Subject: News & Views: August 2021

August is Teen & Young Adult Month

Guest Blog by Lorie Hammerstrom

Young People, Age-Old Problems

Substance misuse is not a new problem. Neither is being trapped in a cycle of a negative behavior(s) that have to be addressed in order to live a balanced and healthy life. Teens and young adults are no exception when it comes to battling addiction to substances or compulsive behaviors.

SMART provides teens and young adults the self-empowering, no shame, no blame support they need and deserve. The stigma around addiction and the fear of being judged as powerless and labeled as an addict, alcoholic, etc., often prevents young adults from seeking help.

Similarly, teens and young adults can feel overwhelmed at the thought of having to attend a recovery support group for “the rest of their life.” The fact that SMART supports participants attending only as long as it’s helpful is attractive. This means they can recover.

Podcast

Planting the Seeds for Recovery

In this podcast, hear from SMART employees Lorie Hammerstrom, a facilitator of SMART Teen & Young Adult meetings, and Rae Grady, a SMART Family & Friends facilitator, about SMART principles that resonate with teens and young adults, why it’s important that teens learn to communicate, and more.

Listen Now

Podcast

Finding the Diamond in the Rough

Dave Jansa is a SMART Facilitator in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and someone with lived experience with the Family & Friends program. In this podcast, he talks about how the needs of teens and young adults differ from adults in recovery, how addiction affects everyone in the family, and how using the Family & Friends program transformed the way he interacted with his son.

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NAADAC Webinar

Adolescent Development and Susceptibility
of Teens Toward Addiction

SMART strives to bring timely, content rich articles and information to our community from a variety of sources.

This NAADAC webinar will explore the correlation between normal adolescent development patterns and susceptibility to addiction. There is a strong relationship between risk taking impulse and ability to monitor those impulses. Adolescent brains develop new sets of connections that help teens to better understand social behaviors, cues, and the complexities of relationships.

The webinar is free to watch.

Watch Webinar

Community Spotlight

Oasis Community Recovery Club

The Oasis Community Recovery Club, in Shamokin, PA, will be hosting a teen and young adult SMART meeting starting on Wednesday, September 1^st.

Program coordinator Melissa Fast, thinks, "this is a very valuable light in the darkness."

She invites "teens from ages 14 to 19 to join, and hopes there’s enough interest to expand the age range and break into groups of middle school, high school and young adults."

The goal is to expand the program into other counties in Pennsylvania.

Learn More

Video Resources

Tips & Tools for Recovery That Works

DIBs

We all hold beliefs which guide our actions and influence our feelings. But some of these beliefs may be irrational. And many irrational beliefs may be actually harmful to our recovery.

The SMART Recovery tool DIBs stands for disputing irrational beliefs. It’s a system for breaking down why a belief may be irrational and then applying a systematic approach to come up with a more rational belief to help us along in recovery.

Watch Now

Life Beyond Addiction

Monica Forbes

Monica Forbes is a person in long-term recovery, a nationally certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, an Idaho certified Recovery Coach supervisor, and a certified SMART support group facilitator. She currently serves as the CEO of Recovery United, Inc., which operates and supports Recovery Community Centers, a Recovery Coach program, and the Peer Supports Academy.

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Facilitator Spotlight

Anne Devenport

Anne Devenport sought help for a loved one in SMART Recovery's Family & Friends program and fell in love with the program. As a retired schoolteacher, she now facilitates online Family & Friends and ToolTime meetings! Anne is paying it back for all SMART has done for her.

Watch Now

SMART Events

SMART Recovery National Conference

Leading the Future of Recovery

Saturday, October 23, 2021, 8:00 A.M. ET

SMART Recovery is a global movement of self-empowering addiction recovery mutual support meetings. We, along with many others, are truly leading the future of recovery. And we want you to join us in our mission.

The 2021 SMART Recovery National Conference is an opportunity for you to hear from members of the SMART Recovery community, addiction recovery experts, and industry leaders on the current state of addiction recovery, what the future landscape looks like, and how SMART intends to be involved in the solution into the future.

Thank you to our sponsors

Save-the-Date

Pathways to Recovery Virtual Walk

Save-the-date to join us on September 24-26 for SMART's first-ever, nationwide Pathways to Recovery walk. This virtual event is sure to provide a day of reflection, exercise, and fun. More details coming soon!

SMART Insiders+ Program

Get Inside the Solution

SMART offers you a new and simple way to show your continued dedication to SMART. Introducing the SMART Insiders+ Program.

For a small recurring contribution, you’ll receive a special Insiders+ welcome package and be the first to receive important news and engagement opportunities from SMART Recovery.

Join Today!

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