Many people struggle with substance addiction ranging from substances like alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, illicit drugs, and prescribed medications. Many people also struggle with behavioral addiction which can look like over-involvement with activities like gambling, sex, eating, spending, relationships, exercise, gaming, etc.
If you are interested in finding a supportive environment to talk about your own relationship with addiction and find tools to help you in your recovery, SkyeHelps Counseling & Wellness hosts a free SMART group. Our licensed clinicians have a passion for addictions treatment and facilitate this SMART Recovery group online and in-person free-of-charge every Wednesday at 7 PM.
What is SMART?
SMART is a nonprofit program founded in 1994 that hosts addiction recovery groups facilitated by trained volunteers. These meetings take place virtually and in-person all over the county.
SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. This program teaches tools that are meant to help you build awareness of how your own thoughts, emotions, and beliefs affect your addiction and your recovery. SMART emphasizes the importance of building problem-solving skills and learning different ways to understand your addiction and recovery.
This approach to addiction recovery support follows a 4-step program:
- Enhance and maintain motivation to abstain
- Cope with urges
- Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Balance momentary and enduring satisfactions
SMART groups are for adults 18+ interested in what abstinence from addiction might look like for them. If the idea of lifelong sobriety sounds scary to you, that’s okay. SMART Recovery recognizes your personal choice in addiction recovery and welcomes you to join our meetings wherever you are in your journey with addiction. SMART’s focus during group meetings is to foster an environment of support and motivation to pursue abstinence.
SMART believes regardless of where you are in your relationship with addiction, you are valued and welcome. SMART is the largest alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous, and is different from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in that SMART emphasizes individual choice and self-empowerment. SkyeHelps’ SMART group is also lead by clinical mental health counselors. SMART is unlike in AA in that spirituality/religion are not aspects of the program.
SMART encourages attendees to explore options that feel right to them, as many SMART participants attend AA and SMART meetings together. Active participation in meetings is encouraged and also entirely optional.
What You Can Expect from this SMART Group:
Connection with other members, two addictions-trained facilitators, and a supportive and welcoming environment. No matter where you are in your journey with addiction or how you feel about your current relationship with addiction, you are welcome to join us for SMART Wednesdays 7pm – 8:30 pm at 72 Public Square N Suite B, Dahlonega, GA, online by following this link.
Why We’re Hosting SMART
Our intention is to offer our clinical skills as mental health therapists to help you find and develop your own wants and goals for your relationship with addiction. We intend to offer you a space to explore your own habits and thoughts while building and offering connection with other group members. We intend to offer our curiosity, our compassion, and our knowledge of addiction and the SMART approach/tools for addiction recovery. We hope the best for you wherever you are in your journey and we are excited to meet you.
Ours is the only in-person SMART meeting located in North Georgia. If you’d like to see other options for SMART meetings including online, check out this online roster of other available SMART meetings! If you’d like to learn more about SMART, check out their website here.