To supplement recovery support already provided through Recovery for Redbirds, Self Management and Recovery Training, better known as SMART Recovery, will be offered at Illinois State, beginning Monday, January 10. SMART Recovery is a well-established, national, self-help or mutual aid support group that is grounded in science and focuses on cognitive-behavioral techniques and changing self-defeating thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. SMART Recovery is for anyone who has chosen to abstain or is considering abstaining from any type of addictive or compulsive behavior, whether substances or behaviors. For instance, the group provides support for concerns with nicotine, alcohol, drugs, food/eating, sex, relationships, gambling, spending, skin picking, and other compulsive behaviors.
SMART Recovery focuses on a four-point program that offers tools and techniques for:
- Enhancing and Maintaining Motivation
- Coping with Urges
- Managing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors
- Living a Balanced Life
SMART Recovery also offers support for Friends and Family. While there is not a local SMART Recovery Friends and Family meeting at this time, meetings can be accessed virtually.
SMART Recovery Meeting
- Mondays, 3:30–4:30 p.m.* in Student Services Building, room 314
- *Begins on January 10, 2022
- This is a closed meeting, meaning attendees must be seeking support for themselves.
For additional recovery support resources at Illinois State, consider involvement in Recovery for Redbirds.
To learn more about the multitude of self-help groups available for recovery, view Multiple Pathways of Recovery: A Guide for Individuals and Families.
Have questions? Please contact Jamie Laurson, jllaurs@ilstu.edu, (309) 438-2564.
