Making the choice to seek and accept professional help when you’re struggling with an abuse or addiction is a big step, one that very well may have saved your life.
You should be proud of yourself.
Whether you’re a few days, weeks, months, or years into your recovery, it’s important to celebrate progress, no matter how big or seemingly “small” it is.
You can celebrate recovery at any point and time (in fact, we encourage you to), but September specifically is National Recovery Month. During this month, you can probably find a variety of public community and social events in which to celebrate recovery with like minded peers.
Outside of this month, there are countless ways in which you can celebrate recovery. We’re going to share with you five different ways to celebrate milestones in your recovery in this article.
What are recovery milestones?
Simply put, recovery milestones are goals you set out to achieve in your recovery journey.
Making a point to celebrate milestones in recovery not only personally inspires you to continue your commitment to sobriety, but it also may help those who are still actively going through the initial stages of recovery.
As a bonus, it also provides a reason to get together with your closest family and friends.
Why celebrate milestones in recovery?
To have completed rehab and successfully transitioned into independent sobriety is a huge achievement. You may or may not have celebrated that transition; in fact, it might seem like “that’s it,” but there’s so much more to recovery than those initial few months of hard work.
You might find yourself wondering, which milestones deserve special recognition and warrant being celebrated?
The answer is all of them.
While there are certain milestones in recovery that are fairly universally celebrated, for the most part, the milestones you choose to celebrate are completely up to you and your progress.
Your journey, while it might share similar elements to others in recovery, is uniquely your own.
You can celebrate any and all victories, public and private, short-term and long-term; you can celebrate in small ways and big ways, individually or with friends and family. It’s up to you.
Ways to celebrate recovery
One of the coolest aspects about celebrating your recovery is there’s no one way to do it because it’s your personal recovery.
If you need a couple of ideas, here are our five best recommendations for celebrating milestones in recovery.
1. Go for a day on the town
We suggested day over night because nightlife is often conventionally heavy with substance influences and temptations. Many people in or post-recovery prudently choose to avoid those scenarios, at least for their initial few years of recovery. Spending a day out with loved ones (or as solo date experience) can be full of good food, good music, and new experiences.
2. Host a alcoholic-free party
You can cook a large meal, offer a variety of snacks, have a potluck, or order takeout; you could have a game night, movie night (some people buy or rent small projectors), or a casual dinner party; you can even have a mocktail bar with all sorts of mixers and ingredients for DIY drinks.
3. Do something you’ve been wanting to
This could be trying a new bakery or a fancy restaurant you’ve had your eye on for a while now. It could also be going to a spa for a day, signing up for a weekend retreat, or visiting an attraction that’s piqued your curiosity.
4. Travel somewhere new
Sometimes the best way to celebrate how far you’ve come is to go far from where you’ve come. Plan a mini vacation for yourself or yourself and others and give yourself permission to truly relax and have fun. You’ve worked hard and come a long way (no matter how much time has passed), and you deserve to slow down and enjoy yourself.
5. Slow down and cherish this
You might find you don’t want to celebrate in the traditional sense of feasting, drinking (mocktails), and charismatic conversation. Maybe you’re drawn to a quieter, more intimate celebration with just yourself, or yourself and only a couple others. You might want to spend the day in a grateful haze, simply cherishing every moment of this life you might not have had.
Contact us for recovery support
If you or someone you love is struggling with a substance use disorder or perhaps has relapsed in their recovery, send us a message.
Mazzitti & Sullivan specializes in helping people achieve and maintain sobriety in adolescence and adulthood. Our programs are guided by a team of experienced medical providers who are here to support you every step of your journey.
To learn more about the services we offer, call our office today at (717) 901-5652.