SMART Takes--June 2025

- Tweet0
- 0
- Pin It 0
- 0
- Subscribe to RSS
Subscribe

Subject: SMART Takes--June 2025

Mental Health Awareness, Shedding Regrets, and the Power of Gulls

Editor's Note
From the Back-Patting Department

This spring has brought powerful reminders of the impact that SMART is making. On April 30, the New England Journal of Medicine — one of the most respected medical journals in the world — recommended SMART Recovery as a mutual aid group for addiction recovery. It's the third time in just four months we’ve been recognized in its pages.

This kind of national visibility doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thousands of volunteers showing up, week after week, to create compassionate, science-based spaces where people can find support. Thank you to our volunteers and to all those who support SMART in other ways as an effective recovery pathway!

Podcast
Holding Space For Choice

There is a well documented connection between problematic substance use and mental health conditions. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked SMART facilitator Kelly Scullin to join us in a conversation about mental health and recovery. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and has deep experience in the human resources field.

Kelly brings a unique perspective to her work based on her personal journey with substance use, her status as a "self-proclaimed recovering type A," and the coaching skills linked with facilitating group meetings and helping people make the best decisions for themselves. As a person who stays curious and explores the world around her, Kelly is a positive force in the continued growth and development of SMART.

Listen Now

INQUIRING MINDS...
Addressing the Mental Health of Patients' Family and Friends

When a loved one struggles with addictive behaviors, affected family members and friends often want to offer support, but aren’t sure how. This can cause worry and increase the likelihood of mental health challenges such as insomnia, depression or anxiety. A recent article in the Recovery Research Institute newsletter reports on a new study that looked at characteristics of "concerned others" and of patients with alcohol use disorder that impact quality of life in the first year of a recovery attempt after treatment. Spoiler alert: social support groups like SMART Family & Friends help!

Read Article

Blog
Letting Go Of Regret

[Guest Blog by SMART Facilitator Rick Kuplinski]

We enter recovery wounded. We have been hurt (and hurt others) by the costs of our addictive behavior, whether it is damage to our physical and emotional health; our relationships with family, friends, co-workers, the world in general; our security and freedom(e.g. losing a place to live or the ability to drive, being incarcerated); or the actual financial costs of engaging in our behavior and dealing with its aftermath. And then there is also the cost of lost opportunity—all those things we once hoped to do, achieve, experience that got crowded out by our overwhelming focus on doing the thing(s) we now hope to address by participating in SMART Recovery.

So, it is natural that we are filled with feelings of regret as we embark on this journey. Why did I act that way? Why did I do the things I did? How did I let things go so far? What is wrong with me? Am I a bad person? These are questions that weigh on our minds...

Blog
Personal Reflection: The Gall of Gulls

[Guest Blog by SMART participant Matthew Frazier]

During my years at Almaden Valley Nursery, my lunch breaks became cherished moments of solace amidst the chaos of life. Midday and early evenings found me at Almaden Lake Park, a tranquil refuge where Canada geese glided gracefully upon the water, and a multitude of local birds entertained me with their vibrant displays. Yet, it was the gulls-the lake gulls—that intrigued me the most. It was a daily ritual to observe their gatherings, a phenomenon I would fondly refer to as “the gall of gulls..."

The New 4th Edition Handbook

is Here!

The SMART Recovery Participant Handbook, 4th Edition is here—and it’s more than just an update. It’s a thoughtful reimagining of the tools, language, and layout to better meet the needs of people in recovery. Whether you are new to SMART or already part of the community, this edition offers clear, easy to understand, practical information and resources.

Read About The New Handbook

¡SMART Recovery está ahora en español!

SMART Recovery es un programa gratuito de grupos de ayuda mutua para aquellas personas que quieren abstenerse de cualquier comportamiento adictivo, ya sea sustancia o actividad.

Tú estás en control de tu recuperación. Con SMART Recovery, las personas encuentran el poder dentro de sí mismas para cambiar y llevar una vida sana, plena y llena de satisfacciones.

Visita nuestra página web www.smartrecovery.org.es para los horarios, herramientas, y más recursos.

Explora Más

SMART MERCH!

SMART Recovery Apparel & Merchandise

Don’t forget that our shop has apparel and merchandise that is available to order anytime you'd like! Show your SMART spirit with shirts, hats, coffee mugs, backpacks, laptop sleeves, and more!

Shop Now

Shop Now

Support SMART Recovery

Help us help others by providing a gift today.

Your tax-deductible contribution to SMART supports our self-empowering, science-based, stigma-free approach to recovery. Together we can transform recovery - one unique individual at a time.

Donate to SMART

SMART Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Stay Connected

Subscribe

Subject: SMART Takes--June 2025