SMART Recovery
This skill looks at the Problem of Instant Gratification. It looks at how continuing to use only strengthens the cycle of using in triggering situations, while stopping helps one's urges to decrease and occur less frequently.
What is "The PIG's Method?"
Trigger>Craving>Urge>Use
What does the acronym H.A.L.T. stand for and how is it helpful in recovery?
H.A.L.T. stands for "Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired." H.A.L.T. is helpful in determining where one is at and can help one prevent greater vulnerability to relapse.
Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse (optional).
The Stages of Change can help in identifying where you're at in changing your behavior and what skills you might need to reach the next stage of change.
What are the Stages of Change and how can it be helpful to one in recovery?
In this stage one may be experience ambivalence in changing their behavior that others perceive as an issue and continue to engage in their unhelpful behavior, despite negative consequences.
What is Precontemplation?
True or False? Substance use disorders are irreversible.
False; once an individual is in recovery and has discontinued their use, brain tissue can get better.
This skill looks at the pros and cons of continuing or discontinuing one's use and the short-term and long-term benefits.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
People, places, things, situations, and sometimes our five senses.
What is a trigger?
Urges are like waves; they come, grow, and eventually crash. Just like waves they can also come in sets; rolling in one after the other. One uses their core mindfulness skills to learn to surf them, noticing and identifying their feelings and their physical response in that moment non-judgmentally.
What is Urge Surfing?
In this stage one notices and accepts that in order to maintain sustained change in their changed behavior they will need to continue to practice skills, take steps to change their lifestyle in addition to their unhelpful behavior.
What is Action Stage?
True or False? People do not have different risk factors, making them more likely to develop an addiction.
False; People have different risk factors that make them more vulnerable to developing a substance use disorder that are entirely unique to them. These can be environmental-such as poverty or exposure to trauma-or individual-such as genetics or the age of first use.
What does SMART Recovery stand for?
Smart Management and Recovery Training
This is the impulse or intention to go and do something (e.g., the impulse to go and use).
What is an urge?
The "A" stands for the Activating Event (trigger). The "B" stands for the (irrational) belief, looking at distorted thinking (e.g., I need to use). The "C" stands for consequences of engaging in the (irrational) belief. The "D" stands for disputing the (irrational) belief and the "E" stands for effective new thinking (alternate thinking).
What are the ABC's in dealing with emotional upsets?
In this stage one has consistently practiced skills helpful to their changed, more helpful behavior. One also takes steps consistently to sustain a lifestyle to support their changed behaviors.
What is Maintenance Stage?
True or False? Over time with repeated substance use, our brain can think that the substance is the most important thing for survival.
True; When repeated it can hijack the brain, making it think that the substance is the most important thing for survival.
What's the 4 points SMART Recovery focuses on?
1. Building and Maintaining Motivation
2. Coping with Urges
3. Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors
4. Living a Balanced Life
This includes six different stages that one goes through when recovering from a substance use disorder. The stages include: "Transition, Stabilization, Early Recovery, Middle Recovery, Late Recovery, and Maintenance Stages."
What are "The Stages of Recovery?"
This can include relaxation, meditation, exercise, art, reading, talking with people who support you, etc.
What are positive distractions?
In this stage one begins to question the impact of their unhelpful behavior and may question how it's affected themselves and others.
What is Contemplation Stage?
Where decision-making and impulse control live.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This skill/tool can help to remind one of what is important to us or meaningful even if no one else knew about them. They can help us to reflect on how we’re currently working towards these in our recovery.
What are values?
This skill can help one to be more mindful of our actions and can prevent us from engaging in harmful releases, substance use, or in general unhelpful behaviors that don’t align with our recovery efforts.
What is the STOP skill?
What is "The Serenity Prayer?"
In this stage one begins to take steps in changing their unhelpful behavior.
What is Preparation Stage?
The two main parts of the brain where tissue function is affected by a substance use disorder.
What is the limbic system and prefrontal cortex?