One of the most unfortunate things that can happen to anybody is to become addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism can lead to disagreeable behavior which can make the life of the alcoholic and the people around him miserable. It is known to be the cause of poor productivity at work and family break-ups. The most difficult thing that people who want to help alcoholics face is alcoholics usually do not accept that they have a drinking problem. Only when they can no longer ignore the difficulties that their drinking causes that they seek help.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been at the forefront of implementing programs intended to help alcoholics swear off drinking and point to the right direction. The program components normally include rooting out the primary cause of the addiction through counseling and sharing, and developing a strong support group that can give advice and comfort when the withdrawal symptoms are getting particularly difficult and taking a heavy toll on the patient's resolve. How long a patient will remain with the program will depend entirely on his or her recognition that change is needed and ability to fight the cravings.
Although not really a tool for helping people remain sober, the use of Sobriety Chips or AA chips is known to have important benefits. Sobriety AA Coins are issued out by the program to patients who have gone sober for a certain period of time. Chips can be given for a month, two months, three months and so on of staying sober. Patients awarded with a chip get a feeling of having accomplished something worthwhile, something they can be proud of. They can build on this feeling to strive more and try even harder. If they get the urge to reach for a drink, all they have to do is to look at the chips. It reinforces their resolve.
There are many kinds of Recovery Chips. There are those made in bronze. Others are made of aluminum. They come in various designs and intricate craftsmanship that symbolize the hard work patients have put in to stay sober. Recovered or recovering alcoholic will certainly be happy to receive and will treasure such chips.
The AA chips awarded by Alcoholics Anonymous are not only an evidence of an alcoholic's progress towards complete recovery. They reinforce their resolve to try harder. They symbolize the hard work an alcoholic had to go through which he or she won't want to go to waste.