How Do You Congratulate a Recovering Addict? (2024)

• accounting-ATC
• Posted Date:October 23, 2020

How to Praise a Recovering Addict

So, say you have a close friend or relative who has struggled with drug addiction for years. After many trials and even more errors, something finally seems to click. Your loved one successfully kicks his or her drug habit and maintains sobriety for an extended period of time. You might want to throw a big party for every month of sobriety, inviting everyone in town and screaming how proud you are from the rooftops. The truth is, how you congratulate and celebrate a recovering addict depends very heavily on how they feel about the circ*mstances. Every individual who is in addiction recovery will have their own preference on how to celebrate milestones. Some individuals might want to be the center of attention, while others prefer to keep things low-key or under wraps entirely.

Congratulating a recovering addict on his or her personal growth is a pretty straightforward process. First of all, you want to be absolutely sure that you are supposed to be informed about the recovery. For example, if one of your coworkers told you, “Hey, guess what? Bill is sober – rumor has it he just celebrated one year clean off of meth,” you probably don’t want to approach Bill and say, “Hey, congrats on getting sober!” If your close friend or family member recently got sober, however, this is an entirely different story. You have likely witnessed the progression from active addiction to sobriety, and your feelings of pride and admiration are genuine and authentic. When congratulating someone you know and love, a simple hug and genuine, “Congratulations, I’m so proud of you,” will typically suffice.

Congratulating Someone On Their Recovery

If you are not in addiction recovery and you would like to congratulate someone on overcoming drug addiction, there are several things that you might consider saying. These things are generally non-offensive and include:

• “Hey, I really am very proud of your accomplishment. I know that getting sober is no small feat, and you really have come a long way.”
• “I want you to know that I admire you. Things were sometimes rough between us, but that was only because I love you dearly and I was concerned for your well being. You have accomplished some incredible things and I’m so excited to see your continual progress in your recovery.”
• “CONGRATULATIONS!”
• “I can’t imagine how much hard work you’ve put in, but I know that it’s a lot. I look up to you – you are a great example of perseverance and dedication.”
• “I have always believed in you. I am so glad that you finally believe in yourself.”

Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment

At Agape Treatment Center we celebrate every recovery milestone and congratulate all of our clients on even the smallest success – which in reality, is a huge success. We understand that drug addiction recovery is extremely difficult, and that small incentive and rewarding positive behavioral changes are both conducive to long-term sobriety. We also teach our clients the importance of anonymity – one of the predominant facets of every 12 step recovery program and addiction recovery in general. This means respecting the personal boundaries of all of their peers. A congratulation is always in order, but some individuals do not want any attention drawn to their sobriety, and that is more than okay.

If you have been struggling with a substance abuse disorder of any severity and you are looking for a comprehensive and effective program of clinical care, Agape Treatment Center has got you covered. Simply give us a call and we will get you started on your own personal journey of healing as soon as we possibly can.

Call the Agape Treatment Center admissions team at 888-614-0077 to learn more about what our addiction and mental health facilities can do for you or your loved one.