Recovery Unplugged wants to wish all a safe, happy and sober Thanksgiving, from our family to yours. For those in recovery, Thanksgiving can hold particularly special meaning. Although the holiday season usually brings about a spectrum of different feelings and emotions, and can generate an unnecessary amount of stress, Thanksgiving is a time that many, if not all of us, take to self-reflect on what we have, where we’ve come from, and what the future may hold for us. Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for the greatest and smallest of things in our lives, like the way the sun shines in the morning, and the chance to be alive and breathing for another day.

As time goes on, Thanksgiving can come to symbolize more than just past shame and stress for those in recovery. It’s recognizing that you’ve been given a second chance at life and with the ones you love, and for many, it’s also understanding that missing a holiday or two with parents and children in the past was worth it in order to have and appreciate future holidays with them. With sobriety comes the ability to be mentally and emotionally present with family, to enjoy people and share time with them without having the pressure and distraction of looking for the next fix. There’s no need to avoid certain topics or lie about where you’ve been or what you’ve been doing— there’s genuine joy and fulfillment in being able to share a meal with those you love and reintegrate into “normal” family life. Many are simply grateful that they’re safe and no longer worrying their families.

While spending time with family may stir up old memories of substance abuse, it can also be an active reminder of how alienating addiction can be and how much better life is without the constant distraction and worry. Thanksgiving, for many in recovery, is also the perfect time to give back to the community. Those who have hit rock- bottom understand that service work and supporting those spending the holidays away from their family and loved ones can be a fulfilling way to help others currently struggling with their own addictions during the holiday season.

For most of us here at Recovery Unplugged, gratitude is a verb— we are actively grateful for another day sober and for the opportunity to reconnect and strengthen our bonds with those we love, whether it be blood or chosen family. The team here at Recovery Unplugged is grateful for the healing power of music and for the opportunity to have helped guide so many people through their own journeys of recovery. If you or a loved one is struggling with sobriety this Thanksgiving, don’t hesitate to give us the chance to help you make it through the holidays— we’ll all be thankful for it in the future.