Understanding Anniversary ReactionsUnderstanding Anniversary Reactions
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu and Marissa talk about anniversary reactions, sharing personal experiences and practical tools for handling painful dates tied to trauma, loss and relapse. They describe how planning, honouring memories and building new rituals can turn emotionally heavy anniversaries into moments of growth and connection.
1:02:31•10 Aug 2020
Rewriting Painful Dates: Making Anniversary Reactions Work for Recovery
Episode Overview
- Recognise and anticipate difficult dates so you can prepare emotionally instead of being blindsided by anniversary reactions.
- Use the "erase and replace" approach by planning new, positive rituals to overwrite painful memories attached to specific days.
- Honour losses or traumatic events through action, such as charity runs, service, or simple personal rituals that bring meaning instead of only pain.
- Talk openly about your feelings with trusted people, and write down what helps so you can refer back when the next anniversary comes.
- Let go of the idea that you must "pay" forever through suffering; forgiveness and giving back can be a healthier way to live with past mistakes.
“It’s about erasing the memory of the bad and replacing it with the memory of the good.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when certain dates keep dragging up the past? This episode of Addict II Athlete zooms in on “anniversary reactions” – those calendar dates that stir up grief, anger or cravings, whether it’s the death of a loved one, a relapse pattern at 90 days clean, or a life-changing job loss.
Coach Blu Robinson and Athletic Director Marissa keep things real and conversational as they unpack how anniversaries can hit like emotional landmines. They share their own story of being asked to leave a treatment facility they helped build, recalling how a year ago they were “so frustrated and angry and despondent and confused,” yet now can actually laugh about it and see how much life has improved.
You’ll hear them break down practical recovery tools: anticipating tough dates instead of pretending they don’t exist, using Addict II Athlete’s “erase and replace” idea to plan new, healthier rituals, and turning painful anniversaries into acts of remembrance and service. They highlight families who created memorial 5Ks after tragic losses, and how one grieving mother used running and returning to the site of her son’s death to rewrite that day’s meaning.
They also talk about seasonal triggers, the “wall” of winter, and simple ways to change the script – like buying snowshoes and making cold months something to look forward to. Throughout, they stress talking openly, writing things down so you don’t forget what actually helped, and gathering support from people who truly understand.
One core message runs through it all: “It’s about erasing the memory of the bad and replacing it with the memory of the good.” If certain dates still own you, what new story could you start writing for them this year?
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