Reaching a sobriety milestone is a huge deal since recovery is a lifelong process with high rates of relapse to combat. Whether it’s your milestone or a loved one’s, taking the time to recognize the inherent accomplishment of a sober birthday is a wonderful way to bring more motivation and encouragement to staying the course.
Sobriety can feel like a very serious subject at times, but using your sobriety birthday to bring in levity and joy to honor your progress and self-growth you’ve experienced in your journey is a welcomed change of pace to break up the seriousness of going to therapy and meetings. Sobriety birthdays are meant to be fun, marked with celebration with friends or family, but also they invite you to reflect on your learnings from your journey.
What Is a Sobriety Birthday and How Do I Properly Celebrate?
A sobriety birthday can go by many names like sober anniversary, sober date, or recovery anniversary, just to name a few. Since your sobriety birthday is personal to you, you get the choice of picking which day was the most significant in you getting sober. Most commonly, it is the day you stopped using, the day after you last used, or the day you entered rehab. Most Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings give plastic chips or coins to mark the monthly and yearly milestones for how long someone has been sober.
When it is someone’s sobriety anniversary, it is a cause for celebration. There are plenty of ways to mark this special day for yourself, like going out to dinner with friends, family, or your sponsor, treating yourself to something special, enjoying a cake or dessert of choice for the occasion, or doing something meaningful like volunteering or sending over something thoughtful to the staff at your treatment center. If it is a loved one’s sobriety birthday, you can send them a letter or card saying how proud you are, give a small gift, treat them to a special lunch or dinner, or do something that your loved one enjoys.
Additionally, it is important to verbally affirm how proud you are of their achievement by saying sentiments like “You are an inspiration to me” or “I’m so happy you are taking such great care of yourself, and you deserve this beautiful life you are creating for yourself” as positive reinforcement.
A sobriety birthday is an important day to reflect on your journey and celebrate the progress you’ve made in recovery. There are plenty of ways to mark the occasion in a healthy and positive light that, most importantly, doesn’t include using drugs or alcohol. If you or a loved one is struggling to get or remain sober, call Avalon Malibu. At Avalon, we specialize in offering clients a comprehensive approach to recovery, addressing the whole person’s needs along the way. Living a life of joy, connection, and vitality is possible, but choosing to get the right treatment is the first step to making a new life possible. Call us today at (844) 857-5992 and begin working towards having brighter days ahead.
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