Urges are a natural part of life. But what ARE urges, and what AREN'T they? When it comes to successful recovery, we need to better understand the basic mechanics. To learn more about SMART Recovery please check out: www.smartrecovery.org To find a local online meeting in your area, please go to: https://www.smartrecoverytest.org/local/ To donate to SMART Recovery and help us serve the greater public during the Coronavirus outbreak, please go to: www.smartrecovery.org/donate

Check out SMART Recovery's ABC Tool for Coping with Urges. Derived from REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) - this tool invites you to really evaluate what you believe about problems in your life and then test those beliefs to affect better reactions to them. More at: www.smartrecovery.org Questions/Concerns/Suggestions? Please email us at: tipsandtools@smartrecovery.org

Check out how to use SMART Recovery's tool: The COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS or C.B.A. It's a great way to take a good hard, honest look at what the real risk/reward profile of your behaviors really are, and then make sound decisions accordingly. More info at: www.smartrecovery.org Questions/Concerns/Suggestions? Please email us at: tipsandtools@smartrecovery.org

Have an urge? Next time you're jonesing for whatever you want to abstain from, simply employ the helpful SMART Recovery tool "DEADS". Find out more at www.smartrecovery.org. Questions/Concerns/Suggestions? Please email us at: tipsandtools@smartrecovery.org

Wants some great ammunition to overcome urges in certain circumstances you suspect may be problematic (dates, weddings, football games, etc.)? SMART Recovery has the great ROLE PLAYING TOOL to help you map out future urge scenarios in your mind, and then play them out with a friend in advance so that you can rehearse the urge situations and create the most desirable non-relapse outcome. To learn more about SMART Recovery please check out: www.smartrecovery.org To find a local online meeting in your area, please go to: https://www.smartrecoverytest.org/local/ To donate to SMART Recovery and help us serve the greater public during the Coronavirus outbreak, please go to: www.smartrecovery.org/donation

The DISARM Method is a great help in recovery and a classic drawn from the SMART Recovery Toolkit. It's short for "Destructive Image and Self-Talk Refusal Method." Check out this new Tips & Tools Video to see how you can put its powerful principles to your new or continuing recovery today! To learn more about SMART Recovery please check out: www.smartrecovery.org To find a local online meeting in your area, please go to: https://www.smartrecoverytest.org/local/ To donate to SMART Recovery and help us serve the greater public during the Coronavirus outbreak, please go to: www.smartrecovery.org/donate

Developed by Dr. Carlo DiClemente, the STAGES OF CHANGE model is a very important way to look at your recovery from a long-term perspective. What STAGE are you in? Interested in hearing more from Dr. DiClemente: Check out his recent presentation at the SMART Recovery 2019 National Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBfbo… Questions/Concerns/Suggestions? Please email us at: tipsandtools@smartrecovery.org For more information on SMART Recovery: www.smartrecovery.org

The VACI or Vital Absorbing Creative Interest exercise is a SMART Recovery tool designed to help you think about new, healthful ways to find pleasure, fulfillment or just simple contentment from activities that don’t rely on your substance or addictive behaviors of choice, and ultimately aim to REPLACE them. Questions/Concerns/Suggestions? Please email us at: tipsandtools@smartrecovery.org