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Even small steps on your sobriety journey are a big deal. Every achievement deserves recognition. Those who are part of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) will be familiar with AA chips, which are sobriety tokens used to celebrate milestones. Yet they are so much more than pieces of plastic or metal; they’re symbols of dedication, hard work, and achievements reached on the road to recovery.

Whether on a path to sobriety or acting as a cheerleader for a friend or family member, learning about milestones, AA chips, and their meanings is crucial. Thankfully, we’re here to help. Read on to discover more.

What Are AA Chips?

Firstly, let’s learn more about AA chips (or AA coins) and what they mean. In a nutshell, they’re small tokens gifted to Alcoholics Anonymous members as symbols of sobriety.

These chips aren’t all the same and boast various hues and styles. Each design represents a different milestone. These span from celebrating a single day alcohol-free to rejoicing multiple years of sobriety. In essence, they’re badges of honor and something you should showcase proudly, be this on your body, on an item of clothing or in a cabinet.

Although it is a mystery how these AA coins work, the impact they have on those journeying toward sobriety is undeniable. In comparison to other treatments, the AA has an impressive success rate.

Meanings and Colors

Each AA chip comes in a different shade. These span all rainbow colors, from a simple white shade to an eclectic gold hue. Every design and shade means something different, representing your journey's sobriety stages. Here, we list what each color signifies:

• White or Silver Chip: Also known as the surrender chip, this color signifies the first day of your sober journey. White is a pure hue and symbolizes new beginnings, fresh starts, or a clean slate. When handed this chip, it’s your first milestone and shows you have been sober for 24 hours.

• Red Chip: The next chip you will receive in your journey to sobriety is the red chip. This will be given to you when you’ve been sober for 30 days. It denotes passion and motivation and is the first significant milestone in your journey.

• Gold or Yellow Chip: With its bright hue, this chip symbolizes hope and sunshine. It is awarded to those who have completed two months of sobriety.

• Green Chip: The green chip symbolizes renewal and growth. It represented three months of sobriety.

• Purple Chip: Purple is a hue that represents strong commitment and changing horizons and marks six months sober.

• Blue Chip: When sober for a year, you'll achieve the blue-chip, representing confidence and trust.

• Bronze Chips: A bronze chip is given to you for every additional year sober and represents continued commitment and growth.

What To Use Your Chips For

Now that you understand more about the reasoning behind the AA chips and the significance of the various hues, you can start to consider the uses of your chips. To inspire you, here are six unique uses:

1. Use Your Chips AsA Way To Tell Your Story

Every achievement is a milestone, whether you’ve been sober for a day or three years. All chips should be celebrated. When sharing your story with others, as you’ll often do in your AA meetings, you can use your chip as a prop and a token to inspire others in the group. Those who have just started their journey to sobriety will value your account and memories, using them as inspiration and motivation to walk the same path. To put this into perspective, 79 Percent of members have a sponsor or a fellow member who provides individual support.

2. Make Jewelry Out Of Your Chips

If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you may wish to make jewelry from your custom sobriety chips. From rings to AA medallions, brooches, and bracelets, there are various options available. You can even clip them to your belt.

Whether you wish to be discreet or wear your token with pride, custom jewelry can be displayed over clothes or tucked under a t-shirt or jumper. Even if you’re the only one who knows it’s there, having it with you will remind you of the aa chips milestones overcome.

3. Build a Supportive Community

Everyone’s recovery is unique to them. Irrespective of this, all surround feelings of growth, overcoming challenges, and embracing transformation. Your AA chips represent your journey achievements. They represent hope, perseverance, and strength, remind you how far you’ve come in your recovery journey, and motivate you to continue.

Creating a supportive community by joining like-minded individuals who stand behind each sobriety symbol is a way for you to rejoice in victories together, no matter how small or big. Supporting others experiencing the same challenges will motivate you and help them stay on track. How? Through shared understanding, experiences, and encouragement. With this in mind, cherish every chip as a badge of honor! AA communities are said to be 60% effective in achieving sobriety.

4. Display Your Chips At Home OrIn Your Office

Whether you place them in a cabinet, line them up on a mantle piece, pin them to a board, or in a scrapbook, displaying your chips with pride is another way to turn milestones into memories. You can share them publicly or keep them hidden for your eyes only in a drawer or your wallet. How you choose to display them is a personal decision for everyone.

For a more avant-garde display, place each chip in a stylish frame. The more chips you collect? The more impressive your gallery wall will become.

5. Positive Habit Reminders

All good habits require a reminder now and again, especially on challenging days. This is when a positive push or some much-needed motivation is required. This is where your sober chips come in and can serve as a trigger or a reminder. A New York Times article stated that AA claims that up to 75% of its members stay abstinent.

Like apps that send you reminders or notifications to drink water, exercise, or practice your daily meditation, chips you can touch and feel boast similar reminders. Physical reminders are often better.

6. Add Them To Clothing

By fashioning your sobriety chips into embroidered badges, you can attach them to bags, t-shirts, caps, and other attire, wearing them with pride. As well as an option for yours truly, this is a great gift to give friends and family members and one that promises to support them on their journey to sobriety.

How Will You Use Your Alcoholics Anonymous Chips?

How you choose to use your AA chips is entirely up to you. From displaying them in cabinets or as artwork to wearing them around your neck or wrist, there are various ways to transform your milestones into memories. Whether you display them for the world to admire, for only you to see, or to inspire others in need, there is a unique use for all.

The bottom line? There is no correct answer, but the above will inspire you with unique uses for your sobriety chips.