Problem Solving « SMART Recovery San Diego

Can You Think Your Way Out of a Drink?

By Julie Myers, on September 20th, 2012

How decision fatigue can affect your recovery

by Julie Myers, PsyD, MSCP Licensed Clinical Psychologist in San Diego

Recent research on the topic of willpower shows that we, as human beings, have limited decision making capacity. That is, in any given day, we may simply run-out of the mental energy that is . . . → Read More: Can You Think Your Way Out of a Drink?

Journaling, the SMART Recovery Way

By Julie Myers, on October 23rd, 2011

Journaling, the SMART Recovery Way by Julie Myers, PsyD

Here are some thoughts about “journaling”, the SMART Recovery® way.

Some people enjoy writing down their thoughts in a diary or journal. This can be cathartic, helping a person feel less alone. It may be a wonderful way to express gratitude, love, or to get perspective . . . → Read More: Journaling, the SMART Recovery Way

The Importance of Meanings in Our Reactions

By Julie Myers, on July 11th, 2011

I recently came across this article and thought it a very nice summary of how our automatic thoughts (beliefs) trigger our responses. – Julie Myers, PsyD

The Importance of Meanings in Our Reactions Aaron T. Beck, M.D.

Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

People often make statements such as “You upset me,” “She makes . . . → Read More: The Importance of Meanings in Our Reactions

SMART Recovery: Making changes, step-by-step

By Julie Myers, on June 12th, 2011

SMART Recovery: Making changes, step-by-step by Julie Myers, PsyD Volunteer Adviser, SMART Recovery San Diego

Have you ever wanted to make changes in your life, but felt so overwhelmed by the situation that you didn’t know where to start? Sometimes it helps to break the change down, working through the situation step by step using . . . → Read More: SMART Recovery: Making changes, step-by-step

Have you ever asked for help?

By Nick, on June 10th, 2011

Here is a typical situation that we tried to replay in one of our recent meetings: Joe: “Hi Steve, I am the new Joe. I had some significant drinking problems until a few month ago. Then I decided to change my life. I built motivation, took some drastic steps, and gained control of my life. . . . → Read More: Have you ever asked for help?

How to participate in SMART Recovery meetings

By Julie Myers, on May 8th, 2011

How to participate in SMART Recovery meetings by Julie Myers, PsyD Volunteer Adviser, SMART Recovery San Diego

SMART Recovery stands for “Self-Management and Recovery Training”. In other words, it is about how YOU can take control of yourself and your recovery. Sometimes, participants forget that self-help meetings (like SMART Recovery meetings) inherently include “self”. . . . → Read More: How to participate in SMART Recovery meetings

Change planning in SMART Recovery

By Julie Myers, on May 1st, 2011

Change planning in SMART Recovery by Julie Myers, PsyD

Change doesn’t necessarily happen without careful deliberation and planning. If we just expect things to happen on their own, we can end up repeating the same behaviors we hoped to change. For example, let’s say the change I want to make is to add more positive . . . → Read More: Change planning in SMART Recovery

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