As the pandemic winds down and people try to kick the drinking habits they may have created for them, “drinking” is emerging as a new holiday milestone — complete with greeting cards, coffee mugs with strange words, and a growing social network. the presence
Why it matters: Getting sober and staying sober are important accomplishments that many people feel compelled to hide because of the lingering stigma of alcohol addiction.
The concept of a “sober birthday” or anniversary of sobriety is almost as old as 12-step dating, but the popularization of a catchy neologism — sobriety — is a culturally meaningful watershed.
- It gives dignity and respect to those in recovery, helps people open up about their struggles, and encourages those who are sick to seek help.
- “My recovery is more important to me than my birthday,” said Carly Benson, a 41-year-old recovery coach from Naples, Florida, who quit drinking on Aug. 17, 2008, and marks the date every year with pride as a journey. . in Greece.
News Direction: Young people accustomed to living their lives out loud are ditching the “anonymity” principle of Alcoholics Anonymous and posting proud photos of their “sober” celebrations – and the elderly are joining in, too.
- On Instagram, Twitter and other platforms, people hold up signs or balloons that mark how many years they’ve been sober — or even tattoos from their departure dates – using the hashtag #soberversary.
- Sober “merchandise” on sites like Amazon and Etsy includes solemn gifts (recovery journals and bracelets with inspirational quotes) and comical ones (sweatshirts and mugs with slogans like “Sober AF”).
- “It’s inspiring” to see posts from other people celebrating their 40 years of sobriety and other milestones, said Seamus Kirst, a 32-year-old writer in Brooklyn who has been sober for 10 years.
- “I think it normalizes sobriety and talking about addiction,” Kirst tells Axios. “It makes people feel less alone when there are these public celebrations of sobriety, to show how common it is.”
Celebrities are giving momentum: Supermodel Chrissy Teigen marked her first prom in July with a lengthy Instagram post.
- “No drop of alcohol in 365 days!” she said. “I miss feeling pale and carefree sometimes, but to be completely honest, it didn’t feel that fun anymore anyway.”
- An episode of “Jersey Shore” involved the return of castmate Snooki to observe Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s sobriety.
Back story: AA has a system of chips, key tags, and medallions given to people in honor of various milestones of sobriety, a tradition that dates back to the society’s earliest days.
- Clarence Snyder—who founded AA’s third group, in Cleveland in 1939—”had his last drink on February 11, 1938, and he carried a locket made of a silver dollar and a watch case until shortly before his death on March 22. 1984,” according to a 12-step website called Big Book Sponsorship.
- That tradition continues today, with a modern twist: Groups like Sober Girl Society (founded in 2018) sell a variety of sober pins and jewelry in bubbly pink.
And enlightenments have appeared as a cause for a touching – if not public – celebration. “These commemorative events can mark 100 days of sobriety, 300 days, a year or any time period that is important to you and your life,” according to Sober Living America, which runs addiction recovery programs.
- “Some people prefer to spend their proms alone in quiet reflection, while others prefer to celebrate with a trip to a new destination or through a party with family and friends,” notes Sober Living America.
- Online women’s magazine Bustle published tips on how to watch your sobriety. (Suggestions include learning to meditate and hanging out with friends.)
- Benson, the sobriety coach who offers courses on quitting alcohol on her website MiraclesAreBrewing.com, went kiteboarding in the Dominican Republic after her first year of sobriety.
- “My one-year comeback was a turning point, when I said, ‘You know what? I don’t want to go back. I like this life better,” she told Axios.
Ultimately: A sober is a distinctly modern kind of celebration, one that implies a kind of heavy-handed rejoicing that can only hint at the struggles and anguish that precede it.
“This is a good counterbalance” for all the bad news about drug and alcohol abuse, Kirst said. “On the one hand, you’re seeing how dangerous certain substances are and the dark side of addiction, but then you’re also getting messages about people who have overcome.”
