What Is SMART Recovery? How It Differs from 12-Step Programs

SMART Recovery is a nationwide non-profit organization that provides recovery support for those looking to gain their independence from addictive substances and establish a healthy lifestyle free of addictive and self-destructive behaviors. 

 A SMART recovery program provides a new approach to change in overcoming alcohol abuse, drug addiction, and mental health needs. Learning about SMART recovery methodology can empower each person to explore this option in their own journey to overcome substance use disorders. 

Through support groups, in-person and online meetings, and a focus on recovery support and empowerment, SMART Recovery blends science-based and evidence-based care with peer support to create a culture of change and healing. 

SMART Recovery stands for “Self-Management and Recovery Training.”

SMART Recovery focuses on self-empowering methods and peer support to help you or your loved one challenge the effects of addiction and reach your own recovery goals. 

This approach to change can also be used alongside other forms of treatment in detox, inpatient, and outpatient care. Blending different treatments with SMART Recovery support and mutual aid can help each individual overcome addiction and its effects for a transformed and sustainable sober life. 

The 4-Point Program of SMART Recovery addresses:

SMART Recovery meetings, whether face-to-face or online, follow an important structure and act as facilitators to address and overcome challenges common throughout addiction recovery. 

They typically begin with a check-in, going over how the previous week has been, the challenges faced, or the progress made during this time, keeping up-to-date with challenges and stresses that may impact sobriety and wellness. Then, they transition to working on a SMART recovery tool or discussing new perspectives and ideas with peers and professionals, before “checkout.”

These meetings last about 90 minutes on average and focus on empowerment and community to overcome unique challenges. 

Yes! There are SMART Recovery group meetings. Some can be found in local communities for in-person group meetings and peer support, while others take place online. 

Hawaii Island Recovery also employs the SMART Recovery model, providing a different approach than 12-step programs to help each person find the path that works best for their developing sober life. 

Yes, SMART Meetings are available online, ensuring that there are always options and support available to maintain each person’s sober efforts and hard-earned sober lifestyle. 

Going to smartrecovery.org can help each person locate both in-person and online SMART meetings and groups. 

Anyone dedicated to their sober life and healing is invited to participate in SMART Recovery meetings, provided they are respectful to others and committed to their own sober future, as well as to empowering others. 

SMART Recovery is used to overcome an array of different addictive behaviors and substances, as well as underlying mental health disorders. Both professionals and those overcoming addiction are invited to participate in this community, and even family members are invited to participate to learn more about the disease. 

Yes, both peers in recovery and professionals are essential members of the recovery community that make up SMART Recovery’s mission. 

Working with others is celebrated in SMART Recovery, providing new perspectives, ideas, and considerations to help each person maintain commitment to their sober lifestyle. It also helps participants feel empowered to make new changes, taking control of their daily life while building on the success and support of others, and providing that support in turn to facilitate a community of healing and self-empowerment. 

SMART Recovery can provide a range of benefits and be very effective for overcoming addiction and associated addictive behaviors, offering support for not just substances like drugs and alcohol, but also for behavioral addictions like gambling and eating disorders. 

However, each person is still expected to put in the hard work to maintain sobriety and change. SMART Recovery can empower each person to explore their own best practices and motivation, but putting in the effort is part of getting the most out of SMART Recovery and the support of peers and professionals alike. 

SMART is also an acronym for effective goal-setting techniques in addiction recovery. 

S-Specific: Be clear about the goal and set specific parameters around accomplishing that goal

M-Measurable: Make sure that it is possible to accurately track progress towards each goal, such as making a dedication to attend a specific number of meetings per week, spend a certain amount of time engaging in a specific self-care or recovery effort, etc.

A-Achievable: Ensure goals are reachable, and not set too grandiose. Rather, think of goals as milestones supporting the larger journey of addiction recovery, not just “overcome addiction.”

R-Relevant: Make sure that any goals set align with personal beliefs and overarching ambitions. 

T-Time-focused: These goals should be able to be accomplished on a set timeline, such as goals for the day, week, or month. Giving oneself a deadline makes it easier to measure success and employ effective reward systems. 

Yes, SMART Recovery employs evidence-based techniques for empowering individuals to overcome addiction and personal challenges.

A combination of evidence-based therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is used to explore effective ways to manage personal challenges and reach set goals. 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness practices, identifying personal values, and more are just some of the techniques used to support a sober lifestyle. 

Cost-benefit analysis is also common, which is a practice of making a list of pros and cons for pursuing recovery, helping those with addiction commit to their own well-being while acknowledging personal challenges, barriers, or uncertainties as they begin the journey. 

Yes. In fact, SMART Recovery is all about empowering each person to embrace the fact that they have a choice over how they pursue recovery and live their lives.

Not only can a person choose their best route to recovery, but it also reinforces that there is always a choice in healing, and nothing is predetermined. 

A person can choose how they react to urges and cravings, as well as how they can approach each day, each challenge, and each triumph. The power of choice is crucial in exploring personal healing, and can be what motivates each person to push through difficulties in pursuit of a better life.

SMART Recovery provides the tools to learn to self-manage in recovery, practicing the skills and strategies necessary to pursue and maintain a healthy approach to daily life. 

However, a focus on self-management does not mean that a person is without support. SMART Recovery equally focuses on the healing efforts of community and peer support. Hawaii Island Recovery further expands on the healing benefits of community with the spirit of aloha throughout each program, blending SMART Recovery’s approach to choice and independent self-management with a supportive and engaged recovery community. 

Maintaining motivation is one of the core tenets of SMART Recovery, and is even the first point of their 4-point program. 

This strategy uses personalized techniques to help each person explore their own benefits and goals for maintaining motivation and overcoming challenges in addiction recovery. Effective goal setting, motivation, cost-benefit analysis, and a focus on personal values and beliefs in sobriety all contribute to a strategy for maintaining motivation throughout any stage of recovery. 

Yes, SMART Recovery is about empowering each person to find the tools to take control of their own sobriety, life, and embrace independence. 

These programs are designed as self-help programs that blend self-empowerment with practical tools and strategies for managing the challenges of addiction recovery, all while putting the individual in control of their own life. Mindfulness techniques to manage urges, challenging irrational beliefs or unhealthy behaviors, and setting effective goals all work to make each person the agent of their own change and transformation in healing. 

No. While both are dedicated to healing and sobriety, SMART Recovery is not a 12-Step program like AA or NA. 

SMART Recovery takes a more secular approach and is not limited by the addiction a person faces. Rather, anyone overcoming any kind of addictive substance or behavior is encouraged to participate.

SMART Recovery focuses on self-empowerment through a secular, evidence-based approach to change, where 12-Step groups typically involve a surrender to a Higher Power. 

12-Step groups utilize an approach that says a person is powerless in the face of addiction to commit to a higher power. Which approach is more effective will depend on the individual, their goals, and spiritual beliefs, though neither program is tied to any one denomination. 

For example, those engaging in 12-step programs do not necessarily have to be religious or ascribe to a specific religious doctrine, and those engaging in SMART Recovery can still continue practicing religious beliefs. 

While the two programs have differing approaches to healing, both are dedicated to a sustainable, sober lifestyle and embrace the healing benefits of community.

Even as SMART Recovery focuses on self-empowerment, both utilize the healing potential to be found in others, sharing experiences, challenging self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, and holding each other accountable in recovery, both for mistakes as well as successes in recovery. 

SMART Recovery does not utilize a Higher Power as a part of its healing processes. 

However, while it does not take a religious approach to healing, it does not ostracize those who are religious in their healing journey. Practicing members of any faith can still benefit from a grounded approach to sobriety and change as they blend these programs with their unique healing journey. 

Each person’s recovery journey will be different, and SMART Recovery is just one option that can help someone find their unique path to sustainable sobriety. 

However, it can also be personalized to fit individual needs, providing support and camaraderie while being combined with other treatment programs and coping strategies. Talking with supports and dedicated professionals like those at Hawaii Island Recovery can help each person explore how SMART Recovery can support their change, and what combination of strategies is most effective. 

Yes! SMART Recovery handbooks are available for quick reference and education. 

There are handbooks regarding the 4-Point program, as well as Life Skills, and for family members and friends to develop communication, maintain boundaries, and understand more about addiction and their role as a support while still tending to personal needs. 

Many treatment facilities will incorporate SMART Recovery in some way, but checking the website, smartrecovery.org, has tools to help locate local in-person SMART Recovery meetings or online options for digital communities. 

SMART Recovery is a non-profit, and attending SMART Recovery meetings is free of charge, with the program supported by generous donations and volunteers to provide support, education, and a community in healing. In light of this, there is typically no need for insurance. 

If a person is attending an inpatient treatment facility that offers SMART Recovery meetings, there may still be costs associated with the residential program. However, these are typically covered by insurance, though how much depends on each person’s unique insurance plan. 

Support groups provide valuable camaraderie in overcoming alcohol use, especially when addiction can feel so isolating, so support groups and group therapy are recommended. 

However, different support groups may have different atmospheres, approaches, and cultures. Finding a support group that aligns with personal beliefs and goals can be essential in benefiting from them, with peers in recovery offering practical skills, perspectives, and keeping a person accountable throughout their recovery journey. 

Absolutely! SMART Recovery is about healing for everyone affected by addiction, and many programs will support anyone who wants to attend, whether they are overcoming addiction themselves or learning more about the disease to best support a loved one. 

Yes, SMART Recovery is a non-profit. 

It is dedicated to providing support and resources for individuals seeking to overcome addiction. As a non-profit organization, it operates primarily on donations, grants, and volunteer support. Its mission focuses on promoting self-empowerment and evidence-based strategies to help individuals maintain long-term recovery.

Yes, SMART Recovery has been effective for many, especially those who prefer a self-empowering, secular approach to overcoming addiction and its effects. 

Still, each person will have to put in the hard work to make the most of these opportunities and healing communities. 

There is no replacement for effective, professional therapy in overcoming addiction or its effects. 

Rather, SMART Recovery offers a community and approach that can be used in tandem with other healing efforts and therapies to make the most of each person’s healing efforts. Continuing to engage in effective personalized therapy while also exploring the benefits that SMART Recovery can offer creates a robust and even more effective approach to a sustainable and healthy future. 

At Hawaii Island Recovery, we offer SMRAT Recovery options in conjunction with an array of personalized healing options for a comprehensive approach to change. With community support, experiential programming, and a community of peers and professionals dedicated to creating a culture of change and acceptance, we embrace anyone ready to take their next step towards a healthier life. To learn more about how we can help, call us today at (866) 390-5070.