In order to truly allow yourself to heal, you have to be the one to initiate healing. You cannot try to recover from addiction because someone else wants or needs you to. If you are not the one motivating yourself to become clean, the chance of you remaining clean is drastically low. The Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Program is sometimes used as an alternative to 12-step treatment programs. The SMART treatment is based on psychological principles, focusing on teaching self-help techniques or strategies as well as physical issues of addiction. In short, the SMART program is a scientific recovery option that can help you learn how to become more self-reliant and capable of managing stress to live a happier, healthier life.
During the recovery process, you can learn about the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavioral change. The TTM is the most dominant model for behavior change among psychologists and therapists. There are several stages of behavior change. The patient begins the treatment in the pre-contemplation stage, progressing to the contemplation, preparation, action, and finally the maintenance stage. The addict undergoing treatment may fluctuate and wobble between stages, but it is your strong commitment and motivation that will allow you to maintain abstinence. Self-help knowledge and practice is key to recovery.
The next step to changing your behavior is achieved by creating a list of the benefits and weaknesses to smoking weed. This list of appealing and appalling qualities can help you understand everything that you can gain by quitting. Common advantages of smoking may be the euphoric effect, the entertainment, or stress relief. However, these effects are quite short term in relation to the benefits of quitting. If you quit smoking, you can gain the benefits of better health, relationships, work life, legal, and financial situations. In addition, you lose all of the negative effects that smoking weed can bring. It can be extremely helpful to refer back to this list if you are ever feeling like relapsing. Know that the struggle you are experiencing is temporary, and the benefits you give yourself are much more rewarding and long-lasting than those weed can bring.
A helpful step in recovery can be listing five things that are the most important to you in order of importance. Essentially, it is a hierarchy of things you value and cherish. Some people put down family, happiness, health, etc. Note where smoking is on your list, if it is on their at all. Now, realize how smoking weed affects nearly every item on that list. Weed interferes with things you deem practically essential to life and blocks your happiness. Instead of focusing your attention on weed, center yourself on the things that are important to your existence. Remember to keep sight of your goals and plans you have for life, and try to help yourself achieve them.
LEAD Recovery Center can help guide you on the road to recovery. Call (800) 380-0012 for information on how you can join a facility full of people who care about your personal journey. No one has to suffer through addiction recovery on their own, and you can learn about how to best help yourself at LEAD’s caring, calm center. Get yourself the treatment you deserve. Call (800) 380-0012 today.
