The Importance of Gratitude in Recovery

In the challenging journey of recovery when each day can bring both triumphs and trials, an unexpected yet powerful ally emerges: gratitude. Often overlooked as a mere sentiment, gratitude in the context of recovery can be a transformative factor that reshapes our perspective and fuels resilience.

Imagine this: instead of dwelling on past regrets, we find solace in the present moment, appreciating life’s small yet significant blessings. Let’s uncover the profound importance of gratitude in recovery and reveal how it can illuminate our path and foster healing in even the darkest of times.

Getting to the Essence of Gratitude

Especially on Thanksgiving, we find
ourselves joining family and friends in expressing gratitude. But what, exactly, does gratitude mean? Gratitude comes from the Latin word gratus, which means grateful or thankful.

Over time, however, gratitude has evolved in meaning into three discrete categories: a trait, a mood, and an emotion. As a trait, gratitude means having an overall grateful disposition. As a mood, it means daily fluctuations in gratitude. As an emotion, it is more a   temporary feeling. While some of us may be more inherently grateful, gratitude is something anyone can practice. But why is it significant in  the context of recovery?

Why Is Gratitude Important in Recovery?

Recovery is a life-changing process. It requires severing dependence on alcohol and working towards a healthier relationship with it. It also involves challenging physical and emotional experiences that can benefit from the incorporation of gratitude. 

Practicing gratitude in recovery has many benefits:

• Mental marvels. Gratitude helps us focus on the positive aspects of life, while our brain is naturally wired to emphasize negative aspects known as “negativity bias.” It reminds us of what we have rather than what we’re missing. This emphasis on positivity helps reduce stress and regulate our emotions, leading to improved mental health.
• Physiological prosperity. Gratitude also improves our physical health through the mind-body connection. Improved mental health leads to enhanced immune function and better sleep quality, which promote cell and tissue repair and benefit our overall well-being.
• Social synergy. Thankfulness and appreciation also help us create genuine connections and improve our communication, leading to strengthened relationships and increased social support.

The positives that gratitude brings help us work through setbacks and maintain recovery. Let’s explore how we can practice gratitude in different aspects of our life in recovery. 

Exploring Different Aspects of Gratitude in Recovery

Gratitude supports different facets of our recovery by helping us get through challenging experiences on our journey to better health. 

Gratitude in Addiction Recovery 

We know that gratitude can have mental and physical benefits, aiding in the challenges of recovery. However, it also has specific benefits for alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

Alcohol cravings are a common part of recovery as physical and neurological dependence on alcohol are components of AUD. Research shows that gratitude positively reinforces recovery in two ways: improving our mood and enhancing our cognitive outlook. A study on the association between alcohol use and emotions found that decreases in fear, shame, nervousness, upset, and hostility are linked to decreased alcohol consumption. This means that gratitude, which promotes positivity indirectly, helps reduce alcohol cravings and the risk of relapse.

This is why we see gratitude as a critical component in many recovery approaches, including 12-step programs, behavioral therapies, and mindful drinking strategies. Aside from benefiting addiction recovery, gratitude has other mental health benefits, which further support our journey. 

Gratitude and Mental Health 

Excessive drinking is associated with poor mental health. This is because alcohol disrupts our stress response and areas of our brain that control our emotions. AUD in particular is associated with anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. 

Gratitude shifts our attention away from anxiety, depression, low mood and other mental health conditions. Research shows that gratitude has positive effects on multiple aspects of mental health. Specifically, gratitude promotes more meaningful relationships and lower rates of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Similarly, another study found that gratitude is linked to areas of the brain that regulate our emotions and support stress relief. These areas of the brain, when activated, boost our healthy emotions and protect against anxiety and stress, suggesting that gratitude interventions can be a useful supplemental treatment for anxiety and depression. 

Now that we understand the many positive benefits gratitude has on our mental health, let’s see how it’s connected to our physical health. 

Gratitude and Physical Health

Have you ever felt down when you were down with a cold? Or, alternatively, have your body aches and pains ever seemed worse when you were stressed? The possible cause? Our mind-body connection. Our body’s stress response system (which involves our brain, hormones, and other physiological responses) links our physical and mental well-being. 

Recovery, therefore, involves improving not only our mental but also our physical health. Alcohol misuse and AUD are associated with many health concerns, including liver damage, cardiovascular issues, risk of cancer, and much more. Improving our mental health by practicing gratitude can also have physiological benefits. Research shows that gratitude promotes better sleep, lessens fatigue, and lowers inflammation levels. Another study found that individuals who practiced gratitude reported better overall health due to better psychological health, a greater propensity for health-promoting activities, and willingness to seek support for health concerns. 

The benefits of gratitude are clear. But how do we actually practice gratitude?

Find, Remind, and Bind: Implementing an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude involves components such as feeling, expressing, and adopting new behaviors. We can implement gratitude in recovery through the following strategies:

• Daily gratitude practices. Start your morning with positive self-talk or keep a gratitude journal. Our mind tends to focus on the negatives, so by implementing gratitude as a daily habit, we bring more positivity to the forefront of our minds.
• Mindfulness and meditation. These practices help us focus our awareness, calm our mind, and better connect with ourselves. Try guided gratitude meditations to recall what we have and shift us from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance. Or, try writing down negative thoughts that come up. Then, for each negative thought, reframe it by writing down something you’re grateful for. Let’s say you were upset at yourself because you were too tired to finish the mile run you had planned. Instead of dwelling on the fact that you didn’t finish the workout, you can be grateful that your body signaled to you that it needed rest or that you were even able to finish half of what you set out to do. 
• Social practices. Not only should we express gratitude toward ourselves, but also toward others. It can be anything from saying “thank you” when someone holds the door open for you or cooking a friend dinner after a long work day. This way we bring positivity into our life and the lives of those around us — helping us develop a strong social network.
• Integration into treatment programs. Gratitude can also be incorporated into our recovery programs. It’s an important part of behavioral therapies that help us develop more positive behaviors, and it plays a part in peer support groups. While we often share our challenges, sharing things we’re grateful for helps us recognize and celebrate even small wins. 
• Group activities focusing on gratitude. Appreciation can be integrated into our activities. In fact, it’s a more natural way to practice gratitude and can involve others. Try a camping trip to appreciate the beauty of nature or join a friend when they’re doing their favorite hobby to show you care about their interests. The options are endless! 

Gratitude is often overlooked in today’s world, especially when our focus is on other things such as recovery. However, gratitude can be a life-changing practice that not only benefits us in recovery but also our life in general.

Summing Up

Being thankful shouldn’t be reserved for Thanksgiving. It’s beneficial every day of the year and even more so throughout the difficult experience of recovery. Gratitude promotes positive thoughts, emotions, and practices that improve our mental and physical health. However, it’s not always easy to remember to be grateful, especially during a life change as challenging as addiction recovery. Using these tips, we can gradually implement gratitude in our daily life — leading to a healthier, more fulfilling life!