Choosing to step out and seek treatment for addiction is one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever make. We’re working hard to remove the stigma of addiction and to encourage more people to choose recovery. For some recovering addicts, celebrating sobriety milestones is an important step in the recovery process. December 11 is National Sobriety Day, but we encourage you to celebrate your sobriety every day.
Celebrating sobriety looks a little different than celebrating life’s other milestones such as weddings and graduations because sobriety is celebrated sober. If you’ve never planned a sobriety celebration, now’s the time to start.
Start Small
Cook a fancy meal at home or try a new restaurant with your spouse, best friend, or immediate family. Small celebrations are especially meaningful if you’re still in the first phase of sobriety. Your family or closest friends will want to celebrate your determination with you and show their support. Make sure they know you’re celebrating sobriety and you expect them to abstain from alcohol during the meal as well. If you’re eating out, ask your server to remove the wine or drink list from the table and not to suggest drinks with your meal.
Get Active
Alcohol and drugs steal our time and our energy. As you progress in your sobriety, you’ll find you have more of both of these resources. Try a new outdoor activity such as hiking, running, biking, fishing, or swimming. Invite supportive friends and family members to join you. Let them know the day’s activity is a celebration of your sobriety and alcohol and drugs are not permitted on the trip. Setting boundaries and surrounding yourself with supportive people are key parts of maintaining your sobriety.
Create New Traditions
As we move into the holidays, a lot of family traditions center around drinking. From grandma’s eggnog at Christmas to champagne on New Year’s Eve and beers during a ballgame, you may find yourself challenged at every turn. Combined with the stress of family gatherings, those temptations may prove to be a powderkeg for you. Choose now to set some new holiday traditions. Bake and decorate cookies together. Serve lunch at a local shelter. Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Host a soup cook-off. Every family tradition starts somewhere. Yours starts here with you.
Go Big
The early milestones of recovery may require quieter celebration to keep you on track, but long-term milestones like a year or five-years call for bigger celebrations. By now you’re past the first few hard days of sobriety, but you understand the importance of maintaining your commitment to your new lifestyle. And your friends and family are adjusting to the new you without drugs or alcohol. You may still choose to include a small group of supportive friends and family, but consider an out-of-town trip or a big vacation celebrate. Find a vacation travel planner that specializes in sober travel deals to celebrate on a cruise or trip that skips the alcohol.
However you choose to celebrate sobriety, we encourage you to celebrate it every day. Each moment lived without the control of drugs and alcohol is a beautiful day.
If you haven’t chosen a sober lifestyle yet, but you’re ready to kick your addictions, our counselors are ready to speak with you. And if you’ve walked the path of sobriety, but somehow lost your way, we’re here for that too. Call us at 662-282-4359 to speak with someone today.
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