Cultivating Gratitude in Recovery

‘Gratitude is an action word.’ This mantra is repeated in recovery meetings and treatment center classrooms daily. But what does it mean? How do I ‘act’ grateful?

It might be very difficult to identify things we are grateful for in early recovery. Many come into the recovery program having lost their families, their careers, and often, their physical health is precarious to the point that they have almost lost their lives. To do an inventory of things you are grateful for at this stage in your journey might seem impossible, but it is an incredibly useful exercise for getting us out of self-pity.

The key is to start small. ‘Gratitude lists’ are an exercise that I recommend to clients regardless of their stage in recovery. With new clients, I ask them to stick to the basics: clean socks, a warm bed, three meals, and a chance at starting a new, sober chapter in their lives. The recognition that there is always something to be grateful for in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds is crucial. This is because it can be very easy to decide ‘it’s not worth it’ and return to our old ways.

There are also many surprising things that we may uncover a sense of gratitude for that we may not have expected. The ability to wake up feeling rested and refreshed instead of hungover. Having money in your pocket and not feeling like it all must go towards drugs and alcohol. Receiving a phone call from an old friend or family member who has heard that you are doing better and wants to reconnect. As we continue to accumulate time in sobriety, we will find that our gratitude list grows longer and longer if we are willing to pay attention.

Gratitude is a significant part of obtaining sobriety and maintaining it as well. Our biggest potential threat here is taking things for granted. Things we had dreamt about and wished to have more than anything when we were in the worst of our addiction eventually come to us, and we are very grateful for that – for a time. But complacency can set in, and as we advance in our careers and personal lives, we forget to make time to take note of these achievements and mistake them as ‘givens’ for getting clean and sober. A gratitude list is just as helpful at 10 years of sobriety as it is at 10 days.

So, try it out. Whether you are in recovery or not, take a few minutes this evening before you go to bed to list five things you are grateful for in your life right now. If you like the results, do it again tomorrow. Everyone can benefit from taking a few minutes each day to take stock of the things that our busy lives sometimes cause us to forget.

— Kevin, Manager of Clinical Services