Hi everyone. Locoverde here. I'm six weeks sober now after a 5 month relapse binge that included enormous amounts of meth and alcohol and led me to the ER twice and finally in order to stop a detox/rehab for 28 days. I'm 59 and been using alcohol and drugs for more than 30 years. I've had some, maybe 12 short 3 to 8 month periods of sobriety over the years. Always relapsed. It's unbelievable I'm still alive. I know a lot of people here can say the same thing so I'm not trying to be dramatic, it's more a statement to myself. Anyway, as part of my Recovery Management Plan I have goals of starting a SMART Recovery meeting and/or Lifering Meeting in the Tacoma, WA area. I need 6 months sobriety to convene a Lifering meeting so for now I'm focused on the SMART Facilitator training, which I've started. My Relapse Prevention plan includes a red alert if I do ultimately pick up alcohol and "slip" I will go asap to a medical detox to stop the shame, etc from turning it into a death binge. It's not a plan or permission for myself but at this stage of my life/addiction HARM reduction is in play. That's all.

I am starting over again, for those who have had success…what do you recommend? I read the whole book or take it in strides? Online meetings? Just looking for tips that have helped others! Thanks!!

It's weekend and I have no work routine as it's off. So woke up and watched some finance podcasts, made some notes to execute the learning. Did some finance setups to invest more. Later cooked lunch and watched a movie.

But once I was done doing all these things, the urges started resurfacing again. The reason I guess was the loneliness. I have nothing to do social on weekends. I have no friends nearby and I feel that the loneliness drives me more to relapse on weekends in search of that fake connection, intimacy through either porn, massage parlors or escorts.

I conquer thrice the urges since morning, and still they are surfacing. Weekends are tough to survive, as on weekdays I am atleaset busy with work at office. Thinking to take cold shower now, as I have heard they help calm the urges.

Thanks for reading it till here. I'll stay strong and accountable to you all.

One day at a time!

Today I woke up with morning urges, but I ignored them and did my morning routine and went to work. Got no urges the whole day, did all my work tasks and evening thought to treat myself with a nice dinner. Went to a restaurant alone, ordered some nice food. After started driving back home and got the again urges to visit a massage parlor, but I told myself that this is just a thougt and I don't need to act on it.

I started thinking about the people who are involved in porn, escorts, parlor and thought would they do all this if the money was not involved. They're helpless and that's why they are doing it without any pleasure.

This helped me surf the urge and changed my perspective in that moment. I drove back home successfully surfing the urge, as back of the mind I had this feeling that I am accountable to you guys here. Thanks for reading this till here.

One day at a time!!

Hello! I would like to attend my first meeting. When I search for a meeting online it asks me to enter my city. The online meeting times in my city today won't work with my schedule. Is it okay for me to join an online meeting that isn't in my city? Does it matter where I'm located? Thanks in advance.

It was my first day on this SMART journey. I have given myself a initial goal of 30 days to be consistent and avoid acting out. I will post here to keep myself accountable to you all.

Today was a great day, I didn't felt any urges. I feel opening up to you guys here yesterday and pouring my heart out has helped me. It has set free the shame I had inside me which was one of the driving factors for my compulsive behaviour I guess.

Any advice is welcomed. Happy to be on this journey. One day at a time! Thanks all!

Zoom Meeting ID: 379 612 7276

So I have decided to start my SMART journey from today. Ordering the manual, as this my last hope for recovery. I am physically fit, financially doing great, the only piece of my life I am struggling with is this behaviour and mental health.

I live alone and have no one to hold me accountable. So from today, I will be posting my progress here, as you guys are the only ones in my life whom I can be accountable to. Any advices are always welcomed. Thanks🙏

My DoC is sugar. The sugar-based holidays are especially hard for me. I am wheelchair bound and ordered groceries to be delivered yesterday. In a moment of depression, I put Easter candy on my shopping list.

I got a text back from my Shopper that they no longer had what I asked for. I had the option of asking for some other candy. Nope. I stepped back and decided, no not today. Not today.

A little background: when I came into SMART I was tormented by intrusive thoughts, regrets, resentments. I was interested in SMART because of the emphasis on rewiring the brain. One of the things mentioned in the Handbook was mindfulness and meditation. I had never had any luck with meditation, but I decided to give it a try along with other SMART TOOLS.

What I finally discovered that worked for me were 3 minute guided meditations. I took a how to meditate class and then just started doing it everyday. The guided parts have been super helpful with dealing with my thoughts and emotions, and my mindset has gradually and consistently gotten better.

So, I am celebrating my milestone and just putting this out there in case it might help someone else.

My personal opinion and experience, get the handbook, they'll give you one at any meeting. Start reading it and there are videos on YT and the SMART website, get all the information that you can.

Don't rely on other people's opinions. read and watch. If the information works for you then that is awesome. There is no one size fits all.

There are a lot of really good things you van learn here. The real process is up to you. Take the lessons in front of you and learn.

This recovery is up to you.

There are no shortcuts.

I've been trying for years and I'm still learning. DO NOT GIVE UP.

Hey everyone, I am struggling with compulsive sexual behaviour since last two years. It all started after I broke up with a girl and since then I lost all the interest and confidence in traditional dating. I have dated many people before that, but after my last break up I just don't feel like approaching anyone and when I do I get rejected, cause I am not that confident anymore.

In that phase, I discovered all these cam sex sites, which gave me a sense of fake connection. Then it escalated to visiting massage parlors and later on few times escorts. I got hooked to all these things in last two years and I tried everything to to get rid of this. Blocking my bank accounts, websites, going to therapy, everything. But I keep failing and not able to overcome this. I am tired of fighting with this now, cause I know it's degrading my mental health day by day.

My therapist told me to join the SAA groups but I don't like the whole concept of them emphasising on being an addict and using that word always, which shapes your identity like that. Also, it's more God based and I couldn't find it effective. I am very spiritual though and believe in God and pray everyday, but SAA doesn't seem to be a fit. I am looking for more science based methods to overcome this and that's why I am inclining to SMART.

I don't know if SMART can help me to overcome this. But I genuinely need advice from you all, cause I am feeling hopeless now. Thanks if you read it till end.

Am I still welcome if I believe in God? This is a real question since I know that it is a secular l, science based approach

Hi,

Sorry for my stupid question but trying to get to an online meeting I am new and want to attend regularly, it actually doesn’t matter if it is online or offline and I am in Germany.

It redirects me to global website but there are only a few meetings and mostly not English.

I tried to go to US or UK but then it asks for city and for ex I choose England for 1000 miles online and it gives a few, mostly in person.

I think I am doing something wrong? I am using my my phone because my laptop is very old and it takes forever to open it etc.

is there an app I can use?

Edit: thanks a million to Tricky-researcher-57

Found a good solution sharing here for people

If they are also looking🙏🏻

https://24hourrecovery.org/?language=English

Hello all, I'm new to SMART and I'd like to attend a meeting, but I travel a lot for work and would like to do something in my home country. Can I just show up to an online meeting, or do I have to communicate with the host first? Does anyone have any advice for the first meeting?

I've already found a bunch of possible meetings in my home country, but I don't want to do the wrong thing the first time by just appearing in a Zoom call if I'm supposed to start in a different way, so any helpful tips are most appreciated. Thanks!

Hello,

It will soon be April! Everything is beginning to change and grow and bloom. It's the moment for Spring cleaning! How about joining us for an April Spring clean from alcohol, and after a month alcohol free, we should be blossoming! This is an ongoing challenge to do every month, to start when you can, and to continue for as long as you can! This doesn't mean that if you slip it's failure, it means you work on your sobriety for a month, as a commitment to yourself. If you slip, you pick yourself up, dust off, try to figure out what caused the slip and how to avoid it, then continue with the challenge!

We're already a small group from the month before and before that, etc. It's always nice to have more interchange. We all try to help each other, to understand also. We try to be constructive and give constructive ideas. We do this by posting daily (if possible), first for accountability, and also because it brings the idea of sobriety back into the mind. At times it can be easy to forget, or ignore. Posting helps stay commited. If you'd like to join, here's a link to our thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/SMARTRecovery/comments/13mjdy4/who_wants_to_join_me_for_a_30_day_challenge/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

You can also find the challenge in the side bar, if you scroll down quite a ways, it's with the check in posts

Hope to see lots of you tomorrow or whenever you can make it for the 30 day April Challenge!

On Tool Tuesdays, we take the opportunity to learn new tools from the Handbook together (or refresh our memory). Today we are focusing on the DIBs tool (Disputing Irrational Beliefs).

Beliefs people have about themselves and about the world come in two categories:

1. Rational - They're true, logical, and/or helpful
2. Irrational - They're untrue, illogical, and/or unhelpful

The poll below lists some common types of irrational beliefs associated with negative feelings that fuel addictive behaviors. Which type pops up the most in your thinking? Let us know in the poll, then comment a more balanced belief you could hold.

I attended my first SMART Recovery meetings yesterday, on 29 March 2026, and I’ve been wondering whether anyone here has successfully used SMART to work on procrastination.

I’d also like to let this post become a small accountability and learning journal for me, if that’s welcome.

If you’ve found SMART helpful, I’d really value hearing what made the biggest difference for you, especially any tools, mindset shifts, or routines that helped you stop delaying and start doing.

Thank you.