Someone once said, "A grateful heart won't drink" - The holidays can be stressful and even depressing for some. A little Gratitude will go a long way.
As the hoiday season whizzes by, most of us are at best feeling a bit overwhelmed by the expectations put on us by our children, spouses, friends, and neighbors to be ready to deliver the perfect family celebrations in all their glory. For those in recovery, a time of extra stress is perfect to pull out one of the most valuable tools available to staying sober: Gratitude
Gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness - usually associated with the Thanksgiving holiday - is more than a token "thank you". For a recovering addict / alcoholic, a true sense of gratitude can mean the difference between falling into the pit of despair and choosing to use again, and realizing that sobriety is truly worth the effort - that a drink won't fix the electric bill, and that life would be far worse if drugs and booze were still part of it all.
As a writer, I find it easiest to write down what i'm grateful for when I'm feeling down. If there are days that seem far too hopeless, I start with the simple things, and move my way up from there. "I am grateful for...my wonderful children, my sobriety" What else? "My health" The basic needs of life are being met, whereas they are not for many other in the world. "I am grateful that I have a home, water, and electricity".
Just a simple list begun like this can be the spring from which hope can bloom, at the very least turning thoughts of drinking or drugging into the realization that our problems are not all-encompassing, that we all have positive things in our lives. Some of us have our health, others have fulfilling jobs, wonderful pets, people who depend on them and love them dearly, so many things that make us incredible people when we are sober.
So this weekend, as you are in a frenzy of worry and despair over finding "TMX Elmo" or getting the table set just right, take a moment to stop and think about what you DO have, the stuff that really matters - and thank whovever or whatever you believe is in charge of the universe.
Someone, somewhere said, "A grateful heart won't drink"
