An Attitude of Gratitude in Recovery Addiction Help
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For example, meditation, mindful movement, and breathing exercises can help those struggling with mental illnesses or psychiatric conditions. Living with gratitude is a chance to change your perspective in the present to a positive view rather than a negative one. Instead of seeing the world through a negative lens, you’re actively seeking out a pragmatic one. Recovery is never simple, nor easy, but through gratitude, you may find a more optimistic, productive, thoughtful version of you.
What does AA say about gratitude?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) describes attaining serenity and gratitude as two of the most characteristic markers of success in the AA program. An AA Grapevine article states that “gratitude and serenity are two sides of the same golden coin of sobriety.”
Go beyond lists and reflect on the good things in your life by writing about them. You can do this daily, weekly, or with any frequency that works for you. Are there other ways that you focus on gratitude in your home, community, and recovery? It’s important to understand that the relationship you have with yourself will often be reflected in your relationships with others.
Futures Recovery
If individuals are grateful to be on the road to recovery, then it’s less likely they will relapse because they are empowered to move forward. A grateful attitude means they can face the challenges that are before them. Although issues may arise, they view it as a chance to grow rather than an obstacle. This positive way of thinking helps them reach their recovery goals. In doing so, the hopeless begin to feel hope, and they are so grateful for the love, empathy, support, and encouragement they receive from others. Gratitude acts as a motivator for people to reciprocate assistance received from others and creates an upward spiral of mutually responsive behavior between the helper and the person being helped.
When we begin thinking negative thoughts or finding something wrong with a person or situation, these thoughts grow. Have you ever become annoyed or frustrated by a person or something they’ve done? But what happens for most is when we start to think those judgemental and negative thoughts we think of more things about the person or situation we don’t like.
Developing Gratitude
When the individual is constantly lamenting their lot, it will be impossible for them to find peace of mind. There are billionaires who still do not feel satisfied and poor people who feel they have everything they need. The tendency to feel grateful is a mental attitude that can be developed. It is particularly important that people recovering from an addiction try to gratitude in recovery cultivate this positive outlook, because it can help to ensure their success in the future. All of the above benefits support recovery by improving your mental health, physical health, relationships, and quality of life. In addition to these general benefits, researchers have begun to look at the effects of gratitude in people working through recovery from addiction.
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for abundance. Simply stated, there are scientific and biological benefits of praying and giving thanks that can help with recovery. Some of us are athletic, some artistic, others are blessed by being musically talented. For https://ecosoberhouse.com/ me, the greatest blessing that God ever gave me is that I am an alcoholic and an addict. That may sound like I am completely off my rocker, but it is true. You see, if it weren’t for the blessing of being an alcoholic and an addict, I would never have had so many beautiful blessings in my life.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
It’s easier to look at the struggles of recovery as a prison rather than a gift during the early stages. However, if you’re grateful for the chance of recovery, it’s far more likely that you’ll stick with it in the end. Be grateful as you work towards your goals of sobriety or mental and emotional structure. Be grateful for the second chance at life; for another chance at opportunities. Be grateful for the chance to see yourself grow into a better person for yourself and the ones you love. Developing the quality of gratitude can take time and effort.
- For some people, gratitude may be a foreign concept all together.
- For those who are engaged in recovery, it can be extending help to the still suffering alcoholic or addict with 12-step work.
- Even if you’re struggling through an exceptionally difficult life circumstance, there is always something to be thankful for.
- When practiced regularly, gratitude builds stronger connections between people and within ourselves.
- For many, labels such as addiction, addict, alcoholic, drug addict, or “junkie” create extreme shame, stigma, and pain.
