Gratitude and Addiction Recovery - May 2018

Dawn Farm Addiction and Recovery Education Series

"Gratitude and Addiction Recovery" was presented on May 22, 2018; by Dr. Amy R. Krentzman, MSW, PhD. “Gratitude” is a frequent topic in recovery circles, a recurrent theme in recovery program literature, and a central component of addiction recovery for many recovering people. Gratitude practices are commonly employed in addiction treatment and in recovery. This presentation provides definitions of gratitude proposed by social scientists, presents scientific findings about the benefits of gratitude, discusses theories for the ways in which gratitude “works” (in general and in recovery) and demonstrates gratitude exercises.

This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual education series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about chemical dependency, recovery, family and related issues. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of chemical dependency services. For information, please see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Amy R. Krentzman, MSW, PhD; Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota School of Social Work Dr. Krentzman is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota, and an Adjunct Research Investigator in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Krentzman’s research focuses on factors that promote the initiation and maintenance of recovery from alcohol and other substance use disorders, particularly the mechanisms of therapeutic change that are precipitated by professional treatment, recovery community organizations, and 12-step programs. She is one of the few researchers who is studying the role of gratitude in addiction recovery. She also studies positive psychology, spirituality, 12-step programs, and sober living houses.