science

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SMART Recovery rather than just read about it. In short: SMART Recovery is an international community of peer support groups that aims to help people recover from addictive and problematic behaviors. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training.

Key takeaways

SMART Recovery belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SMART Recovery to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SMART Recovery from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SMART Recovery is an international community of peer support groups that aims to help people recover from addictive and problematic behaviors. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The SMART approach is secular and research-based. The SMART model is built on psychological tools of cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing, and was initially developed by medical professionals seeking more effective methods to treat patients. SMART Recovery is used with a range of addictive and problematic behaviors (alcohol, drugs, gambling, overeating, internet use, etc.). SMART is established in more than 20 countries. Meetings of SMART participants are held throughout the week, both in person and online. These meetings, which run from 60 to 90 minutes each, are confidential, free, and guided by trained volunteer or professional facilitators. Participants in various stages of recovery, or simply curious about pursuing recovery, share lessons and challenges from their own journeys, while exploring, through discussion, a suite of scientifically grounded psychology tools and techniques.

Methodology SMART Recovery is based on scientific knowledge and is intended to evolve as scientific knowledge evolves. The program uses principles of motivational interviewing, found in motivational enhancement therapy (MET), and techniques taken from rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), as well as scientifically validated research on treatment. The SMART Recovery Program and meetings are congenial to participants who choose to use appropriately-prescribed medications, including opioid-agonist medications, as part of their recovery programs. The organization's program emphasizes four areas, called the 4-Point Program, in the process of recovery: Building Motivation, Coping with Urges, Problem Solving, and Lifestyle Balance. The "SMART Toolbox" is a collection of various MET, CBT, and REBT methods, or "tools", which address the 4 Points. SMART Recovery can be used as a stand-alone primary recovery support program for those seeking help recovering from addictions, but does not insist on being exclusive. The program does not use the 12 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 12 Steps." SMART Recovery believes that each individual finds their own path to recovery. Though listed as an "alternative", it is also suggested as a possible "supplement" to twelve-step programs in SMART Recovery's main program publication, The SMART Recovery Handbook.

Stages of change SMART Recovery recognizes that participants may be in one or more of various stages of change and that different exercises may be helpful at different stages.

Precontemplation – At this stage, the participant may not realize that they have a problem. Contemplation – The participant evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the addiction by performing a cost/benefit analysis. Determination/Preparation – The participant decides to pursue personal change, and may complete a Change Plan Worksheet. Action – The participant seeks out new ways of handling their addiction behavior. This can include self-help, the support of addiction help group or professional guidance. Maintenance – After a few months, the participant's behavior has been changed and now seeks to maintain their gains. Graduation/Exit – Once a participant has sustained a long period of change, they may choose to move on with their lives and "graduate" from SMART Recovery. Side event: Lapse/Relapse – Although not inevitable, lapses and relapses are a normal part of the change cycle and if handled well, can serve as a learning experience in overcoming an addiction.

Meetings SMART Recovery meetings are free for all wishing to attend and are intended to be informational as well as supportive. Over 1500 weekly group meetings led by volunteer facilitators are held worldwide. In addition, the organization provides online resources and support to the volunteers and those attending the groups and one or more daily online meetings. Meetings are also held in correctional facilities in many states, including: Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. SMART hosts both large scale meetings and specific meetings tailored to prison inmates, military personnel, the LBGTQIA+ communities, young adults and family and friends of people engaged in or trying to achieve independence from addictive and problematic behaviors.

Effectiveness A 2018 longitudinal study compared the self-reported success of SMART Recovery, LifeRing Secular Recovery, Women for Sobriety, and Alcoholics Anonymous. After normalizing for income and other demographic factors, the study saw that SMART Recovery fared worse across the outcomes of alcohol abstinence, alcohol drinking problems, and total abstinence, compared to Alcoholics Anonymous. However, after normalizing for treatment goal, SMART Recovery members who pursued abstinence did as well across all three factors as members of AA. In other words, among AA members and members of SMART Recovery who wanted to abstain, there was no significant difference in the success rate.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SMART Recovery

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SMART Recovery claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SMART Recovery before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SMART Recovery ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SMART Recovery

In research: SMART Recovery appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SMART Recovery in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SMART Recovery is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Addiction organizations in the United States, Mental health organizations based in Ohio, Mentor, Ohio, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SMART Recovery outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SMART Recovery in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SMART Recovery means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SMART Recovery out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SMART Recovery in simple terms?

SMART Recovery is an international community of peer support groups that aims to help people recover from addictive and problematic behaviors. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training.

Why does SMART Recovery matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SMART Recovery?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SMART Recovery.