One camp says yes…keeping track and counting your days of sobriety helps you.  In the early months it can be a powerful motivator.  That running count can give you the confidence you need to get through the hard days.  It can be a way of measuring your progress, to help you visualize the distance you are putting between yourself and your drinking past.  

The other camp says no…day counting can backfire, be counterproductive, and hurt you.  It adds a layer of unneeded pressure.  And really the only day that matters is TODAY…so why would you keep track?  Quality of days over quantity of days is what’s important. 

And what is more important…emotional sobriety or continuous sobriety?    If you are white knuckling it through every day…counting those days you are staying away from the booze but miserable…is that enough? 

Like anything else in the recovery world I don’t think that there is a right or wrong answer.  

Just like there is no right or wrong way to get sober.  Counting days is neither right or wrong.  It’s entirely up to the individual.  It’s entirely up to YOU.  And you may feel one way about it and then change your mind along the way.  And that is OK.  

“The importance of sober time is a contentious issue, considered by some to be “just a number” and others, the barcode stamped on your very soul. Fact: your sober date is yours, and this means you can report it however you wish, if at all.” ~ Anna James

Day counting is a big deal in some 12 step programs, such as AA.  There are chips for 24 hours, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year…you get the picture.  There are terms thrown around like “new comer” and “old timer”…all depending on how much sobriety time you have.  There are celebrations and cake!  (I like cake! ?)  Certain service positions will become available to you after reaching a specific amount of sober time.  Chips, cake, service position opportunities…that all sounds fab!  Right?!  

But…let’s say you have 10 years of continuous sobriety…and for whatever reason you go out and do some field research (aka…drink alcohol)…well my friend, then you are back on day 1.  Doesn’t matter if it was one drink or a night of drinks.  You just ‘lost all your time’.  

Ouch.  Back on day 1.  But what happened to those 3,650 days you just had? Are they just gone?  As my friend Kate would say…gone, like a fart in the wind? ??

The ‘pro-keeping count camp’ believes that, because you will have to reset your counter and will be back on day 1, that counting sobriety days will stop you from doing that field research.  That you will think twice about picking up that drink.  Doesn’t always work that way though. 

Personally I feel like counting days can be a slippery slope.  (Don’t come at me ?…that’s just my opinion…and I am just one little person in this great big world full of people in recovery!)  I mean c’mon…we are all human…and alcohol is a sneaky piece of shit.  What if…in spite of the fact that you have 3,650 continuous days of sobriety…you pick up again?  You’ve been stacking those days and now find yourself back on day 1.  Time to reset your tracker my friend.  But wait!  Since you are starting over again why not drink through the weekend…and then restart your tracker.  Or, continue through the upcoming holiday and then restart it.   Before you realize it, weeks have gone by and you have continued to drink.  ?

I’m not entirely against counting your days of sobriety.  In fact quite the opposite.  It was a tool I used and a HUGE part of my early sobriety.  HUGE!  Those first 100 days I was checking my tracker daily.  I always knew what day I was on even without checking my tracker app.  Counting those days in my early sobriety was a big motivation for me.  Made me feel successful.  So if you are just starting out, counting the days can be an indispensable tool.  And there are a lot of apps out there that will help you keep track.  

After I hit 100 days things started to change.  Counting the days became less motivating for me.  I started finding my motivation in other things…like how I was experiencing less anxiety, I had more energy, my mood was better, I was becoming more active.  After I hit those triple digits I found I didn’t (and don’t) need the daily reminder of how far I’ve come.  

I also stopped keeping track of the days because it just started to feel so overwhelming.  With my desire to never drink alcohol again I was proud of the number of days I had gone without drinking…but then overwhelmed by the number of days I still had before me.  ? I know…I know…one day at a time.  But counting days was causing me to continuously think about the enormity of my decision to ditch the booze for good.  That is not healthy or helpful.  

Counting your sobriety days…or your days away from alcohol…is a very personal choice.   And the way you do it, if you decide to do it, is also entirely your choice.  If you’re counting because you feel it is expected of you…then don’t.  ??   If you are motivated by waking up in the morning and seeing the number on your tracker go up…then do. ?? 

Even though I don’t count my days anymore I am forever grateful for this simple strategy that helped me during my early days of sobriety.  The most important thing I hope you will remember is that no matter what your day count is…it is YOU that counts!

Until next month, be well,

Kerri Mac ??