May 13, 2014 | By Tim Stoddart

One Year Anniversary Anxiety

Recovery

Anyone who’s gotten sober knows how difficult it is, and that’s why making it to your one year sober anniversary is such a big milestone. I remember when I hit my one year mark. I was surprised how quickly one year had passed, and I did a lot of reflecting on all the changes I’d made in such a short amount of time. Your one year anniversary is an emotional time, and while it’s definitely a cause for celebration, it can also bring feelings of anxiety. How do you deal with that one year anniversary anxiety?

First of all, I think it’s important to understand that a lot of the anxious feelings you’re getting are exacerbated by PAWS – post acute withdrawal syndrome. PAWS can last up to two years after you quit using drugs or alcohol, and its symptoms include difficulty with clear thinking, managing stress and emotions, sleeping, physical coordination, and memory. PAWS occurs because your brain is still repairing itself from the damage your addiction caused. If you know that your anxiety is normal for a person after addiction, it can be a little easier to reconcile and cope with.

Support System

One of the most important things for anyone in recovery is to have a support system of people who you trust and can confide in. If you’re feeling anxious about your one year anniversary, you should be leaning on your support system for help. Talk about your feelings with your sponsor, friends, family members, counselor, or whoever else. Be honest about what’s going through your mind, and talk it out. It’s especially helpful to talk to someone who is also in recovery. Someone who has more time sober than you may be able to offer insight, and their personal experience with anniversary anxiety may be able to help you out. Don’t keep your anxiety inside – talk to someone about it.

Celebrating

When you get to your one year anniversary, make sure you let yourself celebrate. You should be proud of yourself, and you should give yourself credit for all that you’ve accomplished in the past year. Getting sober is something to be proud of. Celebrate by doing something nice for yourself; splurge a little, go out to dinner with friends, or do another healthy activity to treat yourself. If you’re in AA, NA, or another fellowship, attend a meeting and get your one-year chip/token and the recognition you deserve. Celebrating may help alleviate some of the anxiety you’re feeling by replacing it with joy.

Reflection

Your one year anniversary is a great time to do some self-reflection. If you’re feeling anxious, try to figure out why. Are you worried that you’ll slip up? Are you struggling with cravings? Are you feeling sad, disappointed, lonely, etc.? Once you pinpoint your anxiety, you can do something about it. Talk to someone, and try to come up with a plan to improve. If you’re not happy with something about your sober life, figure out what you can do to change it. For example, would you feel better about yourself if you incorporated more exercise into your routine? Do you still have feelings of guilt or shame that you might want to talk about with a therapist?

Don’t forget to also reflect on the good things about the past year of your life. What are you doing good that you want to keep up? What improvements have you made that you can be happy about? You’ve come a long way, and looking back on the journey helps.

Remember that no matter what, staying sober for an entire year is a huge accomplishment. You should be happy that you’ve stuck to sobriety for so long, and hopefully you feel confident in your ability to keep it up for many more years to come. Anniversary anxiety is common, but try not to get too caught up in it. While it’s nice to celebrate, sometimes people put too much stock in counting their time sober. After all, quality is more important than quantity!
Lisa M. Hann is a freelance writer specializing in addiction and recovery. She has a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University. She has been sober since 2010, and she resides in New Jersey with her son. She’s the author of the books How to Have Fun in Recovery and 365 Ways to Have Fun Sober.