Battle Addiction Together: SMART Recovery Group

Addiction is powerful and hard to overcome. However, Viterbo’s SMART Recovery Group sets out to remind those battling addiction that they are not alone. Since many college students struggle with this ailment, Viterbo’s counseling department finds great results in people tackling addiction together, rather than on their own.

Every non-holiday Sunday, even during winter and summer break, the counseling department hosts the SMART (Self-Management And Recovery Training) Group where students of Viterbo, UW-La Crosse, and WTC can meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Development Center to discuss their battles with addiction in a comfortable environment. Every student is given a SMART handbook filled with activities. The meetings themselves, which run for about an hour, revolve around these activities, which are chosen on a case-by-case basis and revolve around ending the addiction at hand. For example, if a student is struggling with the urge to drink, an activity might illustrate how to cope with the urges. The addictions covered can be anything, from overuse of the Internet to substance abuse. The SMART Recovery group seeks to end dependency, no matter how drastic.

Kelsey Wright, counseling intern, runs the meetings. Although sessions about addiction can be held in private if a student does not feel comfortable sharing with others, Wright sees many positives in fighting the disease with others. “You can hear what other people are going through and get their opinions, and sometimes the group members hold each other accountable,” Wright explained. Sometimes having somebody you can relate to keeping an eye on you is all the push it takes to slow down addiction. Since she leads the meetings, students can go to her with any questions they might have through a simple email at the address counseling@viterbo.edu. If students have any questions about the program in general, the website smartrecovery.org contains information.

Being involved is as easy as showing up; no prior paperwork or scheduling is necessary. If a student feels that the SMART Recovery Group would be a helpful step in ending their addiction, they can attend a Sunday meeting, no questions asked. But even if students are still questioning opening up about their addiction to others, Wright wanted them to know, “There are a lot of people that would understand, and there are a lot of different ways they can get support.” As the meetings show, no one is alone when it comes to addiction, and there are many caring individuals who are more willing to help end it once and for al