Discussion Does anyone else not celebrate their birthday?

[heavyeyes]

My birthday is in about a week. Personally I haven't celebrated my birthday since I relapsed several years ago. I don't see the point in celebrating when I don't even want to be alive.

 

[TydalWave]

I wish I didn't. Usually do something small with family or friends and keep it as minimal as possible.

If it was up to me I'd do nothing at all.

 

[Rainy_days]

I wish I didn't. Usually do something small with family or friends and keep it as minimal as possible.

If it was up to me I'd do nothing at all.

Same here. They just make me sad not want to celebrate.

 

[Jadzia]

I'm permanently alone in bed with chronic illness and birthdays and Christmas are much harder times for me. It's not possible for me to celebrate because I'm so ill.

I find Christmas harder than birthdays though, because I have to cope with everyone else celebrating something I used to enjoy.

 

[Unending]

My birthday this year was horrible. I cried alone in my room for the majority of the day and felt like absolute death. Christmas has been pretty mundane this year so it definitely could have been a lot worse.

 

[mdmd500]

I normally travel somewhere by myself, but it's not exactly a celebration. I'm trying to avoid seeing people and the "forced fun" of it all.

 

[Message In A Bottle]

I would not acknowledge the day at all if I could.

After a certain age, it just becomes a checking point whether or not your meeting the qualifications of a standard adult.

Nothing worth celebrating imo - The childlike magic is long gone, and all that's left is this hollowed out version of my former self.

 

[outrider567]

Not since I turned 40

 

[Smart No More]

Not since I turned 40

I think that's a common number for people to stop their formal countdown at. Easy to understand why too. Personally I like people with some age in them ha.

 

[Pluto]

Outside of childhood, where birthdays represent developmental milestones on a journey towards adulthood, birthdays don't make a huge amount of sense to me. It can serve as an annual excuse to give an individual a bit of validation. Otherwise, what are we celebrating? Being a step closer to death? The slow decay of the body?

 

[Forever Sleep]

Yeah, I'm the same as you- I don't really see why I would celebrate either my birth, or being a year older. I try to treat it like any other day- the same as Christmas- although it weirdly usually ends up feeling worse!

I guess birthday's tend to make you reflect on the year, plus become very aware of what you haven't achieved by that age. Plus, it's one more way you realise how abnormal you are when other people seem to enjoy them.

It's bizzare though- on the one hand- I'd prefer just to forget the whole thing. On the other- if close friends do forget- that can hurt too! Can't win really... Think I'm just an akward, ungrateful pessimist whatever.

 

[Smart No More]

I consider birthdays a celebration of a persons existence. From the outside looking in I mean. Birthdays are for others to celebrate. You/we just take part.

That's why nobody wants to be alone on their birthdays.

 

[Ashu]

Not my birthday, nor any day. Too alienated and individualistic, though I can enjoy helping a loved one celebrate a day they care about.

 

[AnonymousRobin]

i dont celebrate by choice i never liked my birthday and my family has started forgetting it so its better this way (⌒‐⌒)

 

[Resinn66]

Me, it doesn't make sense, I have no reasons to celebrate, the same for Christmas

 

[rationaltake]

Outside of childhood, where birthdays represent developmental milestones on a journey towards adulthood, birthdays don't make a huge amount of sense to me. It can serve as an annual excuse to give an individual a bit of validation. Otherwise, what are we celebrating? Being a step closer to death? The slow decay of the body?

I used to dislike the feeling of being obliged to provide cards and presents for people. Particularly if I knew that someone would be annoyed and offended if I didn't come up with the goods. It also seems manipulative when parents pretty much demand gifts and attention from their children.

But giving an individual some validation is a positive way to look at it. Especially when that individual isn't expecting anything.

 

[Lost Magic]

Nope. I never did. However, the best early birthday present I could get next year would be to successfully catch the bus.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

For me it's just a nice way to focus on a given person and the value they have in your life.

 

[FuneralCry]

I don't see a birthday as being something to celebrate at all, in fact I see it as being the exact opposite. My birthday is the day in which I was unfairly forced into an existence I've never wished to endure and I hate what birthdays represent, as they place emphasis on the fact that I've managed to stay here for yet another year in this horrific world. At least to me, the less years spent here the better and it fills me with dread the thought of inevitably ageing and I hate the fact that I'm still here. There is nothing worth celebrating at all in this world as I see nothing beneficial or valuable about existing. All of this is painful and unnecessary and it would had been better if none of this existed at all.