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. I know that I still have a long way to go. Would you like to support me in my recovery?”
Steve: “Joe, this is great news. What can I do to support you?”
(Substitute “drinking” for “substance abuse” or others to reflect your situation.)
What have we achieved in this conversation?
1) We admit that we had a problem.
2) We state that we have taken action and regained control.
3) We ask for help in a gentle way that almost nobody can decline.
As soon as Steve offers support, we can tell him what we need:
“Please don’t make me feel uncomfortable when I am around you while you are drinking and I am not.”
“Let’s find some activities together that do not involve social drinking.”
” Could you talk to uncle Walt and tell him that I am back to normal?”
Yes, I agree. For many, asking for help is an important action towards recovery. Sometimes, people are not ready to “admit” that they have a problem, but coming to a SMART Recovery meeting is a first move towards acknowledgment that there might be possibilities that one can make positive changes. Luckily, SMART Recovery doesnt require that we stand-up and state “I have no control over alcohol (or other drug)”!
- Julie Myers, PsyD
Is the list for meeting times and locations growing?
We would LOVE to have more meetings in San Diego! Unfortunately, we don’t have enough people willing to facilitate meetings. When we do, we can bring SMART to more locations in San Diego! Thanks for asking! – Julie Myers