This book is a real life-saver and having it on my Kindle to take with me is even better. This book outlines the basics of the SMART Recovery program and, in spite of its relatively short length, covers all of the essentials of overcoming addictions - everything from building motivation to examining your values to how to do a cost-benefit analysis for your addiction to how to cope with urges. The urge-coping skills section's particularly good - they offer quite a few "basic" and "advanced" strategies for coping with urges "in the moment."
One of the advantages of this over 12-step programs is the fact that, unlike AA, it embraces the idea of full recovery; it doesn't see addiction as a chronic disease that you can control but never cure. In SMART you CAN eventually get to the point where you don't have to do anything special to "maintain." This point'll vary by person obviously, but it's absolutely possible.
I know several people liked this book because it's non-religious. I would like to clarify that this is a perfectly acceptable program for those of us who are religious. In many ways I actually find this more consistent with my Christian values than AA was.
If anything, I think AA as a program is the one that's problematic from a religious perspective. Not to go off on an anti-AA rant, but here it goes: apart from disagreeing with several key ideas behind AA (e.g. the "disease model"), I disliked the implicit subjectivism and, quite frankly, magical thinking involved in AA. If you wanted your "Higher Power" to be a doorknob, that's fine in AA. (Now, obviously, your doorknob isn't a source of actual power, either spiritual or otherwise, but what's that to AA?). In meetings people would often say "well, my Higher Power's like this..." or "my higher power's like that..." The two ideas presented might totally contradict each other and be viewed as, in some sense, "true" as far as the group goes. Half the time the ideas presented are some god the speaker made up and formed in their own image - their "Higher Power" is the god they wished existed, not the one that actually does. What you end up with is smorgasbord religion and what some authors have described as "moralistic therapeutic deism." In any case, I'll stop ranting - my purpose here isn't to bash AA.
The program and handbook also help you "de-claw," normalize, and demythologize the urges. I used to think of urges as completely unbearable, awful, and permanent (i.e. if I don't engage in my compulsive behavior I'll feel 100% bad 100% of the time until I do and I won't be able to stand it). They show instead that having urges is a normal part of early recovery; they aren't awful, permanent (they do, in fact, pass if you let them), or intolerable. Thinking in that way, especially when combined with urge coping skills and the ability to be more accepting of urges (I don't like them and wish I didn't have them but I can live with them while I'm getting away from the addiction), has made a tremendous difference in my ability to cope. I can now see urges and urge-coping as being like muscles - the more I use urge-coping the stronger the rational part of my mind becomes and the more I give in and engage in the behavior the stronger that becomes.
If you like the Rational Recovery books ("The Small Book," "Taming The Feast Beast," etc.), especially the earlier ones where they were still primarily using REBT, you'll love this book. SMART doesn't have concepts that correspond exactly to "the Beast" or AVRT that I've found yet (they're not described in the handbook), but the programs compliment each other well. Yeah, I know RR and Jack Trimpey walked away from support groups, but I still like the combination.
The other thing I like is that this program works for all kinds of addictive and compulsive behavior (or, I imagine, even plain old bad habits; to give away the big secret). Whether you're quitting alcohol, cocaine, bulimia, or gambling, you can apply a lot of the same principals. Granted, there are some differences between quitting bulimia and quitting alcohol - you don't have to drink alcohol but you do have to eat - but a lot of the same ideas work in both cases; things like building and maintaining motivation and the urge coping skills are identical.
My only complaint about the Kindle edition is that it's sometimes a little hard to navigate and if it has page numbers/markings I haven't been able to find them. On the other hand, the nice thing about the Kindle edition is that it's easy to carry around (if I have my Kindle I have the book - I don't need to add another book to my bag) and it's easy to read in public if you don't want to spread around the fact that you're recovering from an addiction. (I take the train to work a lot of days; reading on the Kindle obviously looks just like reading any other book).
I highly recommend this book if you're trying to quit a compulsive behavior. This is a wonderful alternative to 12-step programs.
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This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.Made with chemicals safer for human health and the environment.As certified byOEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX requires every component of a textiles product—including all thread, buttons, and trims—to be tested against a list of more than 1,000 harmful regulated and unregulated chemicals which may be harmful to human health. The assessment process is globally standardized, independently conducted, and updated at least once a year based on new scientific information or regulatory requirements. Certification focus: #ProductSafety and #ChemicalsUsed.Certification Number23.HUS.33631Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.Made with chemicals safer for human health and the environment.As certified byOEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX requires every component of a textiles product—including all thread, buttons, and trims—to be tested against a list of more than 1,000 harmful regulated and unregulated chemicals which may be harmful to human health. The assessment process is globally standardized, independently conducted, and updated at least once a year based on new scientific information or regulatory requirements. Certification focus: #ProductSafety and #ChemicalsUsed.Certification Number23.HUS.33631Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.Made with materials from well-managed forests, recycled materials, and/or other controlled wood sources.As certified byThe Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) supports responsible forestry, which is a vital solution to combat climate change. Choosing FSC-certified products – whether furniture, building materials, paper, rubber, or textiles – helps protect forests, wildlife, clean water and supports the Indigenous Peoples, forest workers and communities who depend on them. Choosing FSC-certified products can also help to mitigate climate change by supporting responsible management of the world’s forests. For a better future, choose FSC.Sustainability features
This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.Made with chemicals safer for human health and the environment.As certified byOEKO-TEX STANDARD 100
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX requires every component of a textiles product—including all thread, buttons, and trims—to be tested against a list of more than 1,000 harmful regulated and unregulated chemicals which may be harmful to human health. The assessment process is globally standardized, independently conducted, and updated at least once a year based on new scientific information or regulatory requirements. Certification focus: #ProductSafety and #ChemicalsUsed.Certification Number23.HUS.33631
Popular Highlights in this book
“I used to have an addictive behavior but I choose not to act that way any more.”Highlighted by 1,740 Kindle readers- Recovery is a journey in which you learn to substitute short-term gratification and irrational thinking with rational perspectives and a focus on your long-term goals.Highlighted by 1,444 Kindle readers
- Committing to abstinence means that you are committing to change. It requires patience, persistence, and practice. Breaking a commitment to abstinence is not the same as giving up on it.Highlighted by 1,262 Kindle readers
- You have power over the choices you make, how you behave, and the goals you set for your future.Highlighted by 1,154 Kindle readers
- Hopelessness often fuels addictive behavior. This is why SMART discourages the use of labels.Highlighted by 938 Kindle readers
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- Amazon customerReviewed in Spain on April 6, 2017
Excellent alternative to AA literature
