With the holidays right across the corner, friends and family members of recovering addicts always struggle to find the perfect gift for their friend or loved one. For people in recovery, the holidays are a challenging time filled with triggers and stressors that can jeopardize their sober life. To help you, we’ve rounded up some of the best gift ideas for addicts in recovery.
1. Share Experiences
Experiences are always unique gift ideas, especially for people in recovery. Think about any local attractions you can visit or one-in-a-lifetime experiences they’ve always wanted to try. It can be as lavish as a hot air balloon ride, a spa day, or a luxury hotel stay. Or, it can be as simple as a road trip to a nearby beach or park. More than a gift, an experience shows your loved one that sober living can also be fun. It’s a way for you to show them how different experiences can be exciting without drugs or alcohol.
2. Gift Cards
Although some people see gift cards as lazy gift ideas, they can be quite helpful. Think about gift cards for stores they can get items you know they need. As you’re thinking about financial gift ideas, avoid any sort of pre-paid card that they could potentially use for drugs or alcohol. Instead, opt for something like their favorite store or a gift card to help them get new clothes. However, make sure they can’t necessarily purchase items they could later resale for profit, meaning electronics or other valuables can easily sell for drugs.
Another great option is to pre-pay for something that can make their life in recovery easier. You might pay for their health insurance, a magazine subscription, or a continuing education program that will all benefit their recovery journey.
3. Gadgets Unrelated to Drugs
One of the most significant stressors for drug addicts is fidgeting or finding something to do with their hands. In recovery, idle hands can become uncomfortable. A thoughtful gift for addicts in recovery is small gadgets like fidget spinners, stress balls, musical instruments, or a small Rubik’s cube, for example. These are simple gifts that don’t cost much but are still an enjoyable and purposeful gift idea.
4. Journals
Journaling is highly encouraged in addiction recovery programs. A personalized journal can be a thoughtful gift that also reiterates the importance of active recovery. Nowadays, you can find beautiful customized journals or notebooks that can be a great gift idea. You can also choose to gift them self-help journals that include meditation exercises, prayers, and other mindful practices to support them throughout their recovery.
5. Essential Oils
Everyone can struggle with anxiety, depression, and stress, especially those in addiction recovery. An essential oils kit can be a great way to help them relieve stress, encourage relaxation, calm pain, and much more. Consider gifting a small collection of essential oils and a book on how to use them to help them explore the benefits of aromatherapy.
6. Exercise Accessories
Many people in recovery find comfort through exercise. From weight-lifting to yoga and everything else in between, exercise can help them manage stress and anxiety. Consider giving them exercise accessories like a new yoga mat, grippy socks, new dumbbells, or a paid gym membership. Encouraging healthy habits in early recovery is key to long-term success.
7. Donations
If your friend or loved one appreciates and values helping others, consider donating in their name to an organization they support. A monetary donation or your time volunteering for a cause they support can be a thoughtful gesture that shows them how much their recovery matters to you.
8. Time
Alright, it can be challenging to give time, but hear us out first. Those in early recovery often find it a bit too overwhelming to juggle everything. From the kids, work, maybe school, and their recovery activities, time is often limited. Consider giving the gift of time by helping. For example, pay for a cleaning service for one week. Consider a meal prep service that can help them maintain a healthy diet or volunteer to babysit one day so they can have a night off. Run some of their errands for them. These are small gestures that can go a long way.
9. Plan an Adventure
Figuring out sobriety gifts for men can be difficult. After all, how many socks, shirts, and ties can someone have? An exciting gift for men is to plan an adventure. Learning new ways to experience an adrenaline rush can be a surprising gift for those in early recovery. Maybe heading to a rollercoaster theme park, skydiving, or even planning an outdoor camping trip can all be excellent gift ideas you can all enjoy. Besides, it shows them that life in recovery is anything but dull.
10. Engraved Gifts
A memorable way to show how proud you are of their progress is by gifting them an engraved gift. It could be a necklace, bracelet, or keychain with a small recovery quote that celebrates their recovery. Things like coffee mugs and tumblers are also excellent ideas to engrave. Bracelets and keychains, some of these can add small charms that celebrate new milestones like sobriety dates.
It can be tricky to find the right gift ideas for addicts in recovery, but you’ll see that you have many options with a little inspiration. You can always contact their treatment center for recovery gift ideas and guidance on addiction recovery gifts you should avoid. All in all, we hope these gift ideas for addicts in recovery serve as inspiration so you can celebrate your loved one this holiday season.
