National Recovery Month (September) is a time for celebrating not only your personal progress, but the progress of everyone else in the recovery community, as well as all of the medical staff, volunteers, and additional people who all continuously work to make recovery possible.

There are countless ways to acknowledge, celebrate, and get involved in National Recovery Month, ranging from smaller, more intimate celebrations to larger, community-led events.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the 10 best ways to celebrate National Recovery Month.

The importance of celebrating recovery

While September is the official month to celebrate recovery, recovery is something that absolutely can and should be celebrated outside of that one month.

Celebrating milestones in recovery can be highly beneficial for your mental health, as well as for the morale of your loved ones.

Some of the positive benefits of celebrating recovery include:

• Boosting your confidence and sense of self-esteem 
• Be a source of motivation for maintaining sobriety
• Inspire and remind those actively struggling with addiction that recovery is possible
• Serve as proof to your family and friends that your addiction truly is in the past

There is no one way to celebrate recovery, so we’re going to share five ways to celebrate on a smaller scale, as well as some of the best recovery events near you this year.

Smaller ways to celebrate with loved ones

Not everybody likes to celebrate recovery (or anything personal) publicly, and that’s okay. You can still celebrate within your personal community of friends and family, and even invite some of your peers in the recovery community to come together in these five ways.

1. Host a dinner party

You can always go out and celebrate in a restaurant, but not everyone is in a stage of their recovery where they’re ready to be around alcohol. The beauty of hosting your own dinner party is it can be as formal, casual, or lively as you want, and you can ensure it’s a sober evening.

2. Spend a day in nature

Whether you want to make this an overnight camping trip, or simply pack a bunch of hot dogs and smore’s and enjoy a day in nature, is up to you. Sometimes the best way to celebrate is to get away from the city, from all the people, and reconnect with nature and people you love.

3. Treat yourself

This will look a little different per person, but the foundation of this celebratory suggestion is to spend the day treating yourself on a level you usually wouldn’t. That might mean going to a spa for the day, making a purchase you’ve been saving up for, or simply spending the day doing something you enjoy (with yourself or people you love) that you normally don’t make time for.

4. Have a home movie night

You might enjoying hosting a home movie night instead of going to the movies. Hosting a movie night at home enables you to pair it with additional party features, such as a mocktail bar, potluck-style food, and a variety of reasonably priced sweet treats.

5. Take a weekend away

Sometimes what you really need is a mini-vacation. However long, wherever it is, taking some time away from “the real world” and giving yourself permission to fully relax, have fun, and recharge, can be powerful. 

Find community events near you

If celebrating your recovery with dozens of other people in the recovery sounds like a blast to you, you’re in the right place.

Many recovery communities come together in September to host a variety of celebrations that typically include music, food, games, as well as offering motivational speakers and educational resources to continue to support you in your recovery.

We did some research and found five different awesome community events happening this National Recovery month in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

1. Pennsylvania hosts a variety of recovery events, including Soberstock (which is just as cool as it sounds).
2. New Jersey has an abundance of year-round activities for those in the recovery community.
3. Maryland has a Recovery Night Out you won’t want to miss.
4. Virginia hosts a Recover Virginia that’s full of activities to help you celebrate, as full of plenty of resources to continue supporting you on your journey.
5. If you don’t find any community events near you, you can always suggest some ideas to the addiction treatment centers in your area. You can even speak with these centers (as well as the city council) to host a recovery celebration.

Who knows, you may be the recovery community events leader they’ve been waiting for.

Reach out to us for support

If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, or perhaps has relapsed since completing a recovery program, reach out to us.

Our team here at Pyramid Healthcare is passionately dedicated to supporting you in every way we can throughout each phase of your recovery. 

To learn more about how we can help you, contact us today.