SMART Recovery Yukon

Please note about in person meetings starting again on Monday 7 pm October 12 at the Sarah Steele Building.

In person meetings are still on hold until Yukon restrictions change. This is just a reminder there are numerous daily free online meetings at www.smartrecovery.org. There is access to counselling services through Yukon CMHA (https://yukon.cmha.ca/) and services available through Yukon Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (http://www.hss.gov.yk.ca/mwsu.php). Finally, there are links on this page that can provide additional information and support.

Remember with the additional time you may have on your hands, to identify the hobbies, interests, and pursuits you used to do, or want to try. In SMART Recovery they are called Vital Absorbing Creative Interests (VACI's) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCyfVdbZ8AQ). Identifying them, trying them out, and scheduling VACI's into your daily routine can assist in reducing stress, increased calmness, reduce boredom, and aid in replacing addictive behaviours with new positive ones.

During this time of social distancing and self isolating, it is important to remember to focus on what we can control and let go of what we can not control. Also remember we are NOT our addictive behaviour and it does NOT define us. Working on your Unconditional Self Acceptance is important (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgM32-FF6gA&feature=youtu.be). Remember to give yourself the same compassion, support, and tolerance you are giving to those around you.

As well, for those in the Yukon needing counselling and crisis support. Here is a full list of services available to Yukoners during social-isolation or physical-distancing measures (https://yukon.ca//find-covid-19-counselling-and-crisis-sup).

While local SMART Recovery meetings are on hold with the covid-19 pandemic need to limit gatherings and social distancing, there are online options for SMART meetings through the www.smartrecovery.org site. To learn how to access the site see this video for assistance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGXwY0cCqfo )

Wanted to inform there are mental health virtual services being worked on by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Yukon Division. Please see the March 19,2020 Whitehorse Daily News article or visit the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Yukon Division website https://yukon.cmha.ca/ for more information.

At this time the Monday SMART Recovery Group Meetings are on hold. Due to the covid-19 situation and direction from the Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services access to meetings are on hold. Meetings will commence again once direction is given to hold them in person. Please do not forget the free and anonymous online daily meetings and resources found at www.smartrecovery.org.

Please do not forget there are daily multiple online SMART Recovery meetings at https://www.smartrecovery.org/ It is free and anonymous. So while we take precautions at this time to self isolate as needed, do not forgo the need for support with our recovery through group meetings. There are online and digital ways to still embrace them.

Monday March 16 Meeting is Cancelled. Meeting is still planned for next Monday but will be updated as more information becomes available with the covid-19.

There are multiple pathways for recovery and each person's path can include using information and understandings from a full range of spiritual, cultural, medical, peer support, recovery programs, and science. Some information sources which are found on many recovery sites and were useful in my recovery include books such as: Sober for Good by A. Fletcher,The Tao of Sobriety by Gregson and Efran, and Wasted by Pond and Palmer. These are only provided as examples to encourage... people to explore all sources of information not specifically tied to one or another recovery program. Reading and exploring all aspects to recovery can assist in creating a path using multiple sources of knowledge and approaches.

See all the available Smart Recovery videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/smartrecovery/videos

Smart Recovery has posted new videos on the tools and concepts for dealing with addictive behaviours and substance use disorders. Including Unconditional Self Acceptance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgM32-FF6gA&feature=youtu.be), Stages of Change (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PareSSJvkA ), Vital Absorbing Creative Interests (VACI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCyfVdbZ8AQ ) and reaffirming the values important to us in recovery (HOV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW63Ddsgol0)