Blog

If someone claims that they are grateful, we have to take their word for it. When it comes to our own gratitude, we have to be honest with ourselves with regard to understanding whether or not we are truly grateful for the positive aspects of our life. Like recovery, gratitude is entirely up to us to maintain. As we begin to discover the benefits of surrendering the false self in favor of a grateful interdependence upon others and a Power greater than ourselves, we become like a child learning to walk. In a short time, as muscle memory develops, she transitions from crawling to standing, from standing to walking, then running. Her motor potential has been achieved and she is free to explore the goodness of the world and her surroundings on her own, without the need to doubt her own steps. In fact, the challenging times are often the times when we’re most grateful.

At its essence, gratitude is feeling joy for the things you have in life. This isn’t limited to material possessions, although of course you can be grateful for the things in your life, too. Gratitude encompasses everything in life, including people, states of being, feelings, opportunities, and emotions. They found that people with a grateful disposition were less likely to relapse and had a better emotional outlook. They saw that actively practicing gratitude could provide a healthier coping strategy and a substitute for drinking as a way to cope. If you or a loved one is suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction, please contact us today.

Gratitude Is a New Way of Thinking, a New Way of Being

Negative thinkers are more prone to lose their will and relapse. However, someone who practices gratitude can appreciate the benefits sober living will have in their life and be better able to maintain sobriety.

“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 thinking less of self and https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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. Those who practice gratitude are generally happier people.

Why is it so meaningful to give to Cumberland Heights?

However, gratitude can serve a purpose even without the belief in a higher power or spirituality at all. Being thankful requires us to acknowledge that there are positive aspects of our lives. Taking a moment or two to be grateful every day helps us focus on the positive aspects of our life that we don’t often take the time to appreciate. Focusing on the positive helps alleviate stress and even reduces the power of triggers that could potentially lead us back down the road of self-defeating behaviors. One of the difficult challenges to overcome in recovery is to learn to ask for help. The counseling relationship’s safety and security, and the acceptance and support found from group counseling for substance abuse, can become a cornerstone of learning to trust and ask for help.

Recovery can seem big and impossible, so it’s important to set small doable goals along the way. That gives a sense of accomplishment, boosts self-esteem and gets things done. Break down big goals into smaller ones and mark them off your gratitude in recovery list as you complete them. We stand side-by-side with our guests as they do the hard work of looking at unhealthy patterns and behaviors and help them build the tools and skills they need for a sustainable and healthy recovery.

The benefits of gratitude in recovery

Part of this transformation involves incorporating gratitude into your daily routine. Being grateful for the blessings in your life, whether large or small, helps cultivate a humble, appreciative attitude. Especially in early recovery, there are a lot of emotions that surface that are no longer being numbed by drugs or alcohol, and these emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming. Gratefulness as the key to success in addiction recovery. When people are grateful for what they have, they will experience a great deal of happiness.