May 15th, 2012
How Drug Use Hijacks Our Response to Happiness
Julie Myers, Psy.D.
It’s not difficult to understand why someone, who is actively using drugs, may feel bored when he/she is not high. It is more difficult to understand why that person may continue to have difficulty enjoying activities once the drug is stopped. But this is not uncommon. People who quit using drugs often report that they are bored, uninspired, and have a hard time enjoying everyday living. Why does this happen? It has to do with the brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called dopamine.
We are programmed from birth to seek pleasure, and when dopamine is released into the brain, we experience it as pleasure. Pleasurable activities release dopamine into the brain, and our choice to engage in activities often has a direct relationship to the amount of dopamine released.
Drugs of abuse release rapid and large amounts of dopamine directly into the brain. In essence, they hijack the normal pleasure/reward pathway of the brain, directly stimulating it with readily available dopamine. Read more »
May 8th, 2012
2012 National Drug Control Strategy
Kathleen Sebelius, Eric Holder, Gil Kerlikowske
Illegal drugs not only harm a user’s mind and body, they devastate families, communities, and neighborhoods. They jeopardize public safety, prevent too many Americans from reaching their full potential, and place obstacles in the way of raising a healthy generation of young people.
To address these challenges, we are releasing the
2012 National Drug Control Strategy – the Obama Administration’s primary policy blueprint for reducing drug use and its consequences in America. The President’s inaugural
National Drug Control Strategy, published in 2010, charted a new direction in our approach to drug policy. Today’s
Strategy builds upon that approach, which is
based on science, evidence, and research. Most important, it is based on the premise that drug addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that can be prevented and treated.
Simply put, we are not powerless against the challenge of substance abuse – people can recover, and millions are in recovery. These individuals are our neighbors, friends and family members. They contribute to our communities, our workforce, our economy, and help make America stronger.
Decades of Research and Scientific Study
Our emphasis on addressing the drug problem through a public health approach is grounded in decades of research and scientific study. There is overwhelming evidence that drug prevention and treatment programs achieve meaningful results with significant long-term cost savings.
Read more »
May 1st, 2012
Self-Management Begins with Intention
-Charles A., SMART Recovery® Facilitator
SMART Recovery is about actively managing your self and directing your actions. What do you intend to actively do today… or ‘NOW’… to manage your addiction recovery?
We have the power of choice, but in order to realize this power, forming intentions and doing the work of changing our thinking and behaviors is required for success… so…
… what’s your intention for self-management today?
Here are some examples (different addiction examples are included here.)
- Study in my SMART Recovery handbook for 15 minutes
- Attend a meeting
- Take my vitamins
- Work on an item I’ve put off
- Eat sensibly
- Respect myself by examining and rating my thoughts and behaviors… instead of self-rating and self-downing
- Drive home a different way to avoid my old patterns
- Exercise for 10-15 minutes
- Drink water instead of soda at lunch
- Create an urge log
- Practice unconditional acceptance with myself and others
- Set a new boundary
- Do a Cost-Benefit Analysis worksheet
- Spend 10 minutes reading in the online library, and then practicing what I’ve learned
- Stay in the NOW, rather than letting my mind drift to the past or the future
- Make a journal of the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) I have each day, and work to dispute them
- Spend 15 minutes cleaning the kitchen
………… and so forth.
Read more »
April 30th, 2012
Try this free online web course.
We have a limited number of spots available in our new online web course.
More Info: http://tinyurl.com/3ua4x5n .
April 24th, 2012
Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse, Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, to be held on Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Data Shows that Friends and Family Are A Primary Source of Abused Painkillers
From the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP):
The ONDCP has released a new data analysis revealing that the majority of first-time or occasional prescription drug abusers are most likely to get their drugs from a friend or family member– for free, or without permission. Prescription drugs are the second-most abused category of drugs in the United States, following marijuana. When taken as directed for legitimate medical purposes, prescription drugs are safe and effective. However, they are just as dangerous and deadly as illegal drugs when used for non-medical reasons. This new analysis found that:
Among new abusers of pain relievers (those who began misuse of pain relievers in the past year), 68 percent obtained the pills from a friend or relative for free or took them without asking, Read more »
April 17th, 2012
How to replace unhealthy addiction activities with healthy and rational choices
We experience different states of consciousness every day. At work, we must stay “on,” stay focused, respond carefully, etc. At home, we like to “zone out,” to not be “on,” to relax. We also all enjoy a different state of consciousness: sleep.
But at other times, many of us also like something very different from either our “on,” focused, responsible state or our relaxed, “zoned out” state. Some chemicals and activities help us achieve these different states, e.g., alcohol, skiing, sex, internet gaming, dancing, etc. For many people, these result in wonderful states of consciousness, and they manage not to overdo them or get addicted to them. But supposing you are not so lucky and become dependent or addicted.
The dopamine rush
Modern neuroscience suggests that we all need a certain level of dopamine to feel okay. Read more »
April 10th, 2012
By Randy Lindel, Facilitator, SMART Recovery® Boston
Read on for five (5) practical ideas on how to cope with urges and cravings after you have decided to abstain from drugs and alcohol.
Cravings are normal
Everyone who’s engaged in addictive behavior will experience uncomfortable cravings (“I want it badly”) and urges (“I have to do it now”). They are normal. And fortunately, they always pass with time. At the outset of recovery, they can be pretty intense, but each one will subside if you can wait it out and have a plan for relapse prevention. Cravings and urges will decrease in strength and frequency over time. You can make this happen by adopting some coping strategies that work best for you.
Learning to resist cravings
For many people, urges and cravings to use drugs or alcohol trigger automatic responses. They are without conscious thought: I want [fill in the blank]. = I get it. Learning to say NO to these intense, ingrained desires is one of the biggest challenges in recovery. The good news is that you can understand these desires and learn to resist them. Read more »
April 9th, 2012
Try this free online web course
Download: Printable Flyer
If you are new to SMART Recovery, this study may be of interest.
New SMART Recovery members are eligible to participate in a randomized clinical trial of a new addiction recovery program, Overcoming Addictions.
You may benefit in two ways:
1. You may learn how to achieve and maintain abstinence from drinking and
2. You may get support from others in SMART Recovery that could help with your recovery.
You may also be reimbursed up to $120 for your time to collect outcome data for the study.
Read more »
April 3rd, 2012
The UNTOLD Truth About Mainstream Alcohol and Addiction Treatment Programs and the SECRETS on How to Eliminate the Problem for Good
by Hank Hayes
Ashley E. Phillips, SMART Recovery Volunteer
Personal accounts of struggles with addiction abound–Hank Hayes’ book is a bit different because it emphasizes a new, solution oriented approach, rather than focusing on the problem of alcohol abuse.
Hayes lets the reader know from the start that his experience with 12-step recovery was ultimately not successful, although I must say he seems to have given it his very best effort. The 12-step approach to overcoming addiction is the one most mainstream Americans are familiar with, and an approach that works for many, but not for all.
In clear, plain language, Hayes critiques the 12-step method from his perspective. Many people will relate to his story and his frustrations.
Happily, he found an alternative recovery approach that did work for him and he not only shares it (SMART Recovery, a program based on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy–REBT) but he also presents his own set of guidelines for achieving addiction-free health and lifestyle balance during recovery and in post addiction life. Read more »
March 27th, 2012
April is Volunteer Month
Each April, SMART Recovery celebrates Volunteer Month as a way to not only recognize the efforts of our many dedicated volunteers, but also to encourage others to help meet the demand to bring SMART Recovery to others and to share in the rewarding experience of volunteering.
This year, through the generous donation of an anonymous supporter of SMART Recovery, a number of Volunteer Training Grants are available during Volunteer Month to provide training for those who qualify for financial assistance to cover the cost of the SMART Recovery Facilitator and Support Team Distance Training (FAST).
Volunteer Training Grants are available for local and online facilitators, message board volunteers, chat volunteers, and other volunteers that may benefit from the SMART Recovery FAST training.*
Applications for Volunteer Training Grants will be accepted for the entire month of April. If you’ve been considering volunteering at SMART Recovery, now may be your best time to get trained, get involved, and experience the rewards of helping others make a difference in their own lives. Read more »
