The Importance of Giving Thanks in Recovery

Recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol is an incredibly taxing experience, both on one’s body and mind. There can be any number of stresses that someone could be experiencing in either their personal life or professional ambitions. From the discomfort of the detox phase to the constant stresses and change of the real world during outpatient recovery, recovery from addiction never seems to let up on its stresses. However, because of this, it is important to acknowledge when others are able to help mitigate some of these difficulties or provide needed emotional support during each phase of recovery. Recognizing efforts and giving thanks, whether it be to others or recognizing them within oneself, can help a person not just maintain the motivation needed to continue their journey to sobriety, but also help establish healthy practices and begin sowing the seeds of trust and unity between those in recovery and their families, loved ones, and support systems. 

What Does It Mean to Give Thanks?

Looking on the bright side in recovery can be extraordinarily difficult, due to the inherent uncomfortable nature of change that is constantly prevalent. However, that means it is even more important to highlight when progress is made, or certain supports help in key moments. It can be difficult to know exactly which moments will stand out in someone’s head and make a lasting impact. While sometimes, grand gestures can help define key moments in someone’s recovery, there can be just as much meaning packed into small, simple, intimate gestures between loved ones. Giving thanks is highlighting whatever memories stand out as particularly prevalent in recovery, as well as what impact they truly made. This not just highlights the importance of any particular moment, but also can help define relationships as trust deepens between the two, and can help validate each member of a family or support system as a needed, essential member to the unified front against addiction. 

Informing Future Supportive Practices

Recognizing particularly important and helpful events in someone’s recovery and expressing the appropriate gratitude can help inform what practices may be best for a certain person and their recovery path. It can help someone learn how to effectively communicate with another through potentially changing the words they use, the tone they set, or even the love language they employ to communicate. Giving thanks can be not just validating for someone’s support systems in helping them feel essential, it is also important for the one giving the thanks, as it can help them see the brighter elements of their lives as well as identify their own best practices for recovery going forward. 

The Benefits of Giving Thanks

By finding these key moments that have defined major turning points in one’s recovery, they can begin to condition their minds to search for these positives, even amidst a sea of stressors or discomforts during the recovery process. Conditioning these positives and constantly identifying supportive people or gestures can help someone constantly get a feel of the emotional safety they may need. Simply knowing that the genuine support of others is available for them can help each person maintain a healthy relationship with the recovery process, as well as motivate them to continue pursuing their own goals in recovery. 

Finding Gratitude in Yourself

Being able to express genuine thanks to others is important in recovery, but it is just as important to recognize and thank yourself for your own achievements and strides through the recovery process. While the constant stresses and changes may force someone to constantly be looking for the next mountain to climb, it is important to also look back on one’s successes to see how many hills they’ve already conquered. Even on a small scale, these important successes need to be acknowledged in oneself, and each person deserves to feel good about their progress in recovery. Keeping a journal of stresses and the various strategies that you used to overcome them in the moment can help you see your progress and thank yourself for implementing successful grounding strategies and a healthy lifestyle (something that may not have been possible at the beginning of your recovery journey). Accomplishing weekly goals, or even trying new therapeutic practices to continue learning essential coping and life skills can help someone recognize and be thankful for the resources they have developed. This can help them remain positive and fair to themselves and others through each stage of their journey to healthy, prolonged sobriety. 

Giving thanks can be a difficult task for those suffering from addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol and are ready to begin your own journey towards sobriety, the caring professionals at Lighthouse Recovery can help. Located in Dallas, Texas, the professionals at Lighthouse can help you find the right program for your needs and goals in recovery. Offering many programs, from sober living to intensive outpatient treatment, there are always options to address your ongoing path to sobriety. Each program can be catered to fit your needs in recovery, as well as your vulnerabilities while highlighting your strengths throughout the process. Each person can recover, and Lighthouse can help you find the most impactful moments in your life to be thankful for.