How to Celebrate Your Sobriety Anniversary
For many former alcoholics, a sobriety anniversary is much more significant than a birthday.
The road to sobriety can be difficult. Studies show that only 35% of people fully recover from alcohol use disorder. They either abstain from alcohol or become low-risk drinkers.
That's no small feat.
If you or someone you know has an upcoming sobriety anniversary, there are many ways to commemorate the occasion. From AA tokens to becoming a sponsor, your sobriety deserves to be celebrated.
Here are some great ways to celebrate your sobriety anniversary.
Pamper Yourself
Rewarding yourself for doing the work to stay sober is one way to honor your special day. Spoil yourself with a day of pampering in whatever gives you the most pleasure.
This can mean taking a day at the spa, going to the hair salon, or getting a relaxing massage. You deserve it!
Express Gratitude to Loved Ones
A lot of the work that goes into becoming sober comes from you. However, there are people in your life who have likely supported you on your journey to sobriety.
Showing gratitude to those in your life who have been there for you through difficult times is a great way to celebrate. You give them a heartfelt thank you for being there for you. This is the time that you can be as personal and creative in your message as you want to.
Order Commemorative AA Medallions
If you are a member of AA, you've likely heard of AA chips that commemorate your sobriety milestones.
Gifting yourself or someone in your life with an AA medallion is a wonderful way to honor a sobriety anniversary.
The Triplate Medallion is a multicolored coin with a circle and triangle design in a variety of brilliant colors. You can inscribe the coin with your anniversary date and they come with the serenity prayer featured on the back of the medallion.
Become a Sponsor
One of the ways that you can celebrate your sobriety is by paying it forward to a new member of AA. Becoming a sponsor is a great way to give back all of the knowledge and wisdom you have gained since recovering from alcohol use disorder.
You can reach out to a new member in need or allow someone to come to you to ask for your mentorship.
Try Something New
Getting a fresh start in life and enjoying new experiences is what recovery is all about.
One way to celebrate your sobriety birthday is to try something new. Maybe there's a class you've always wanted to take. Perhaps you enjoy a bit of adrenaline and you want to try skydiving.
This will be personal to you but you should push yourself out of your comfort zone and do something that your addiction might have gotten in the way of before.
A Token of Appreciation for Your Sobriety Anniversary
Your sobriety anniversary should be a day of celebration. You can try something new, order AA coins, become someone's sponsor, spoil yourself, and show your gratitude to those you love. These are just some of the ways that you can commemorate your special day.
For more information on honorary AA coins, here's how to create a custom coin for your anniversary.