I counted the first three months as a lot of people seem to say that was the crucial period. Then I stopped. I am still vaguely aware of my sober date/time but often nearly forget anniversaries.
I often relapsed or nearly relapsed at 'milestones' of recovery because of the instinct to 'celebrate' or think I was 'cured', so anniversaries still make me nervous, I tend to hang out at support sites more at these times. My traditional way of 'celebrating' was with alcohol because as we know any excuse will do.
I have tried to turn my thinking around though and now reward myself in more positive ways. I don't mind the idea of chips or sober birthdays at AA actually, I do think they can help reinforce and support the new sober identity, but life is more than just about recovery and counting every day sober
