Letter to the Editor: SMART Recovery Programs

Dear Editor,

I am a recent transplant to Sarasota and have been working in the field of chemical addictions for 25 years.  I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (California). I am also a person in long term recovery from substance abuse.

I would like to comment on a community based free recovery group that is available to our community. SMART Recovery currently meets once a week in Sarasota and is led by a trained/certified facilitator who has a background as a Therapist. SMART stands for Self Management and Recovery Training. There are currently about 1,000 meetings worldwide. It is a non-spiritually based program using research based on cognitive behavioral format.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has long recognized the Cognitive Behavioral Treatment model (CBT) as being one of the more effective evidence-based models for working on addictive behaviors. Working towards abstinence and relapse prevention are important aspects of the CBT model and SMART Recovery.

The mission statement of SMART is “To support individuals who have chosen to abstain, or are considering abstinence from any type of addictive behaviors (substances or activities), by teaching how to change self-defeating thinking, emotions, and actions and to work towards long-term satisfactions and quality of life”.

One can attend SMART Recovery groups and continue in other programs such as 12 step programs. I encourage those who struggle with addictions and/or compulsive behaviors to check out our local meeting. Call Darryl Mizer, Certified SMART Facilitator, 941-966-9655

Sam Minsky, MA,LMFT (Calif.)

Siesta Key