Celebrate Recovery! My Girls Are At It Again With A New Guest Recovery Article By: Author Alyssa Craig.

Hello and Welcome Recovery Friends,

 

I hope your 4th of July weekend was FABULOUS! Mine was pretty quite. But my recovery girls Rachel and Alyssa were at it again with another helpful Recovery Article Share for all of us. I feel it is important to have many insights and views about recovery. So I enjoy sharing many other authors views and articles here. Today Alyssa is Celebrating Recovery with us in this new Guest Post.
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Celebrating Addiction Recovery Victories in Healthy Ways
Author: Alyssa Craig

Multi Generation Family Enjoying Meal In Garden Together

 

Why Celebrate?
As humans, we celebrate milestones and accomplishments often, from birthdays to graduations. But why do we do it and how does it fit into addiction recovery? Develop an Attitude of Gratitude: Celebrations give us a chance to express gratitude for the things that are going well in life.

Appreciation: By giving appreciation and attention to our accomplishments, we can more deeply enjoy what we have achieved.

Honor Life: This is a concept that often takes a backseat during addiction. Remember to value life itself.

Recognition: Addiction recovery is difficult. Celebrations allow us and our loved ones to acknowledge our accomplishments and milestones.

Thank Support: Celebrations draw family and friends together for a happy purpose and when it comes to addiction recovery, it allows us to also celebrate having a solid support system.

Positivity: By giving focus to milestones, it helps to reinforce positive behavior and a positive attitude.

Self-Assessment: Milestones give us an opportunity for honest self-assessment. It gives us a chance to see how far we have come.

Which Addiction Milestones Should Be Celebrated?
What may be a difficulty for one person may not be for another, so you will have to determine for yourself what constitutes a need for celebration. As a general guideline be sure to include the following in your celebrations:

• A Day/Week/Month/Year of Sobriety: It is up to you how often you will celebrate, but these are easy milestones to select from. The one month milestone in particular is important as this is when withdrawal symptoms are worst. After the first month, cravings subside and addiction related physical changes improve significantly which can be a great psychological boost.

• Returning to School or Work: Getting a new job or returning your focus to your education is a big deal, as these areas probably took a hit during your addiction.

• Sustaining a Healthy Relationship: Family, friendships, and romantic relationships tend to suffer when a person is suffering from an addiction. If you have repaired or sustained a relationship that would not have previously been possible, that is worth celebrating.

  More Ways To Celebrate:
  Once you are ready to celebrate, you may want some suggestions. Here are some ways you can acknowledge the hard work you have done, the things you have overcome, all without a fear of relapse.

  Express Gratitude Daily: Celebrate each day with a dose of expression of gratitude. This might be a mental list, an entry in a gratitude journal, or writing a note of thanks to someone who has helped you.

  Clean, Sober & Gamble Free Party: One fear of a party is the presence of alcohol or drugs, but by planning your own party, you can control this. You will find your friends and family to be supportive and you will have a great time. Find great ways to replace old party habits with suggestions such as the ones listed here.

  Athletic Event: If you have worked on improving your physical health, this might be a great time to participate in an athletic event as a celebration of your stronger, healthier body and well-balanced recovery.

  Volunteering: Paying it forward is always a great way to celebrate your victories. Look for ways to help in your community or even with an addiction recovery program near you. It is likely someone could benefit from your knowledge of obstacles you have faced in recovery.

  Take a real Vacation: Travel is a great way to broaden your horizons, experience a new culture and get away from it all. Set a goal for yourself in your recovery and once you have reached it, reward yourself with a dream vacation.

  Treat Yourself: Practice self-love by creating a rewards system for different types of milestones. Think of what you would like to achieve and what you will get at each level. New outfits, a gadget you’ve been wanting, signing up for a class to learn a new hobby, or indulging in a little treat are all great ways to celebrate your efforts.
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Addiction recovery is a difficult, ongoing challenge and you deserve to celebrate your achievements and successes. Not only will it help reinforce a positive attitude and perspective, but you may also find a way to serve those around you, helping to build others up as you continue to progress.

Courtesy of Author, Alyssa Craig 🙂

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