Because Celebrate Recovery® is based on the words of Christ and has a focus on building an experiential relationship with God, the Steps and Principles can be used to overcome any Hurt, Habit or Hang-up in your life. We use the Chip Ceremony to celebrate the victories of those growing in recovery. Sometimes, especially for those who are new, it can feel difficult to measure that success. To help you get started, we are providing some definitions for what sobriety or victory looks like in some of the most common areas of healing. These definitions are only a starting point and we encourage you to work with a sponsor or Celebrate Recovery® leader to craft a definition that meets your individual needs (whether your struggle is listed here or is something else).
Sobriety also means working or having worked through a CR Step Study Group, steady attendance at the Monday night General Meetings, serving, and accountability to a sponsor and accountability partners.
Sobriety for Codependency
The key to codependent sobriety is learning how to have healthy relationships and how to establish and enforce appropriate boundaries so we may accurately establish where we end and another person begins. I can recognize codependent sobriety when I have not actively sought to control or manipulate others, given unsolicited advice, or based my self-concept on the well-being or approval of others.
While working toward codependent sobriety I’ll make a faithful commitment to consistently work the program, which includes working or having worked through the CR Step Study Group, steady attendance at CR meetings, service and accountability to a sponsor and accountability partners. We advocate journaling, daily inventory, transparency and rigorous honesty.
Sobriety for Sexual Addiction
For the unmarried Christian, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self or with anyone else.
For the married Christian, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self or with anyone other than his/her spouse. The married person may need to consider a season of abstinence from sex with his/her spouse, especially early in the recovery process.
And for everyone, sexual sobriety means seeking and achieving progressive inner sobriety.
Sobriety for Codependency in a Relationship with a Sexually Addicted Person
• Maintaining a state of confidence resulting from a reliance and trust in God.
• Focusing on God and relying on Him to meet my needs.
• Letting go of control and trusting God for the outcome.
• Not taking responsibility for the addict’s behavior or recovery.
• Allowing the sex addict to be responsible for his/her own actions and recovery — no rescuing.
• Being honest with myself about my need to be in recovery.
• Minding my own business—no checking up on or spying on the addict, trusting that God will reveal any necessary information.
• Committing to growth through prayer, educational reading, and accountability.
Sobriety for Physical/Sexual/Emotional Abuse
Our definition of sobriety is to discover our purpose, to build our self-esteem, and to repair any damage done. We will allow ourselves to feel our feelings, to accept them, and learn to express them appropriately.
We will not partake in any addictive or self-destructive behaviors. We will not allow the pains of our past to keep us as victims, but grow from God’s healing.
In order to change, we as survivors of physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse cannot use history as an excuse for continuing our destructive behaviors.
Sobriety for Food Issues
Sobriety means I have not overeaten compulsively, binged/purged, starved myself, over-exercised, or engaged in any ritualistic eating pattern. Rather, I have released control of my food and way of eating to the control of God and sought to eat in a sane and healthy manner.
Sobriety for Anger
Sobriety means I have not lashed out at others or harbored ill will toward others, but have taken appropriate steps to forgive others and resolve conflicts. I have also not shut down emotionally, giving in to depression, which is anger turned inward.
Sobriety for Chemical Dependency
In order to attain sobriety from chemical addiction I need to abstain from alcohol and all drugs one day at a time and continue to apply the recovery steps and principles in my life.
Sobriety for Financial Issues
Living by God’s Financial Guidelines: Tithe 10% – Save 10% – Living on 80%
Sobriety for Gambling
Sobriety for the compulsive gambler is defined as follows: Complete abstinence of any betting or wagering, for self or others, whether for money or not, no matter how slight or insignificant, where the outcome is uncertain or depends upon chance or skill.
Source(s) https://www.brookwoodchurch.org/Content/CelebrateRecoveryBooklet.pdf