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The Role of Gratitude in Recovery

Gratitude

The year 2024 is nearly over, and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. One tradition many people have at Thanksgiving is to express thanks for something good in their lives. Gratitude is also a powerful recovery tool we can practice year-round to balance the struggles we all face sometimes. At Highland Hospital in Charleston, West Virginia, we encourage the adolescents, adults, and seniors we treat to find ways to experience joy in their lives, whether it is for a small or large reason.

How Gratitude Promotes Recovery

Just as negative thoughts can lead a person toward a relapse, being focused on the positive things in life can help propel a person forward in their recovery and give them a sense of direction for their goals. People who have successfully navigated recovery often attribute their success to gratitude, which:

  • Helped them realize they were enough
  • Decreased their isolation
  • Helped them connect to themselves and others
  • Made it easier to regulate difficult emotions

Researchers have also found that gratitude:

  • Reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety
  • Improves progress toward goals
  • Increases determination, enthusiasm, energy, and attention
  • Is connected to better sleep

Ways to Express Gratitude

Your experience with gratitude may not look like someone else’s. There are many different ways that people experience and express gratitude and none of them are wrong:

  • Keeping a journal of the things that make you happy:
    • You can get started by recording your daily accomplishments, which may be as small as taking a shower or preparing a meal on days when you’re not feeling ready to take on huge tasks.
    • You can use a physical diary or a Word document for your journal. Some people also use their social media accounts to make a daily gratitude post. 
    • Free gratitude apps on smartphones have features like mood trackers, inspirational quotes, and vision boards. The apps often also contain writing prompts, in case you are struggling to find topics for your entries.
  • Unplugging from technology to spend time in nature and reflect on its beauty
  • Being of service to other people 
  • Engaging in meditation that focuses on gratitude and mindfulness to shift your mind off of past regrets and mistakes
  • Thanking people who have enhanced your life, in writing or verbally
  • Praying to your higher power to gain clarity and feel connected to something beyond yourself 
  • Saying affirmations 

Things People in Recovery Might Feel Grateful for Having

Gratitude does not require a huge target. You might feel gratitude for a good cup of coffee, a warm blanket, or the affection of your pet. People in recovery often have a greater appreciation for things that others might take for granted, such as:

  • The people who have supported them through difficult times and who stand with them as they celebrate victories, great or small
  • The new relationships they have built with people who are also in recovery
  • Having the opportunity to grow and improve
  • Having the chance to give back to others
  • Improved health
  • A clearer mind and the ability to make better choices

Gratitude Versus Toxic Positivity

Too much of a good thing isn’t good, even when that good thing is gratitude. When people are not allowed to feel or express painful feelings, this is not healthy. It might even venture into “toxic positivity,” which mandates that people must only talk about good, pleasant, happy things. Gratitude means remembering the good things, but this does not mandate people to suffer in silence. 

In dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), practitioners discuss the fact that two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time. A person can simultaneously be grateful and also hurting. For example, someone can have great love for their friends and family but also feel the need to set boundaries with these loved ones because they engage in some hurtful or disrespectful behaviors.

At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we take a whole-person approach to mental health and substance abuse treatment. We know that therapy and medications can be helpful for people who have struggled with addiction and mental illness, but we also recognize the importance of spiritual healing and the value of family support.

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