[Guest blog post by Brandi P. from Longwood, Florida]
I have been on a long journey of recovery which first began almost 20 years ago when I ended up at an inpatient treatment center for opiate use disorder, a severe addiction to barbiturates, and an eating disorder. Since then, I have been in and out of treatment centers, day programs, halfway houses, and countless Narcotics Anonymous meetings. I followed the 12-Step program and had “sponsors.” However, I struggled to find real, meaningful, and lasting recovery.
Earlier this year, after over 3 years on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), but without attending any meetings or joining any recovery community, I had one truly horrible day. This set off a spiral of bad choices that resulted in me having my first and hopefully last overdose on fentanyl.
I ended up having a heart attack due to lack of oxygen while awaiting the paramedics and the administration of Narcan. While I was in the hospital, an amazing woman on the addiction team told me about SMART Recovery, something I had never known about.
After my five day stay in the ICU, I returned home on a mission to find a better path to recovery. I was looking for one that fit my kind of brain and made more sense to me, a highly logical individual who has never been religious or very spiritual.
I attended my first online SMART meeting and was in complete shock. Here was a mutual-help recovery program that was based on science, and that wasn’t asking me to admit powerlessness or turn my will over to anyone or anything other than myself. How did I not know about this sooner?!?
I immediately downloaded all the tools available on the SMART website and checked out a copy of the SMART Recovery Workbook from my library. I attended many different online meetings, on different days and times, and from different cities and countries. As I made my way through the workbook and began utilizing the tools, I found myself experiencing a profound sense of peace and absolute joy. I had finally found a logical system for the kind of recovery I had always hoped for and a place where I felt like I belonged.
I was grateful to have access to so many online meetings but was a little disappointed that the closest in-person meeting was over twenty five minutes away. Since I don’t have a car and am currently unemployed, I am unable to attend that meeting. As I attended more online meetings and made my way through the workbook and tools, I began experiencing what I could only explain as a calling. I felt a strong desire, almost like a need, to start a SMART meeting in my hometown. Not only for myself, but for others who may be in a similar situation and would like to be able to meet others face-to-face.
I applied for and received financial assistance for the SMART facilitator training. I started it immediately and completed it as quickly as I could. I am now in the process of securing a location so that I can bring SMART Recovery to Longwood, Florida sometime in the near future. I struggle with social anxiety and, honestly, thinking about facilitating my first meeting terrifies me to my core. However, that fear now only proves to me that I am doing exactly what I need to be doing in order to grow.
I was referred to a MAT program when I left the hospital, so I thankfully am able to access Suboxone for free. I also use an online resource that offers an array of therapies, classes, and skills training.
These classes and the work I am doing in therapy perfectly align with the SMART program and have enhanced what I learned in the facilitator training. Since I am not working at the moment, I have been able to basically create my own outpatient program using therapy, classes, and SMART meetings.
In my group sessions and in the classes, I have made it my mission to spread the word about SMART recovery and have introduced SMART to many of the people I have met through my online resources, including other clients and participants, as well as a few of the therapists who were unaware of the program. The people on the platform are from all over the world, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help spread the word and share SMART recovery with others since it has been so life-changing for me.
I wanted to share my story with you all in honor of National Recovery Month and thank you for helping me to take back control of my life. For the first time in over 20 years, I can finally see a positive, rewarding future for myself and that wouldn’t have happened without SMART Recovery!
FIND A SMART MEETING HERE
