Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It’s a time to be thankful for all the good in our lives. (It’s also a time for me to eat my body weight in stuffing/dressing, but we can discuss that in another post.)
For some people, holidays can be painful. They might be struggling with drug or alcohol abuse or the effects that such substances have had in their lives.
But being thankful is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Luckily, it’s not that we’re only able (or allowed) to be thankful if certain conditions occur. Even during the worst moments in our life, we can usually be thankful for something. We should consider finding this thankfulness especially during the darkest times, because this thankfulness can sustain us.
People struggle with drug and alcohol abuse can still find glimmers of hope. Often, these glimmers of hope come in the form of other people. Families and friends don’t stop loving people who abuse drugs and alcohol. Many of these loved ones go to great lengths to help their friends and relatives heal. They want this recovery as much as—if not more than—the addicts themselves.
The loved ones hate the disease, but not the people suffering from the disease. And substance use disorder is a disease, not a moral failing or another type of deficiency. People can be thankful that we’re viewing substance use disorder in that way.
If people are suffering, but they want to change and are making efforts to change, those are even more things that can inspire thankfulness. Realizing the problem is a great first step in solving it. Taking actual efforts to solve it is even better. Recognizing that people can change is also gratifying.
People should be proud of how they’ve grown in different ways. This growth can come through battling substance use disorder, creating or strengthening relationships during recovery, and making other positive changes. People are capable of amazing things, and I’m thankful for that. And turkey.
