Subject: News & Views: November 2022

A New Memoir &

Get Ready to Party on New Year's Eve!

Podcast

Becoming a Shadow of Myself

Johnny Allison’s substance use started as a way to cope with the trauma of war and chaos of military life. His recovery started as a way to become the soldier and person he knew he was and could be. Today, he is a Veteran, SMART Facilitator, and the Lead of the SMART UK Veterans Program.

In this podcast, Johnny talks about what motivated him to join the British Army, the best things about attending a SMART Veterans meeting, plus more.

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Guest Blog

Help! My Loved One is Gaslighting Me!

The word “gaslighting” frequently creeps into Family & Friends meetings. A participant might share that their Loved One says “I didn’t say that I was going to go to a SMART meeting,” or “Of course I haven’t slipped back into my old addictive ways,” or “You got the time wrong, again.” All of which serves to make the participant doubt their perceptions and maybe even their sanity – classic gaslighting (reminiscent of the wonderful 1944 movie Gaslight).

So, what can we do, as Family & Friends (F&F), when our Loved One (LO) seems to want us to second-guess ourselves and our judgment? We can, of course, turn to what we learn in F&F meetings and the Handbook...

Podcast

I'm Not the Go Along Guy;
I'm the Self-Efficacy Guy

Dr. Stanton Peele is a lawyer, professor, psychologist, psychotherapist, and author. Of all of these titles, he’s probably best known as an advocate and pioneer in the addiction and treatment world. His new memoir, A Scientific Life on the Edge: My Lonely Quest to Change How We See Addiction, is his 16^th book that tackles addiction issues.

In this podcast, Stanton talks about, a new way to conceptualize addiction, the motivation to write his memoir, plus more.

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Guest Blog

Smarter Treatment? New Medication Shows Promise in Battling Alcohol Use Disorder

Chances are, unless you are currently taking it, the medication Spironolactone’s uses are a mystery. In fact, it is used to address heart problems and high blood pressure. But a recent study published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests another use: treating alcohol use disorder (AUD). For the 14.5 million people ages 12 and older who, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), had AUD, this might be very good news.

The recent study identifying Spironolactone, by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues at the Yale School of Medicine, involved mice, rats, and humans. The evidence is said to be significant because it converged across three species and involved different kinds of studies.

In Other SMART News

Mark Your Calendar

New Year's Eve Around the World

As the holiday season fast approaches, SMART Recovery is busy planning for New Year’s Eve Around the World (NYE-ATW). This special event is a celebration of community by observing together the arriving new year in each time zone.

This annual volunteer driven event, has been an important part of many individuals New Year’s Eve plans since 2007. While previously limited to SROL participants and volunteers, this year’s celebration is open to the entire SMART Recovery community! Our goal is to offer a lighthearted, entertaining, and supportive space for the entire SMART Recovery community across the globe.

Our NYE-ATW event creates fun ways for people to talk about recovery, period. It’s a unique way to give and receive support from others in recovery, meet new people, and participate in a festive recovery atmosphere. We love being able to offer an alternative way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, which we know can be a challenging holiday.

This event starts December 31^st at 5:30 a.m. ET and ends on January 1^st at 3:30 a.m. ET with volunteers hosting hourly timeslots. This can be a challenging holiday, so we love being able offer an alternative way to celebrate entering the New Year in recovery!

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Amazon Smile

Did you know you can donate to worthy causes like SMART Recovery while you shop using AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, you can elect to donate 0.5% of your purchase to the charity of your choice - at no cost to you. This includes SMART Recovery!

If you already shop on Amazon, or if you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for your loved one, we invite you to shop at smile.amazon.com and select SMART Recovery as your charity of choice.

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