Sex addiction can feel like an endless cycle. It is challenging to stop the compulsive behaviors and thoughts that have grown out of your control. And once you do, the recovery journey can be long and full of setbacks.
Self-Management and Recovery Training is an educational program to change behavior, thoughts, and feelings. The founders designed it to help people avoid substances or behaviors that cause them pain. It also helps people develop a healthy, positive lifestyle.
Self-Management and Recovery Training
Self-Management and Recovery Training is a global community made up of support groups. At these groups’ meetings, attendees help each other resolve problems with addiction.
SMART uses treatment tools that change as the scientific understanding of addiction evolves. The meetings focus on the present and changes attendees can make using the tools in the program to lead a happier, more productive life now.
Unlike many addiction recovery groups, SMART doesn’t have a spiritual component. People of all religious backgrounds are welcome at the meetings. They can incorporate their spiritual beliefs into their recovery as they see fit.
The program’s focus centers on altering human behavior through four key areas of awareness and change.
4 Key Areas of Awareness and Change
Self-Management and Recovery Training focuses on four key areas for recovery. These four areas are the foundation for behavior change in the program.
1. Building and Maintaining Motivation
Determining your goal and the reason you want to change is critical. Finding what can keep you focused on that goal is crucial to achieving it.
2. Coping With Urges
Even in recovery, you’ll experience triggers that make you want to turn to old coping mechanisms. SMART has tools to help you cope with urges and shift your behavior to develop a healthy, positive lifestyle.
3. Managing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors
It’s not uncommon for a person with sex addiction to use sex as an escape or as a way to avoid addressing problems. The SMART program helps people manage these challenges by teaching problem-solving skills to better cope with difficulties.
4. Living a Balanced Life
People with sex addiction ignore work, relationships, and hobbies to engage in sexual behaviors. SMART works to help you build skills to balance all your goals and pleasures by encouraging healthy, self-soothing alternatives.
Factors to Remember While Recovering
There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for addiction. And every road to recovery has different obstacles. But, some factors are crucial for the likelihood of long-term recovery.
Readiness to Change
Choosing to recover can be a massive change in a person’s life. Because of that, readiness to change is vital. Without that readiness, the shift into recovery is impossible. It’s challenging to take that first step toward a new life. And for some, remaining in the addiction can seem like a safer option. Having that willingness to change and taking the first step is brave.
Belief
To keep working toward recovery and change, you have to believe you can do it. Believing you can make the necessary changes and stick to them is an excellent sign of future success. And the great thing is that believing in yourself can compound over time as you chalk up wins. The longer you work toward positive changes, the more you will believe in your ability to achieve more positive change.
Mental Health Maintenance
Mental health maintenance is also key. Addictive tendencies are often the result of trauma or exist with disorders like depression or anxiety. It’s necessary to treat those disorders to recover. Trauma or other mental health disorders often cause people with addiction to engage in their addictive behaviors to soothe. So, treating and maintaining emotional and psychological health can also help create the conditions for long-term recovery.
Support
Community and interpersonal support is crucial for human existence. It’s an essential part of recovery as well. Recovery is a significant change in people’s lives. So, it can often feel isolating. Being surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through can make the recovery process more manageable.
Structure
Creating a clear structure and sticking to it is essential for recovery. Creating a routine, keeping a daily schedule, and having a sense of control can provide the structure necessary for lasting change.
Recovery with Begin Again Institute
The choice to begin your recovery is a huge step. You don’t have to take it alone. Support is critical and necessary for your success. Begin Again Institute provides the structure, support, and mental health assistance you need to start your recovery journey.
We offer a 14-Day Men’s Intensive to help stop destructive sexual behaviors, find the root cause of your addiction, and create a solid foundation for lasting recovery.
If you’re ready to take the first step on your recovery journey and heal from sexual addiction, contact Begin Again Institute.
Edward Tilton is a proven behavioral healthcare leader with an established track record in the recovery industry space. As an accomplished healthcare leader, Ed has diverse management experience including clinical and business operations, expansion of program development, and clinical service offerings.
