Celebrating Recovery

The Importance of Celebrating Recovery

Celebrating recovery from substance abuse, whether from alcohol, street drugs, or prescription drugs, is vitally important in the recovery process. Whether an addict has been clean for 30 days or three years, marking the milestone puts his/her life in perspective and offers hope for the future.

Group Celebrations

Celebrating recovery in a group situation usually involves important milestones. For most people, the first monthly anniversaries (such as the 6-month mark) and the first year sober are significant dates. Every subsequent year anniversary is usually celebrated as well.

New groups often enjoy celebrating recovery by marking smaller anniversaries, such as 30, 60, or 90 days clean of substance abuse. Many groups that celebrate recovery are 12-step groups.

An anniversary can be celebrated with other members, or each group may celebrate anniversaries separately. Group tradition and policy usually dictate what happens at an anniversary celebration, but most have similar themes.

Persons with anniversaries are asked to host the meeting, or have someone important in their recovery process speak on their behalf. They share their own recovery story, and then members of the group get a chance to talk about the member. “Happy Birthday” is usually sung. Cake and non-alcoholic drinks or other refreshments may also be served.

Depending on the group involved, special anniversary meetings may be designated as “open” meetings. This allows family and close friends of the celebrating member to share in the meeting.

Individual Celebrations

Recovering addicts may also enjoy celebrating recovery with their own personal traditions. Ways to celebrate include:

• Calling a sponsor
• Writing lists of gratitude (things to be thankful for)
• Attending a group meeting or re-visiting a treatment center for the day
• Taking time to visit with special friends and family
• Having a private party with friends and family
• Meditating
• Taking a short trip
• Shopping or rewarding oneself with a small gift

Many recovering addicts enjoy making a tradition out of their anniversaries. For example, a person might take his/her sponsor or family out for dinner, then go home and write a list of things that happened in the past year that would not have occurred if he/she still been using.

Anniversaries are a time to reflect back on what you have accomplished since getting clean and sober.

Government Recognition

Since 1989, a National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month has been designated to promote the understanding and importance of drug and alcohol addiction recovery. The holiday for celebrating recovery is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). While working with a myriad of other groups, the CSAT helps find access to medically sound and cost-effective substance abuse treatment programs in local areas.

Recovery Month is always September. The theme for 2006 is Join the Voices for Recovery: Build a Stronger, Healthier Community. Recovery Month’s goal is to promote the benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment, to applaud the contributions of treatment providers, and to promote the message that recovery is possible.

During Recovery Month, community events are stressed. Suggestions for organizing run/walk events, celebrations with major/minor league baseball teams, and video screenings are available through the CSAT website. The website also lists events in each state, along with locations for drug and alcohol treatment programs. In addition, there are press releases groups can use to publicize Recovery Month celebrations.

• Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms
• Caffeine Withdrawal
• Anti Depression Foods
• Depression Quiz
• Am I an Alcoholic

• Causes of Drug Addiction
• Drug Addiction Poems
• Compulsive Lying
• Treatment for Compulsive Lying
• Short Term Effects of Smoking Crystal Meth

• Drug Addiction Recovery
• Addiction and Holiday Season
• Drug Addiction Hotline
• Drugs Used to Fight Cocaine Addiction
• How to Survive Addiction