Addiction is a terrible disease that most people aren’t aware that they have. This is mostly because they believe that they have it under control and that everything is fine in their lives. However, addiction has a sneaky way of controlling everything around us without us knowing. That’s why rehab and recovery are so essential to the process, so much so that milestones deserve to be celebrated, no matter how small they might be.

What Are Recovery Milestones?

Attend any Pasadena addiction rehab, and you might witness a few celebration milestones for certain individuals. Milestones serve as markers of how long an individual has been without drugs or alcohol to demonstrate that they are taking the right steps toward becoming sober. The first milestone takes place usually when a person has stopped using substances for 24 hours. After that, the most common milestones are 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, and then 1 year. After a year, milestones may not feel as necessary, but they’re strongly encouraged so that the individual has the motivation to keep going.

Individually-Set Milestones

The person in rehab can also set their own milestones, such as getting a new job, finding a new hobby, or engaging in some other mental or physical activity that keeps their mind and body healthy. This gives them something to work towards so that they have control over their lives again instead of letting their addiction dictate their daily operations.

Why Acknowledging Anniversaries Is Important

Going through recovery is not only mentally stressful, but it’s physically stressful as well as the person’s body trying to cope with not having their fix. People in rehab are working hard to get better, and that effort should be acknowledged through the celebration of those milestones. They can serve as a reward too, since an individual has something they can strive towards.

Best Ways To Celebrate Sobriety Milestones

Milestones should be celebrated, but it’s important to remember that safety should be exercised so as not to trigger a relapse. For example, some of the best ways to celebrate a milestone include:

● Hosting an outdoor cookout

● Traveling somewhere new for vacation

● Donating to a charity of some kind

● Going to an amusement park

● Just getting together with family and friends

For those who are recovering alcoholics, it’s important that alcohol is not provided at these events.

Continuing to Celebrate During Recovery

Although milestones may not seem important over time, they can definitely help a person stick with their sobriety. They can mark progress towards long-term goals and demonstrate that recovery is always possible, no matter how long someone has been an addict.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction, then it might be time for an intervention and show them that there are plenty of resources and support groups out there to help them through the process. Make a call to your health provider to get started back on the road to being in control of your life again.