Addiction recovery can be a frustrating process. It can be long and grueling for many, and after rehab, it can seem difficult to maintain momentum as one gets bogged down in the daily grind of maintaining sobriety. Without a definitive finish line, an “end” to recovery, the recovering addict can lose faith in the process and struggle with the daily challenges of recovery. This is why it is so important for the recovering addict to find solace in the small successes of the process, focusing on the little things rather than just the big picture struggle. By celebrating milestones during treatment and early recovery, the recovering addict is recognizing progress in recovery and therefore making it more likely to achieve continual success in the process.

We are, in general, a goal-oriented society, where actions are taken to achieve specific ends. This can take many forms. You might join a gym, not with the vague aim of health and strength conditioning, but the more specific aim of losing a certain amount of weight. You might take a class to learn a specific skill or field because you want to focus on using it in a side gig. Even in entertainment, which is meant to be about relaxation, people may set goals: watching so many episodes in a night, binging through a whole season in  a week or similar idea. We make checklists and bucket lists and to-do lists, all with the focus on achieving specific goals.

Addiction recovery does not fall into such a mentality easily. In addiction recovery, there is no final goal, no finish line you can cross and say it’s over and done with. There is only the daily grind, another day in which the recovering addict works to remain sober and avoid relapse. And again the next day. And the next. There is a daily goal, but there is no final point where you can check off “finished recovery” and move on to another challenge. The battle rages on.

How to focus on milestones

This can be frustrating, even discouraging to a goal-oriented mentality. A recovery that starts with enthusiasm and drive can bog down into an endless slog of seemingly meaningless actions, going through the motions only to do it again later.

This is why it is so important for the recovering addict to mark milestones along their recovery journey, recognizing progress they have made and will continue to make. Recovery is not running in place, but simply a lifelong journey. Much like life, with milestones of birthdays and graduations and weddings and births and other major events, recovery also has milestones, such as anniversaries and personal achievements.

Many are familiar with programs that offer medallions or other physical tokens for recovering addicts who have remained sober for varying amounts of time, and this is an invaluable way of imposing order and goals on the process of recovery by establishing milestones worth celebrating.

But the recovering addict can also set their own goals in order to create milestones they can use to mark their success. They might celebrate a certain amount of time without thinking about substance abuse, or celebrate going with a craving for a day or so, or even just celebrate successfully managing a craving. 

There is no right or wrong here. Any goal that avoids relapse is a good one and worth celebrating.

How we can help you celebrate the milestones

At Good Landing Recovery, recovering addicts are encouraged to set personal goals and celebrate milestones on the path to recovery and beyond to help them navigate treatment and early recovery and find a lasting recovery from substance abuse.

By recognizing progress in recovery through celebrating milestones along the way, the recovering addict can better achieve success and avoid relapse. Good Landing can help you with that. Give them a call today to get started.