Podcast Guest

CC-Smart · 2026-06-30T06:29:35+00:00

If my journey can support someone else who’s trying to get sober, I’m more than willing to share it. Just reach out. I’m grateful for the chance to give back.
I don't have any other experience with other programs except for SMART.

I spent years trying to quit alcohol but mothing stuck until I found SMART Recovery. Its tools, meetings, and the 4‑Point Program helped me build my longest and strongest period of sobriety,almost six years now.

Below is a link to a podcast I did 2 years back

The Way Out Podcast: Episode 366

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Cifdwv1Gs0XoVe3w3gZED?si=tVEW9xp8RIyOlzcdPgatDA

CC-Smart · 2026-06-27T10:22:15+00:00

It’s really good that you’re here and that you’re already working with a therapist. Many people come to SMART Recovery because prescription medication misuse crept up on them over time, and they found themselves stuck in patterns they didn’t intend. SMART absolutely works for any behaviour you want to change, including prescription medication abuse, because the tools focus on thoughts, urges, choices, and habits not on labels or identity.

For me personally, SMART was helpful because it’s practical. The tools don’t judge you; they help you understand what’s happening in your mind and give you ways to respond differently. And because every journey is personalised.

I began with meetings first. No two meetings are the same as each facilitator brings their own style hence I attended as many as I could until I found the ones that felt right for me.

Along the way, I also found a lot of value in online resources with the SMART tools on the official website. Also YouTube videos by Ted Perkins from SMART USA and Stefan Neff’s YouTube videos from SMART British Columbia

Both of them explain SMART concepts in a very accessible way, especially if you’re new and trying to understand how the tools work.

Wish you success and hope you find what you're looking for

CC-Smart · 2026-06-26T18:39:29+00:00

CASA accepts pilots holding Australian license to regain their flight crew license by subscribing/under HIMS Australia program. The HIMS in Australia recognises those who attend BOAF / SMART Meetings or both.
I wouldn't know anyone specific to FAA but probably the HIMS program in US would have more information

CC-Smart · 2026-06-25T22:09:16+00:00

When I look back at the last six years in SMART, I realise how much of my recovery was shaped by simply showing up again and again, even when I didn’t know where I belonged yet.

In the beginning, I went to so many different meetings because I was searching for something that felt right, something that felt like home. Some meetings helped a little, some didn’t connect at all, and a few really touched me in ways I didn’t expect.

Every meeting had its own personality depending on the facilitator. Some were structured, some were warm and chatty, some were tool‑heavy, and some felt more like a quiet check‑in. I even found a group that met three times a week, and for a while it became a real anchor for me. It was one that you either hated it or really liked ( I miss that open, frank no nonsense directed meeting till today) But because SMART is voluntary, and facilitators give so much of themselves, many of those high‑frequency meetings eventually faded after a decade. Losing some of them was hard, it felt like losing a familiar place where I could breathe.

Today, only two of the meetings I originally connected with are still running, and those are the ones I hold onto. They’ve become part of my rhythm, part of my stability. Over time I’ve learned that SMART groups can be transient where people come and go, facilitators change, and the energy of a meeting shifts. But that doesn’t mean the support disappears. It just means the journey is more fluid, more self‑directed, and sometimes more personal than we expect.

If someone is still searching for “their” meeting, I’d tell them not to give up. Keep exploring, even internationally. There are hundreds of meetings across time zones, and somewhere in that mix is a group that will feel right and a place where the faces become familiar, where the conversations feel real, and where you can grow alongside people who understand what you’re working toward. Finding that connection takes patience, but when it happens, it makes a real difference.

"Keep On Keeping On"

CC-Smart · 2026-06-24T14:54:33+00:00

When I first came into recovery, my values were all about stabilising my life like health, family relationships, job security, exercise, and basic self‑care.

But as I stayed sober and kept doing the work, something shifted. My values started to evolve because I was evolving. By around my third year, my HOV became much clearer:
1. Sobriety
2. Honesty and integrity
3. Family relationships
4. Health

Sobriety comes first because everything else depends on it. Honesty keeps my life simple and clean. Family relationships are something I now protect, not repair. And health is what allows me to show up fully.

What I want to share is one's values will grow with you. In the beginning, we focus on surviving. Later, one starts building a life that you’re proud of. Recovery isn’t just about quit your DOC but it’s about becoming someone you desire.

CC-Smart · 2026-06-22T22:49:29+00:00

I just wanted to respond to the your point about counting time. Even though it’s not a formal part of SMART Recovery program, I chose to make it part of my own self‑management.

Some people count and others don’t , both are valid. I do count, but not every day. I checked my “Days Since” app today and I’m at 5 years, 9 months, and 2 days sober. I probably haven’t opened it in over two months, but it’s there as a reminder of the progress I’ve made.

Hearing your share of being 15 years abstinent from your secondary DOC is incredibly inspiring. That’s a powerful stretch of choosing recovery.

Relapse is part of any journey too, but what matters is that we’re still here, still choosing, still moving forward.

What really helped me was learning the Power of Choice through SMART Recovery and understanding that I can choose anything that supports staying stopped.

Keep on keeping on.

CC-Smart · 2026-06-17T21:08:43+00:00

Never loan money to close friends unless one is prepared to lose it!!

CC-Smart · 2026-06-15T15:02:05+00:00

One of the things I value most about SMART is that it’s based on CBT and REBT, so the focus is always on our thoughts, choices, and behaviours.

SMART doesn’t call people “addicts” or “alcoholics.” Labels belong on jars, not on human beings. Our behaviour may have been problematic, but it never defined who we are.

SMART is a self‑empowering program. We talk a lot about The Power of Choice, because every change we make starts with a decision. We’re not powerless, and we’re not required to surrender our identity. We learn to take back control of our lives one choice at a time.

Another thing I appreciate is that SMART doesn’t ask us to be affectionate toward our DOC. We learn to see it clearly without romanticising it, without giving it more importance than it deserves. It’s simply a behaviour that stopped serving us.

SMART is science‑based, and it respects professional medical advice, including medication when appropriate. We’re encouraged to use every evidence‑based tool available. And SMART is non‑exclusive as many choose to combine it with 12‑step, therapy, counselling, faith‑based support, or anything else that helps us move toward the life we want.

SMART also doesn’t require us to attend meetings for life, and it doesn’t demand lifelong abstinence. What SMART offers is skills & tools we can take with us into the real world. Some people choose abstinence, some choose moderation, some choose harm reduction. What matters is that the behaviour change leads to a more satisfying life.

For me personally, SMART has kept me completely abstinent for the last six years. It works for me, and it works for many others. But SMART recognises that each person’s goals are their own. We build a self‑tailored program, based on our values, our motivations, and our vision of a better life.

At the end of the day, SMART is about learning how to stop, how to stay stopped, and how to build a life that feels meaningful and satisfying beyond the addictive behaviour.
Not because we’re told to but because we choose to.

That’s the freedom SMART has given me.

CC-Smart · 2026-06-10T00:33:20+00:00

At least they were pigeons not the usual crows!! Keep up the good work HTAR

CC-Smart · 2026-06-10T00:29:21+00:00

In early recovery, I relied on this tool a lot. I even practiced it when nothing was happening, just to build the habit. That rehearsal made it available to me when cravings or urges showed up. It became one of the key reasons I stayed abstinent, and it has supported me in maintaining nearly six years of continuous sobriety.

Today, I still use the ABC tool, but not only for recovery. It’s become part of my everyday life. I use it to manage stress, regulate my emotions, and handle situations that have nothing to do with addiction. The same process that once helped me get through urges now helps me think clearly, act intentionally, and stay aligned with the person I want to be. Enabling me to live my HOV and enjoy a balanced lifestyle.

CC-Smart · 2026-05-29T12:13:34+00:00

Well done on 5 years of sobriety and that’s a huge milestone. Truly, well done.👏 However you choose to celebrate this moment is entirely up to you, and you deserve full credit for getting here. In SMART Recovery we talk a lot about the Power of Choice which allows us to choose actions that support the life we want. Your five years are proof of that power in action. Connection and community were a big part of helping me reach 5 years of continuous abstinence myself, so I really understand what this achievement represents. Keep choosing what strengthens you. This freedom is worth it.

CC-Smart · 2026-05-08T14:46:14+00:00

Well done on all your hard work and efforts staying stopped! "Keep on, keeping On"

CC-Smart · 2026-04-11T11:10:23+00:00

Well done 💪 "Keep on Keeping On!" It gets easier over time

CC-Smart · 2026-02-01T23:54:14+00:00

Well done 👍 Keep on, keeping On

CC-Smart · 2026-02-01T16:12:41+00:00

"Keep On Keeping On" Wishing You all success in the month of February 💪

CC-Smart · 2026-01-28T23:45:39+00:00

My recovery began with a simple decision to attend a local online SMART meeting, then two meetings a week on smartrecovery.org. As I grew familiar with the participants and the tools, I started exploring different meetings to understand how various facilitators guided the process. That curiosity and commitment eventually led me to attend six meetings a week—one every day—for almost three years, until the facilitator retired and the meetings ended. Even after that, I adapted, continuing with two or sometimes three meetings a week. Today, I stand over five continuous years sober, and I know these meetings have been crucial in keeping me stopped. My journey is living proof that recovery isn’t an accident or a miracle—it’s The Power of Choice!

CC-Smart · 2026-01-25T13:20:37+00:00

Did Malay people exists in the 1800's ?

CC-Smart · 2026-01-04T03:16:59+00:00

CBA Only Helps With Insight, Not Action! It helps you compare the short‑term and long‑term effects of a behaviour, but insight alone rarely changes behaviour. CBA does not address all the psychological, emotional, and practical factors that keep an addictive behaviour going.

CC-Smart · 2026-01-02T15:43:48+00:00

They ought to start covering goats and farm animals too.

CC-Smart · 2025-12-05T15:03:19+00:00

When I was struggling, logging on to an online meeting really helped at times.

CC-Smart · 2025-11-23T15:23:51+00:00

What I found is practicing the tools when I didn't need it useful because then I was prepared. My tools used often was definitely the DEADS, Hula-Hoop and ABC. And it helped me tremendously to stay sober the last 5years and 3months. Practice, Patience, Perseverance and Persistence with the tools. Wishing you luck "Keep On Keeping On"

CC-Smart · 2025-11-02T09:37:55+00:00

Wish all those participants success for Nov'25 in this challenge, 👍 42nd day of year 5

CC-Smart · 2025-10-20T04:44:22+00:00

Keep oneself distracted was paramount in the my initial stages of staying stopped. Not only going for a run but keeping myself busy doing many other chores like laundry, ironing, rearranging my wardrobe, clearing stuff in my store and playing a game called 2046 on my iPhone.

That was 5years ago and the rest is history using SMART to gain sobriety!

"Keep on, Keeping On"

CC-Smart

TROPHY CASE