Fighting addiction can make it difficult to see that we’re using this idea that anyone and everyone is against us is solely a defense mechanism. Gratitude, when practiced daily, enhances hope, increases physical and mental wellbeing, and helps overcome the more difficult times we all face. If you’re having difficulty staying clean or battling cravings, it might be best to seek help at a reputable drug rehab center. Recovery Centers of America has drug rehab locations across the country that offer various evidence-based treatment options, including detox, individual and group therapy, and more.

Most facilities also use other behavioral therapies in their care plans. Viewing difficult circumstances in this way will also help you avoid relapse and deal with short-term lapses in a more positive and effective way. Practicing gratitude in your everyday life is more than just saying “thank you” or being internally thankful for a life that is free from addiction. Practicing https://ecosoberhouse.com/ gratitude is using your behavior to be an example of a person whose actions are guided by the principles of the 12 steps and then sharing that goodness with other people in your life. Gratitude is not just about saying thank you, it is much more than that. Practicing gratitude has been found to increase self-esteem, boost resilience, and enhance overall well-being.

Addiction is a disease, we have addiction medicine that saves lives.

Caring for yourself helps show gratitude for all that your mind and body do for you. Some may feel the most appreciative when completing a workout, while others may feel the most gratitude when letting themselves sleep in. Pay attention to what your body and mind need most, and listen to that! It’s the least you can do to care for yourself to function to the best of your ability.

• A number of studies have investigated the role of gratitude in relationships in different situations.
• “Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives,” according to Dr. Robert Emmons, who is considered an expert on the power of gratitude.
• With gratitude on your side, you can be a positive force in the world.
• Gratitude allows for humility and truth and hope, key essentials for anyone looking to recover from drug or alcohol addiction.

Showing kindness to friends, family, and even strangers can be a way to get away from the state of mind that you’re alone in your journey. Gratitude opens the door to positive emotions and experiences that can nourish our minds and bodies. Simply taking a moment to count our blessings can lift our spirits and remind us of all that we have to appreciate in life.

How Gratitude in Recovery Connects With Connections

It may also help individuals view recovery as a challenge that will help them grow instead of as an obstacle that could overtake them. “I’m different,” “Me vs. the world” or “Everyone is out to get me” are all common ways of selfish thinking when in the throes of addiction and using. It is actually a defense mechanism to protect our erratic behaviors. One gets to think less of self and more of the efforts of those trying to help. By cultivating this in addiction treatment and in recovery, we develop a better mindset overall and have a much more positive perspective on life. Cultivating a thankful mindset helps in addiction recovery by reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood, and enhancing overall well-being.

Another way to express gratitude is to write thank-you notes to the people who have made a difference in your life. At Lifeskills South Florida, we’re here for those seeking help with a drug or alcohol addiction. Entering treatment is the first step to recovery, and we focus on equipping clients with coping and self-care skills for reintegration back into life once out of treatment.

Gratitude helps you stay positive.

Typically, each makes the other worse so treating the co-occurring mental health issue is a crucial element in disrupting this destructive cycle. Another way to look at gratitude in recovery is from an opposite perspective, that people are unhappy because they want the things they do not have while failing to recognize all that they do have. This type of perspective will cultivate unhealthy attitudes towards life, towards relationships, towards jobs, towards everything. It leads to comparing our life to someone else’s that we perceive to have “better” or “more” of what we do not have, and that in turn leads to frustration and anger and resentment.

The 12 steps emphasize the importance of a searching moral inventory, as well as making amends, finding social connection, and volunteering. There are are also more personal practices, such as journaling and meditation that can help you heal spiritually. This is a practice that has roots in every major spiritual tradition and it’s also one that modern research shows to be good for your mental and physical health. If you are recovering from a substance use disorder, here’s what gratitude can do for you.

Science-Backed Benefits of Practicing Gratitude

Beyond the scientific evidence supporting gratitude’s impact on mental health, many people report experiencing personal growth and transformation through regular practice. Many great thinkers and philosophers have applied definitions to gratitude. Recent work on the concept of gratitude in philosophy and psychology. The why is gratitude important in recovery Journal of Value Inquiry,47 (3), … Continue reading What they lead back to is thankfulness for what you have and where you are in life. If you are in recovery, you have people rooting for you to overcome your addiction. Keeping your focus on these and other positives in your life can help you develop thankfulness.