Gratitude & Growth
What’s one thing you’re grateful for today?
Any authentic gratitude (food, safety, warmth, shelter, being sober today, support, health).
What is a common Thanksgiving trigger for someone in recovery?
Alcohol/Drugs around family, arguments, stress, feeling isolated, old patterns.
Name one grounding technique you can use when overwhelmed.
5-4-3-2-1 grounding (counting), deep breathing, holding something cold, sensory grounding (5 things you hear, see, smell, and touch).
Which natural brain chemical helps regulate mood and is boosted by sleep, sunlight, and healthy foods?
Serotonin
Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid your body uses to make which “feel-good” chemical?
Serotonin
What is one improvement you’ve noticed in yourself since beginning recovery?
Any positive change (clearer thinking, better sleep, self-respect, relationships improving).
What is one social trigger that might happen at a holiday gathering?
Being offered alcohol or drugs, being judged or criticized, family pressure, gossip, insensitive topics, the company invited.
What coping skill can you use at the dinner table if you start feeling stressed?
Deep breath, excuse yourself briefly, positive self-talk, grounding under the table (like pressing feet into floor).
Sleep problems in early recovery happen partly because this hormone can become disrupted.
Melatonin
Sweet foods like pie and sweet potatoes trigger the brain’s reward system, causing the release of which motivation and pleasure chemical?
Dopamine
Practicing gratitude helps decrease what two negative emotional states?
Stress & anxiety (also acceptable: anger, resentment).
What internal feeling can trigger cravings during holiday stress?
Sadness, loneliness, boredom, frustration, shame, or anxiety.
Name one physical coping skill that helps regulate your emotions.
Stretching, walking, squeezing a stress object, deep breathing, cold water on hands.
This brain area responsible for decision-making is often weakened during addiction but strengthens in recovery.
The prefrontal cortex. This strengthens after 90 days of abstinence.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) typically finishes developing around age 25. This is the last part of the brain to mature, which is why executive functions like long term planning, impulse control, and complex reasoning aren't fully developed in adolescence
What naturally occurring opioid-like chemical does your body release when eating warm, rich foods like Mac & Cheese?
Endorphins
Name one difficult experience in your life that helped you grow or taught you something valuable.
Any meaningful reflection counts.
What is an example of a healthy boundary someone might set during Thanksgiving?
Leaving early, avoiding certain people, stepping out for breaks, staying sober only spaces, continuing treatment.
Name one coping skill that uses your senses.
Smelling something calming, touching something soft, listening to music, grounding technique.
Cravings typically peak and fade within how many minutes?
About 20 minutes (acceptable range 10–30 min).
Cravings peak between 10 to 30 minutes due to the rapid surge and subsequent fall of dopamine in the brain's reward system, which creates an intense but temporary urge that eventually subsides if the craving is not acted upon
. This "urge peak cycle" is also influenced by psychological triggers like stress and emotions, and can be managed by riding out the peak, which typically passes within 20-30 minutes.
Which nutrient in turkey supports muscle recovery and stabilizes mood?
Protein (also contains B-vitamins)
Which part of the nervous system must be activated for emotional regulation and grounding?
The parasympathetic nervous system.
You can activate the parasympathetic nervous system by
practicing techniques that promote calm and relaxation, such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. Other methods include spending time in nature, getting a massage, listening to soothing music, or engaging in hobbies you enjoy.
Which brain region stores emotional memories and can trigger cravings during stress or anniversaries?
The hippocampus. To activate and promote health, learn somethings new, exercise, dark chocolate & coffee help stimulate.
You actually have two hippocampi. The brain is lateralized and symmetrical, so you have one on each side, just above each ear. The hippocampi are two arched organs based in the medial temporal lobe. They look like an ‘S’ shaped structure and form an integral part of the limbic system.
Name a cognitive skill that helps reframe negative thoughts.
CBT reframing, challenging negative thoughts, gratitude shift, mantra/affirmation, perspective taking.
What are the three stages of relapse?
Emotional relapse → Mental relapse → Physical relapse.
Which neurotransmitter trio is responsible for the “holiday comfort feeling” after eating a warm meal?
Serotonin (calm)
Dopamine (reward)
Endorphins (comfort/euphoria)