A smart way to beat addictions

Editor: Anybody who is even a casual reader of the news is well aware of the catastrophic and devastating effects fentanyl is having on our youth, our city, our community and beyond.

A quick look at the death statistics across the province and in Kelowna tells a grim and heartbreaking tale.

Interior Health and other agencies are scrambling to curb these numbers by providing safe spaces for addicts and providing medication to counteract overdoses, and while I applaud these efforts, they are ultimately short-term fixes.

I am writing to offer a long term solution. SMART Recovery is the leading self-empowering addiction recovery support group. Our participants learn tools for addiction recovery based on the latest scientific research and participate in a worldwide community which includes free, self-empowering, science-based mutual help groups.

SMART Recovery's four-point program helps people recover from all types of addictive behaviours, including: alcoholism, drug abuse, substance abuse, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, cocaine addiction, and other addictions..

Our approach is to support people who have chosen to abstain, or are considering abstinence from any type of addictive behaviours (substances or activities), by teaching how to change self-defeating thinking, emotions and actions, and to work towards longterm satisfactions and quality of life.

To achieve this goal, we teach self-empowerment and self-reliance, encourage individuals to recover and live satisfying lives, teach tools and techniques for self-directed change. Meetings are educational and include open discussions and advocate the appropriate use of prescribed medications and psychological treatments.

While 12-step programs have helped many people, SMART is a non-religious program that relies on a variety of tools based on cognitive behavioural therapy and rational emotive behavioural therapy to build and maintain motivation, cope with urges, manage thoughts, feelings and behaviours and ultimately live a balanced life.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction of any kind, check our website (smartrecovery.org) or attend one of our three free weekly meetings: Mondays at the Westbank Lions Community Centre,2466 Main Street at 7 p.m.; Tuesdays in the CNIB Building, 1456 St. Paul St. in downtown Kelowna at 7 p.m.; Thursdays at the Living Positive Resource Centre, 168 Asher Rd., Rutland, at 7 pm.

All are welcome in these non-judgmental meetings. The meetings are only an hour long, so I would urge those who are merely curious to drop in and see what we are about. Hope to see you there.

Paul Hearnden, SMART Recovery Facilitator