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It can be easy to let life get in the way of appreciating the good, but there are things you can do to begin practicing gratitude today. Addiction experts agree that gratitude can strongly influence a person’s chance for a successful recovery from any kind of addiction. Gratitude offers both mental and physical health benefits, which can contribute to mental stability and happiness. By focusing on what you have, instead of what you do not, you can foster healthier thought patterns, and achieve better satisfaction with your life. When you first start practicing gratitude, it’ll take some time to make it a regular habit.
A change score was calculated by subtracting the baseline value from the 6-month value. The change score was regressed on the mean-centered baseline value of the construct and mean-centered study covariates. The intercepts in these models thereby represented rate of change https://ecosoberhouse.com/ from baseline to 6-month follow-up for participants with average values for all covariates. Statistical significance of the intercepts would indicate that change occurred between baseline and 6-months while controlling for all of the other variables in the model.
How to Practice Gratitude in Recovery
You are encouraged to make any health-related decisions in consultation with your qualified health care provider. It is unclear why the exercise did not lead to increased gratitude as the authors hypothesized. Nevertheless, it positively impacted participants’ emotional experience. MAT uses medications and behavioral therapies to offer a whole-person approach to addiction treatment. Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center.
You can simply feel grateful that you made it through or that you didn’t take your bad day out on anyone else. During active addiction, we may have taken friends and family for granted or overlooked the simple pleasures in life. And when we looked for the worst qualities in every situation, we created a self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity. It’s an attitude of appreciation where we internally acknowledge the blessings that our life already contains, and we shift our focus away from what we lack.
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If you’re new to recovery and you’d like to have more gratitude, here are nine practical ways to practice gratitude in recovery. One of the simplest and most effective ways to practice gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Each day, take some time to write down a few things you are grateful for. It can be anything from the big (e.g., “I’m grateful for my sobriety”) to the small (e.g., “I’m grateful for a sunny day”).
It’s a fundamental element in recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. Positive thinking and a positive outlook can influence behavior and aid in leading a sustainable recovery-oriented life. Those suffering from substance abuse or addiction tend to show signs of depression, and are self-centered, only thinking of their own needs. With gratitude comes a less selfish attitude so they can focus their attention on others. Practicing gratitude in recovery helps people to become more optimistic, have more in control of their lives, and be less stressed. Cultivating gratitude in your daily life is the foundation of a positive recovery.
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In the grip of an addiction, it’s easy to feel victimized, angry, and trapped. As the addiction progresses, substance abusers find themselves losing many of the things they valued in their lives, such as relationships, jobs and even homes. That leads to a cycle of despair, hopelessness and other negative feelings, which in turn lead to returning to being dependent on addictive substances.
Then when we feel gratitude slipping away, we can re-engage with whichever practices help us to feel connected with our Higher Power and other people. Gratitude truly is for everyone, but it is so powerful for those struggling through recovery. Even if you feel strong in recovery, try these exercises to make gratitude a habit.
Experiencing Moments of Gratitude in Recovery
A little bit of kindness can make a big difference in someone else’s life and can melt away harbored feelings of anger, guilt, and sadness. Life is full of experiences and challenges, many of which can teach you valuable lessons. If you recently completed drug rehab, you most likely why is gratitude important in recovery learned a few (if not many) valuable life lessons that changed you for the better. Reflecting on these life lessons and asking yourself what you’ve learned in the last week, month, or year is a great way to practice gratitude and reflect on your own personal growth in recovery.
