My Nonprofit Reviews

It is not an exaggeration to say that SMART Recovery saved my sanity.

I quit drinking in 1998 and for the first several years following my decision to abstain, I attended another support group whose philosophy is that the power to recover comes from God or a higher power. I struggled greatly in this group because I do not believe this philosophy to be accurate, but attempts to be honest within the group were met with pronunciations that such thoughts were evidence that I was "still sick".

When--after nearly ten years in the other group--I found SMART Recovery, it was like coming home. I literally cried to realize that a group existed that actually fit my way of thinking instead of constantly criticizing it as "sick". SMART's philosophy is that individuals do have the power to recover, and it provides social support and tools to assist in that process. How I wish I had known of, and had access to, SMART Recovery when I first decided to quit! It is my sincere belief that all who are considering the possibility of abstaining from an addictive behavior should know that SMART (as well as all other alternatives) exists and have ready access to it. I just celebrated 19 years of abstinence from alcohol and thanks to SMART, I feel better than I ever have in my life. I run a meeting in my community and it gives me tremendous pleasure to pay it forward.

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