You know Clementine, there was always a reason for me to drink. St Patty's day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries.. Good days, bad days, and days ending in Y.

You already seem to be trying to rationalize and justify drinking on your birthday. If you are going to live a life that's sober, you need to make every day a sober day, and make that thought unbreakable.

You say that you have been in other drinking situations and it hasn't been a problem so I have no doubt that you have the strength to get through a celebration with your friends on Tuesday as well.

If you decide to go, then be prepared. Hopefully your sister and close friend who you told about your alcohol problem and how you had to quit will be there and support you. I don't know if you practice visualization, but for me, it was very powerful in getting through any situation.

Active visualization is a way to consciously influence the outcome of events by vividly picturing those outcomes in advance. This means that you play the situation out in your mind prior to the event. Imagine ordering club soda with lime, smiling happily and taking a sip when you get it. Say, "no thanks" when asked if you want a drink. The more detail you picture it, the more powerful visualization is. Play it through -- not just going out, but getting home, being happy with yourself for not drinking and having a good time, snuggling into bed, waking up n the more hangover and guilt free.

Consciously plan to not drink.

Ok well if you really feel you can go to a birthday party at a bar and not take a drink then you don't need our permission, but please let us know how it goes. I am a little curious to see if past history is a good indicator of future behavior. The answer may help someone else who wants to get sober so, your input could be very valuable.

Congratulations on 27 days, hope you can keep it going.

God Bless

I'm happy to announce that I just celebrated my first sober birthday celebration in over 9 years.....at a bar....with people who don't know I quit drinking. Thank you to those few on here that actually gave words of encouragement instead of judgment on how I wanted to spend my birthday. Now I'm gonna eat a bunch of ice cream and watch the walking dead. #28daysgoingstrong

WOO HOO! Great job!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Clementine, your bday dinner is tomorrow. Did you make any decisions to Keep yourself out of trouble?

Read three comments up. My birthday is tomorrow but celebrated it tonight.

That's fantastic Clementine. Don't think people were judging you. They've seen and heard people lose their sobriety being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Congrats on your first sober bday in 9 years!

That is the best birthday gift to yourself ever, NOT drinking.
You can go out to a bar or sit at a dinner table and drink anything but booze. I can go to any place and not drink because it no longer temping to me. Trust me: You are NOT missing out on any "life changing experience or good times", by not consuming alcohol.
Happy birthday.

Happy birthday Clementine! I hope this post finds you sober tonight and doing the next right thing. I found power in just telling my friends that I by definition am an alcoholic and that I am no longer drinking -- period. I wasn't defiant or anything like that. I just stated it matter of factly and said that the definition of an alcoholic is someone who is powerless over alcohol and it has started to negatively affect your every day life. Check and check. I was a closet drinker and none of my friends ever saw me more drunk than themselves -- and a lot of times I was less drunk than many of them when we would get together to party. So, to them, my admission was a bit of a shock, but to a person, they have all been very supportive. It is liberating to just get it out there and get on with life. Carpe diem and here's to many more sober birthdays!!! PG

PG, That's awesome. Not everyone can admit they are an alcoholic. With many of my friends, I simply say I don't drink. They have seen me a drunken mess. They know I'm an alcoholic.