Should You Share Your Recovery Milestones?

Content medically reviewed by Vicky Magobet, PMHNP-BC, on April 7, 2020.

The journey to recovery comes with many milestones along the way. Whether you're celebrating a week, a year or a decade, sobriety milestones are a way to take stock of how far you've come. Many recovering addicts find it motivating to share these milestones, while others choose to keep their successes silent. If you're unsure which route to take, consider both sides below before making your decision.

Why Keep Your Milestones Private?

Your addiction was most likely not a proud part of your life. After going through a difficult and devastating struggle, you eventually made the decision to break free from old habits and pursue sobriety. This was a personal decision — while you may have received encouragement and support from others, you were the one behind the steering wheel.

Likewise, when it comes to your continued sobriety, you're the one who gets to choose how and when you reveal your achievements. While many might choose to share their good news publicly, be patient with yourself if you're not ready for accolades or attention. If sharing too soon brings pressure or stress, then you might want to keep it quiet until you feel comfortable sharing.

The Benefits of Sharing Your Sobriety Milestones

Congratulating yourself or receiving praise from others might feel like a scary concept. You might worry about living up to the expectations of your community. However, sharing your milestones comes with many valuable benefits beyond a pat on the back.

No matter how long you've been pursuing sobriety, celebrating your accomplishments is an important reminder of how far you've come — and how easy it is to stumble. Sharing your recovery journey helps you to acknowledge what you've achieved and, most importantly, all that you've overcome.

Sharing your story also serves as a helpful reminder that you're not alone. While your addiction may have been surrounded by shame and secrecy, you've now got a chance to use your story for good. You can help encourage others, showing them that sobriety is possible and inspiring them to stay the course. You'll feel freer, prouder and more resolute than ever to continue working hard for recovery. As a result, sharing your milestones can be a powerful relapse prevention tool.

How to Celebrate Silently

Ultimately, the choice to share or stay private is up to you. As we've discussed, many recovering addicts do find celebrating their sobriety milestones to be a huge part of recovery. It can help them stay motivated, aid in relapse prevention and build closer connections to those around them.

However, if you relate to the advantages of privacy, it might serve you best to keep these milestones for yourself. Whatever works best for you and your health is going to be the right choice. Even if you don't want to share your news with the world, you can celebrate your milestones in more subtle ways, such as by:

  • Giving back by volunteering at a local or national recovery event.
  • Treating yourself with a milestone marker gift, like a spa day or a new gadget, to motivate yourself to continue.
  • Commemorating your accomplishment by starting a new tradition you can continue with each sobriety anniversary.
  • Keeping a journal with entries about each milestone.

Contact Diamond House Detox for More Information About Rehab Treatment

If you're not in recovery yet but would like to be, feel free to reach out to Diamond House Detox. We offer medically-assisted substance abuse treatment programs in northern California, with a specialty focus on the connection between mental health disorders and substance abuse. To learn more about our in-patient rehab program, simply contact us today!

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Diamond House Detox
Vicky is a board certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She began her nursing career in healthcare by working in the intensive care unit, and then an inpatient psychiatric hospital. After realizing the mental health needs of both the patients and the families she served, she became a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Throughout her experience working with clients, she has developed a passion for those with dual diagnoses and specializes in helping individuals recognize the issues driving their substance use. This recognition has been crucial to the individual’s success in treatment. Vicky opened Diamond House Detox so that she can address these issues early on in a therapeutic environment to allow clients to transition to the next level in their recovery.
Vicky Magobet
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