toxicangel

You could just try being honest.. For me honesty is important to my sobriety. Honesty with myself and honesty with others. I'm not ashamed of my disease. I'm actually very proud at the progress I have made with my sobriety.. But everyone is different..

I would look at this as a lapse but you really shouldn't of put yourself in that position.. Your sobriety should have come first.. Just my opinion..

Trish

sobrietypenguin

I've noticed when people try to push the subject of drink I tell them i'm allergic, I break out in handcuffs. That usually quashes any more drinking invitations. But if they are interested in how I know I'm allergic I tell them.

Progroupie

If it were me I would take my original sobriety date and say "I gave up drinking on --- and then on (day you did shot) screwed up, and since then I've been clean"

makomago

I think I'd have to start my count again as annoying as that would be. In order to do that though, I would remember what my dear friend Dave (R.I.P) said when I reached a milestone.... His words;

Don't count the days; make the days count.

What ever you decide, keep going and good luck :-)

Joe Nerv

Swallowing the shot IMO isn't the issue. You're alive and well, and haven't picked up anything beyond it. That's all that matters. Totally your call whether you start counting again or not. Years from now that month isn't going to mean a thing. If you stay sober.

What's waaaaay more important is what others have said already. Putting yourself in that kind of situation in early sobriety is nuts. If that's how you're planning to move forward, good luck, as it is going to be one hell of a challenge to not drink. And even if you manage to not pick up another drink, I sincerely doubt you'll be happy for long in your abstinance.

As for the saying no, I find when we have enough conviction behind it, it's never a problem. I'm not drinking. End of story. If someone tries to get me to drink I say, "no thanks" and that's usually the end of it. I think they sense I'm not even going to question it. If they press on and ask question I'll say, "I don't drink". It rarely goes beyond that, but if it does I don't have a problem saying, "Me and alcohol don't get along very well." In 29 years it's only gone beyond that 2 or 3 times. In which case I'll just go back to, "no", and change the conversation.

There is absolutley no shame in not drinking. None. Most people pushing a drink on you can't NOT drink, and they understand more than you might know. If they don't understand than you shouldn't be hanging around them at all. No loss if they feel you no longer fit in with them. You don't, if you're serious about not drinking anymore.

Volstead

My sobriety date has an asterisk or two ...well, three after it. I learned from it and then move on. Dwelling on it doesn't help. I'm sober today and plan to be tomorrow.

Volstead