What Are AA Chips?
The AA coin or sobriety coin comes with a noble cause. It serves as a token provided to the members of the popular group support for alcoholics Alcoholics Anonymous. The coin serves a reminder for them on the hours they have remained sober and for them to avoid drinking alcohol. Its traditional shape is that of a medallion that looks like a poker chip. This signifies the exact length of time that they have been alcohol free and works as an award for member who stayed with the program. Alcoholics Anonymous was not the only group that provides AA chips as tokens for their members. You can find a lot of temperance groups that also practice it.
Until now there is no clear cut account of history in how the use of the AA chip started. It is believed to have started in Indianapolis around 1942. Doherty S the man who began the AA in that region is said to have started it.
The Sobriety Coin will not in any way make them sober. What is more crucial is the meaning with such coins. Think of a man who has been sober for a month, two or three months and even much longer than that, these coins will give them that sense of accomplishment which will in turn motivate until they totally stay away from alcoholic drinks. If a person starts to feel like drinking again, all he or she has to do is to look at the coins and he will remember how far he or she has gone in the program and hopefully this will make him or her think twice of throwing away what he has achieved.
It is said that the coin itself is not really that required. Any AA member can have any other object that may have the same effect as the AA coin. There are sites of such coins that provide screen savers of these coins for them to download and will serve as their visual guide. There are also medallion key chains. Some have even used marbles that look like the AA coins. When a person has a relapse, he is given a dirty chip instead. Read about detoxification techniques here at http://www.ehow.com/way_5291050_opiate-addiction-detox-techniques.html.
Such AA Chips are color coded. The bronze chip for instance stands for 1 year of being sober. Red chip is for 8 months. The bright gold one is for 10 months of being sober. This system is however optional and it is not part or required to all AA groups worldwide or around the country.
