Congratulations on your resolution to quit substance abuse and embark on the road to sobriety! But as you’ll soon find out, the journey ahead isn’t for the faint-hearted.
The good news is that inspiration for recovering addicts can come from various sources. These range from practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation to working out, socializing regularly, and receiving recovery coins.
Recovery coins play the biggest role in nudging former addicts along the path to sobriety. That’s because, unlike other common inspiration sources, these coins are available as tangible commodities.
In this article, we look at the significance of recovery coins in your journey toward achieving full abstinence from alcohol and drug use.
What Are Recovery Coins?
Recovery coins are tokens issued to former drug addicts to represent the milestones achieved on their road to full sobriety. These items are also known as sobriety coins, in line with their underlying objective.
Recovery coins are typically available as small chips or medallions awarded to recovering addicts to commemorate the period they’ve been sober. The duration can range from as short as twenty-four hours to as long as twelve months or even more.
What Is the Significance of Recovery Coins?
As already hinted, recovery coins stand out as a symbol of honor, celebrating the period a former addict has managed to remain clean. They serve the same basic principle of traditional medals of honor, only that the achievement, in this case, is staying away from alcohol and/or drugs.
Sobriety tokens can also motivate the recipient on their newfound path away from addiction and dependency. Each coin received is an incentive to the former addict to set newer milestones as they travel the often-treacherous journey to complete sobriety. The chips serve as a stark reminder of the scourge of substance use and how enslaving it is. By glancing at these tokens and feeling their unique texture, in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle adjustments, the recipient can look forward in hope to an alcohol- and/or drug-free life.
It’s undeniably true that remaining sober requires an immense amount of strength and resilience. People who had already been dangerously hooked to drugs and alcohol often find it difficult to completely wean off these substances from their systems. But while recovery coins may not deter you from interacting with common drug cues, their mere presence can nudge you to remain sober even in challenging moments.
Last but not least, recovery medallions are sentimental gifts that transcend generations. You can pass these tokens to your offspring as a symbol of your struggles with substance abuse and warn them of the inherent dangers of becoming addicts themselves. In this way, sobriety chips stand out from recovery clothing and many other similar gifts that you can present to your dear ones.
Different Types of Recovery Coins and What They Signify
Recovery coins come in diverse colors, with each shade representing the duration the recipient has been sober. They include;
- Silver: 24 hours
- Red: 30 days
- Gold: 30 days
- Green: 90 days
- Purple: 120 days
- Pink: 150 days
- Dark Blue: 180 days
- Copper: 7 months
- Red: 8 months
- Purple: 9 months
- Gold: 10 months
- Green: 11 months
- Bronze: 12 months
Tokens issued after one year of sobriety are usually bronze-colored, bronze-coated, or both.
It’s also worth noting that while most recovery chips appear in the above colors, there could be additional designs representing certain special accomplishments. For instance, gold-plated medallions may be issued to symbolize class and elegance.
Another key thing to remember is that all medallions require routine cleaning and maintenance to maintain their shine. Following a maintenance plan is particularly important for sobriety chips made from precious metals like gold.
Where Can I Get Recovery Coins?
Recovery coins aren’t value items to purchase in a jewelry store or art exhibition. Instead, they’re sentimental chips you only receive upon earning particular accomplishments related to being sober.
First, you’ll need to understand who typically issues recovery medallions. Although these chips are synonymous with abstinence organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), you can avail of them at pretty much any sobriety fellowship. In fact, it’s possible to receive an AA or NA coin from an unaffiliated organization. You’re eligible for the coins as long as you enroll in an abstinence program that culminates in their issuance.
Next, it’s important to remember that sobriety coins are a mark of honor. To earn these chips, you must have completed certain milestones on the road to abstinence.
Also, like traditional medals, the issuance of recovery medals typically takes place in a ceremony of sorts.
You’d normally declare the period you’ve been sober. Note that your statements may not be subjected to any verifications. So, it’s imperative to be honest for your good.
After stating your abstinence period, your program leader would then issue you with a recovery token after making a few encouraging remarks.
Final Word
Recovery medallions symbolize the accolades won on the road to sobriety. These coins also serve as a constant reminder of the perils of substance use while nudging you to stay on the path towards cleanliness.
You only need to make the often-tough decision of quitting substance abuse and then enroll in a relevant abstinence fellowship.
