Part 1: Boredom: From Problem to Opportunity.

Many SMART Recovery participants say boredom is a HUGE problem. Boredom may have fueled our addictions as again and again we reached for our “something-something” to get us through rough patches when we felt we had nothing to do or lacked the focus or energy to get things done...

Part 2: Boredom as Cognitive Distortion

Cognitive distortions are thoughts that cause us to perceive reality inaccurately. These thinking patterns, engaged in habitually, can reinforce negative emotions and thoughts...

SMART Empowerment Talks is a new video series featuring members of the SMART community sharing their thoughts about what empowerment means and how they are embracing recovery in their lives.

Hosted by SMART's Director of National Outreach Jasmine Hilbert, these short conversations are offered in the spirit of reinforcing SMART's foundational belief in the power we have within ourselves to make changes in our lives.

Episode 3: Talking Empowerment with Tammy Ginader

Watch Episode 3

SMART Celebrates Service Achievements

At our recent conference in Salt Lake City we were happy to recognize several individuals who have dedicated great energy to SMART Recovery in a variety of ways.

In addition to listing the years of service by volunteers who chose to respond to our survey (picture above), we presented awards for research, exemplary service, and making SMART more widely available to diverse communities.