AA Chip Colors and the Sobriety Milestones
The journey to sobriety is rarely a linear path. It is something that can be fraught with challenges and difficulties. It is also a time when big, and little wins should be celebrated.
AA chips are a means of doing this. They acknowledge and provide a reward for sobriety milestones. This is an important part of the recovery process.
Living an alcohol-free life is a challenging endeavor, but it's made a little easier when you're reminded of how far you've really come. Because of this, AA chips represent an important part of the recovery journey. They are symbols of success and reminders to take nothing for granted.
Different colored chips have different meanings. If you're new to AA, you may need a crash course in what these are. Let's take a look.
The Tradition of Sobriety Tokens
The tradition of celebrating sobriety milestones with tokens is thought to have originated with a nun named Sister Ignatia, who was known to give out sacred heart medallions and St. Christopher's medals to those in recovery. Another group in the 1940s then began to use poker chips as tokens. This tradition gradually evolved into the coin system we know today.
The Meaning of Sobriety Coins
Each coin color corresponds to a period of sobriety. A silver coin is the first a person receives. This represents 24 hours of sobriety.
After one month, they will receive a red coin and, after two months, a gold coin. From then on, after each additional month of sobriety, they get a different colored coin.
A green coin represents ninety days of sobriety. Members get a purple coin after achieving four months of sobriety. After five months, members receive a pink coin.
Members get a blue coin when the milestone of six months of sobriety is reached. The longer a person stays sober, the less likely they are to relapse, so this is a significant moment in the recovery journey.
AA members receive a copper-colored coin after seven months of sobriety. Those who remain sober for eight months receive a red coin. A purple coin is again given for nine months of sobriety.
After ten months of sobriety, members receive a gold chip. When an AA member reaches eleven months of sobriety, they get a green chip. After a full year sober, members receive a bronze chip.
Coins also are awarded for subsequent years of sobriety. Different chapters of AA may award different colors of chips.
Celebrating Sobriety Milestones With AA Tokens
If you or a loved one are currently in treatment for alcohol addiction, AA chips are a great way of celebrating sobriety milestones. This is a good practice as it provides motivation and encouragement to those on the road to recovery. If you'd like to purchase AA chips or any other type of sobriety gift, you can do so via our online shop now.