Smart
Acronyms
Acronyms
What does the D in DENTS stand for?
Deny or Delay
True or False: Having an urge means you are going to relapse.
False
What is a trigger?
Something associated with substance use that can produce an urge.
Which SMART Recovery tool helps someone identify specific steps toward achieving a personal goal?
Change Plan.
Name one healthy distraction someone can use when experiencing an urge.
Examples include walking, drawing, exercising, reading, or calling a supportive person.
What does the E in DENTS stand for?
Escape
What is the difference between an urge and physical withdrawal?
An urge is a desire to use, while withdrawal involves physical or psychological symptoms associated with stopping or reducing substance use.
Name three different categories of triggers.
Examples include emotions, physical sensations, stress, conflicts, places, and times.
Which SMART Recovery tool uses a circle to distinguish what you can control from what you cannot?
The Hula Hoop tool
What is one way to respond when someone pressures you to use substances?
Give a clear, firm refusal and avoid continued pressure.
Name all five strategies represented by DENTS
Deny or Delay, Escape, Neutralize, Tasks, Swap
Why can giving in to an urge make future urges more difficult to resist?
It reinforces the behavior of responding to urges with substance use.
Why does SMART Recovery recommend rating triggers from 1 to 10?
To identify which triggers pose the greatest risk and prioritize coping strategies.
What is the purpose of the "Personify and Disarm" tool?
To separate urges from yourself, give them an identity, and practice responding without giving in.
Why is avoiding triggers useful early in recovery but not always a complete long-term strategy?
Avoidance reduces exposure initially, but people also need coping skills to manage situations they cannot avoid.
What is the difference between Tasks and Swap in DENTS?
Tasks involves distracting yourself with an activity, while Swap involves changing your thoughts or emotional focus.
What does it mean to "ride the wave" of an urge?
Allowing an urge to rise, peak, and eventually decrease without acting on it.
What is the purpose of an urge log? Name at least three things recorded in it.
To identify patterns in urges. It records things such as time, strength, duration, triggers, people involved, and coping responses.
A client says, "I cannot stay sober until my family changes." Which SMART Recovery tool challenges this thinking, and what does it teach?
The Hula Hoop tool. It teaches that we can control our own choices and actions, but not the behavior of others.
Name three ways someone can prepare for a social event where substances may be present.
Bring sober support, create an exit plan, tell someone you trust, practice saying no, or arrive late and leave early.
A person leaves a triggering location, reminds themselves that their urge will pass, and begins exercising. Which three DENTS strategies did they use?
Escape, Swap, and Tasks
Someone believes, "If I'm having urges, my recovery must be getting worse." Why is this belief inaccurate?
Urges are a normal part of recovery and do not necessarily mean someone is making less progress. What matters is how they respond.
Why might positive emotions be triggers, and how could someone prepare for this?
Celebrations, excitement, or happiness may be associated with past substance use. Someone can recognize these associations and plan healthy ways to celebrate.
What are the five main areas explored in the "Five Questions About Getting What I Want" tool?
Future goals, current actions, feelings about those actions, possible changes, and feelings about achieving change.
A client says, "Being uncomfortable is unbearable, so I have to use." Identify the problematic belief and explain a healthier response.
The belief is that discomfort cannot be tolerated. A healthier response is recognizing that discomfort is unpleasant but manageable and using coping strategies rather than returning to substance use.