{"id":1379,"date":"2020-05-11T16:20:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T16:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/?p=1379"},"modified":"2026-02-11T16:37:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:37:25","slug":"addiction-recovery-gratefulness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/addiction-recovery-gratefulness\/","title":{"rendered":"Addiction Recovery &#038; Gratefulness: Why The Two Go Hand In Hand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pursuit of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sobriety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is often the pursuit of happiness. While the early focus of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drugabuse.gov\/publications\/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition\/frequently-asked-questions\/what-drug-addiction-treatment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction treatment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is to get through detox and stop using the substance, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> then transforms into a quest for a healthier, more fulfilling life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every recovery path is different, and the steps towards happiness and contentment in your own life will be tailored to your own needs and experiences. That said, one way that can help get you there faster is the ability to practice <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/addiction-recovery-gratefulness\/#practice-gratitude-for-a-change-of-perspective\" >Practice Gratitude for a Change of Perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/addiction-recovery-gratefulness\/#how-gratitude-fits-in-with-addiction-recovery\" >How Gratitude Fits in With Addiction Recovery<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/addiction-recovery-gratefulness\/#grow-feelings-of-gratitude\" >Grow Feelings of Gratitude<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/addiction-recovery-gratefulness\/#we-can-help\" >We Can Help<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"practice-gratitude-for-a-change-of-perspective\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a Change of Perspective<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes with various challenges, so being told you should be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may come across as a bit silly at first. However, practicing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> regularly can actually change your perspective on the recovery process and even make staying <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sober<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an easier process. It all starts with knowing what to be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for each day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you can always be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for your home and your possessions, real happiness comes from being appreciative for the deeper things in life. It is up to you to decide what means the most to you, but just being in your current position means you already have at least a couple things to be <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for. And it goes far beyond just saying &#8220;thank you&#8221; when someone does you a favor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, very few people \u2014 if any \u2014 manage to overcome addiction and reach <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sobriety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> all on their own. As you are learning to navigate your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">life in recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it&#8217;s important to appreciate and acknowledge all of those who have helped you along the way. While you may not be in a position to actively thank them every day, you can still adopt a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mindset for having such a wonderful support network.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s also worth being <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just for being in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/data\/quick-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> estimates that there are more than 22 million people in the U.S. suffering from addiction, yet less than 20 percent of them manage to seek treatment. Just the fact that you are on a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sober<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> path is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-worthy!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-gratitude-fits-in-with-addiction-recovery\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Fits in With <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addiction Recovery<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live each day with an attitude of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and happiness will swiftly follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This isn&#8217;t just an anecdotal statement. A recent <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/healthbeat\/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harvard Medical School study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that people who regularly expressed <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in everyday life were generally happier and even had healthier relationships than those who did not. The study&#8217;s participants also expressed greater life satisfaction and contentment. This is important for <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, because all of these feelings are crucial to fading the desire to abuse substances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, expressing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to others has also been shown to increase levels of dopamine and serotonin. These brain chemicals are what make us naturally feel joy, and higher levels of both have an inverse correlation with drug abuse. Basically, a life of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> gives you a more positive outlook on your new <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">life in recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and makes you less likely to relapse.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"grow-feelings-of-gratitude\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grow Feelings of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Living a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> life does not always come easy. But you&#8217;ve tackled substance abuse and made it to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 you&#8217;ve got this! Here are some tips to help you grow your feelings of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and appreciate everyday life:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to others about things they&#8217;re <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Getting perspective from others can be a great way to take a step back and see the things that you can be appreciative of. Try bringing it up in group therapy or in other settings where you may be around people who have been in your shoes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice regular meditation<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/teens.drugabuse.gov\/blog\/post\/art-meditation-focusing-your-brain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning to meditate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will help keep you grounded and more in tune with life&#8217;s beauty.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> journal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Try to write an entry every day for things you are <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for. You can also use this journal to help track your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">addiction recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make an effort to thank people<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Making an effort each day to thank the people around you for things (even the smallest of favors) will not only help you build up your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grateful<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attitude, but will help make up for the times during your addiction when you may have not thanked them enough.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"we-can-help\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We Can Help<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you are actively looking for an addiction treatment program or you&#8217;d simply like to learn more about <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">gratitude<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and how it fits with <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sobriety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <a href=\"\/contact\/\">contact our team<\/a> at <a href=\"\/\">Principles Recovery Center<\/a>. Our rehab facility in Davie, Florida helps individuals from all walks of life become <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sober<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and build a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">life in recovery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to be proud of.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pursuit of sobriety is often the pursuit of happiness. While the early focus of addiction treatment is to get through detox and stop using the substance, addiction recovery then transforms into a quest for a healthier, more fulfilling life. Every recovery path is different, and the steps towards happiness and contentment in your own [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[17,31,19,44,32],"class_list":["post-1379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recovery-from-addiction","tag-addiction-recovery","tag-life-in-recovery","tag-recovery","tag-recovery-resources","tag-sobriety"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1379"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41172,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions\/41172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebrandsmen.com\/principlesrecoverycenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}