Making it to the first year of sobriety or your “sobriety birthday” is a huge milestone that symbolizes a lot more than simply the passing of 12 months since a person decided to stop drinking or using drugs. If you have a loved one coming up on their one-year mark, a sobriety gift is a thoughtful and tasteful way of recognizing their accomplishment. If you’re unsure how to commemorate this achievement, keep reading to understand what sobriety gifts are, what makes a good sobriety gift, as well as our 1-year sober gift ideas.
One Year Sober Gifts
What is a good sobriety gift? There’s no single correct answer. Sobriety gifts can be sentimental, funny, and everything in between. The main factor to remember is that the gift should come in some way to pay homage to what they’ve accomplished thus far and supports their continued progress. This can be:
- Jewelry that marks their sobriety milestone
- Objects that relate to their healthier new lifestyle
- A small trinket like a key ring or decorative pin with a meaningful message or symbol
1. Jewelry & Apparel
One of the most popular sobriety gifts for him or her is jewelry. Several brands specialize in recovery-related jewelry and bear symbols that are well-known in recovery circles (e.g. the AA or NA symbol), dates of the person’s 1-year sober anniversary (or another meaningful date), or snippets of meaningful messages, such as the Serenity Prayer.
You can find many of these same elements in clothing and other accessories. When choosing, consider the recipient and whether they’re open and outspoken about their recovery or prefer something more subtle.
2. Journal
Self-reflection is an essential aspect of the recovery process. Without it, it’s unlikely they would’ve been able to create lasting change for themselves–much less reach the one-year milestone. A journal is a lovely way to acknowledge how much self-reflection they’ve accomplished and signify your encouragement to continue to do so. Plus, there’s just something about an unopened book that makes it exciting to pen thoughts to paper, giving your recipient even more incentive to write out their thoughts.
3. Exercise Equipment
A year ago, the recipient probably couldn’t even dream of being physically active. While it might not seem the most glamorous present, it’s a reminder of how much more they can do, in this case, physically. It also sends the message that you’re encouraging them to continue their healthier new lifestyle. Yoga mats, dumbbells, and workout clothes are a great place to start.
4. Medallion/Coin Holder
A well-crafted coin holder will make their keyring look snazzy but also allow them to always keep past tokens of their success immediately on hand. These holders are subtle, perfect for those who aren’t as outspoken about their recovery but find comfort in physical reminders of their accomplishments.
What Is a Sobriety Gift?
Overcoming addiction isn’t just a matter of willpower and it’s a heck of a lot more complicated than just deciding to quit. There are the withdrawal side effects and cravings, tough physical hurdles, and often why many addicted to drugs are reluctant to give them up. Then there are the psychological hurdles: mood swings, overcoming shame or guilt, and a host of other challenging moments. Sobriety gifts are given to recognize that instead of giving into temptation–the easy way out–the recipient persevered in doing something incredibly difficult.
When to Give a Sobriety Gift
Sobriety gifts can be given anytime during a person’s recovery journey. They aren’t limited to a certain timeframe and there’s no “wrong” time to give one. Yes, being 1 year sober is a huge accomplishment, but anyone who decides to get sober is someone worthy of celebration at any given time. However, if you’re determined to give a sobriety gift at a milestone that would feel genuinely meaningful to the recipient, consider mirroring the cadence of AA chips (also sometimes referred to as medallions) or key tags.
These small tokens are color-coded, each indicating a certain length of time that the recipient has been sober. Although not officially sanctioned by the Alcoholics Anonymous organization, this custom was practiced by some of its earliest members and is attributed to a NY-based AA group in 1947. Here’s what those colors mean:
- White: 24 hours sober
- Yellow: 1 month sober
- Gold: 2 months sober
- Green: 3 months sober
- Purple: 4 months sober
- Pink: 5 months sober
- Blue: 6 months sober
- Copper: 7 months sober
- Red: 8 months sober
- Purple: 9 months sober
- Gold: 10 months sober
- Green: 11 months
- Bronze: 1 year sober or longer
In a process where taking things day-by-day can sometimes seem impossible, it’s not so much the gift itself that matters, but rather, a signifier of how far they’ve come. Sobriety gifts are also meaningful because they provide a physical manifestation of the continued faith and friendship of their support system. Even a tiny memento can serve as a meaningful reminder of how the gift-giver has been by their side throughout the hard times.