Jsd, welcome to SR. I'm 29 and have experienced many of the same things as you. Drinking throughout high school, then college, then hitting the blackout stage. Losing jobs, ruining relationships, general embarrassment, DUI, all kinds of ridiculous nonsense I won't bore you with. For a long time these signs were there, along with other people telling me I should quit. But all I really worked on was hiding it better.
Till I got locked up one night, which led to the "experience" that began my recovery. Very long story made awfully short, the next day, I absolutely knew I had to stop drinking. So I headed straight for an AA meeting. It was close, it was free, and I figured some ex-drunks might have a thing or 2 to tell me. I had been to AA when I was 25, and decided it wasn't my thing. But this time, it wasn't like I "decided" to go to AA; looking back, it's almost like something else led me there, because I certainly would never have made the decision to go back to AA. But I found myself at a meeting, and it's helped me a lot.
I also came to this site that very night (after 4 AA meetings on Day 1). I found it while searching "alcoholism" or something. If you want some first-hand evidence, I've come here almost daily since Day 1, a lot more consistently than I attend meetings, and today I've been 4 months without a drop of booze. I don't post every night; sometimes I just drop by for a second to read up on how people are doing and what they're going through. Kinda like AA meetings; I don't always talk, but I do always listen, and there's usually something that helps me. By reading about the experiences of other people and the struggles and joys they're going through, I gain strength in my life. And I gain even more by helping other people.
Newcomers are special; they are the new blood that keeps things going. The newcomers learn from those who have been here for a while, and in turn they pass along knowledge as they grow in their recovery. Many people introduce themselves, and disappear just as fast. But there's strength in proof that something works, and there's lots of really good people here that can prove to you that SR has helped them stay off alcohol. I sincerely hope you'll hang around for a while.
As for what to do other than drinking? Heck if I know. Pick up a hobby you left behind when you started drinking. Play video games. Build a bookcase. Learn to throw a curveball. Catch up on politics. Read comic books. Put together a puzzle. Go see a movie. Watch a baseball game. Take up acoustic guitar. Cook exotic new dishes. Reconnect with old friends. Collect rare 18th-century doll clothing. Do just about anything you want, as long as it doesn't include drinking. I try not to let my alcoholism define me. I don't really go to bars, because that's all about drinking, but I pretty much do everything else in my life that I liked to do when I was drinking, plus some new stuff since I have more time and money.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you'll stay a while. Lots of really cool people here with a wealth of knowledge, experience, hope, spirit...all kinds of neat stuff.