Hi Rising, welcome to SR! You're making a fantastic and mature choice by realising your actions and focusing on the concequences of them - both now and into the future, so early.
I turned 30 a few months ago, so I was in my 20's not long ago
. I can understand and relate to the progression of drinking you've described very much. I started drinking when I was around 20, initially when just going out with friends on weekends, though I would often drink just that little bit more. That eventually spilled over into drinking throughout Friday - Sunday, and suffering through work horribly on the Monday, but all was ok from Tuesday onwards so it was ok to do it all again the next Friday, right? God I wish I had the discipline to stop earlier... Unfortunately it all culminated a few months ago in a terrible binge where I drank every day, right up to last Monday, where I'd be drinking 30+ drinks every day towards the end. I'm glad you're self-aware enough to have realised it's time to stop before something like that happened to you.
One of my main reasons for drinking was to use it as a social stimulant and lubricant - things seemed so much easier after a couple under my belt, but it was NEVER enough, and I'd inevitably end up spending hundreds of dollars every time I went out and getting blind drunk. I weep now thinking about all the money I have spent and wasted. As a result, I've always been worried that "regular Seb isn't as fun or engaging as drunk Seb" - how am I going to be funny and confident enough to chat up girls if I'm not drinking? Funnily enough, the few rare times in my 20's that I did go on a date with a girl whilst sober, I did very well. I would always return to the booze though, rather than continuing any progress I had made.
I would suggest using these forums as much as you need Rising. You're absolutely right that it's an amazingly supportive and positive community, it's also very active, so people will be here 24/7 for you. Read through the various threads, read other people's experiences, share some of your own if you feel comfortable or feel the need. Being active over the last couple of days has helped me immeasurably. And as for 'regular Seb vs. drunk Seb', I've read lots of experiences here where people have described how much better they feel after dropping the drink, and that their social lives have improved dramatically as a result. This has given me hope that I can do that too, and fuels my desire to be sober even more.
Feel free to PM me any time mate.
Seb.