NEOMARXIST

Hi, I am new here. One of the things that I am finding difficult is that a lot of people on here and my perceived notion of an alcolic generally (I admit I may be very wrong) is that they tend to be in their 30's, usually older. So I just wondered how many people on here are under age of 30, myself being 23.
This is one of the things that is making me feel apprehensive about going to AA meetings as I am worried that I will be a lot younger than everone else there and so feel a bit stupid/embarrased. It is also giving amunition to the 'niggling voice' insisting you merely like a 'proper' drink as afterall it's only Rock n Roll and you are certainly not an alcoholic, which is a term that I really am finding it hard to come to terms with saying and don't like, I tend to find Drink problem more apt, maybe this is to do with the engrained stereotype of the homeless street drinker. However I fully realise that this will ultimately happen to myself if I don't do something about my drinking before it becomes a full-blown physical addiction. I would always drink as soon as my eyes opened after I drank untill I passed out again.
I hope I don't offend anyone. this is not my intention whatsoever, i am just curious and feel i may be able to relate to other younger members more.

flutter

By your definition of "young" being under 30.. I don't fit in with you, I got 'old' 4 years ago, I'm 34. I also don't use AA in my recovery, but I attended plenty of meetings as I was trying to find my way.

I just wanted to say that one meeting I went to, everyone was older than my parents... probably in their late 50's early 60s and each had over 15 years of sobriety.

I went to another meeting, and most of the people were all my age or younger than me, and a majority there because of court orders.

There's lots of reasons why different meetings work for different people.. in those 2 meetings, the age had much less to do with why I didn't fit in than some of the other group consensus.

If AA is what you're going to try.. you're lucky.. there's hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands of meetings to choose from.

You never know tho.. you might learn a thing or 2 from us old folks who finally figured out how to do this right.

Good luck!

aasharon90

You are right were u r suppose to be and
I commend you for ur strength, courage
and wisdom to know u have a problem
and ur seeking solutions for it.

Dont ever sell urself short.

You would be so surprised at how many
at ur age r coming into a program to
acknowledge that they have a problem
with drugs or alcohol.

You will find that group of people before
u know it and together u will bond and
begin a journey to helping the many that
will follow u in recovery.

I like many before me have a destiny in
life. We have a purpose. That purpose is
to help others achieve sobriety just by
sharing ur experiences strenghts and hopes
of what it was like before during and after
drugs or alcohol.

Doing this will will keep u clean or sober
and live life happier more joyful and definitely
free from the desire to drink or use.

Thank you for being here for me.

Hi Im Sharon and Im an alcoholic.

By the grace of my HP and people
like u here in SR I havent found it
necessary to pick up a drink of
alcohol since 8-11-90.

For that and u i am truely grateful.

That was some 18 yrs ago and i was a
young 30 yrs old sitting amongst many
old-timers thinking i was the only young
person in recovery too.

jane_668

Hi neo,

I'm 25 ,an alcoholic and addict.

I really don't worry about that as AA saved my life. I go to meetings with people who are mostly in their 50's or 60's. I try to concentrate on the similarities rather than differences. If I wnated to find an excuse to use , I can focus on the differences and they are a lot. They told me recovery is for people who work it and not just want it. Bottom line, if I want to recover I have to stick to the winners side. I still have a very expensive car, a nice job and a good home. But I view these as "yets". I Will lose them all if I continue using/drinking. I guess the homelss street drinker never thought he'd end up on the streets or else he would have quit when he was our age.
Take care

parentrecovers

my daugter is 25 and her alcoholism was very progressed by the time she was 18.

depending on where you live, there may be young adult meetings. otherwise, it's ok to be with the folks older than you. i remember when my daughter started going to aa and during rehab - a lot of the people she encountered were older. but it was ok, she had real adult issuess, so she fit right in and got a lot of great support

hugs, k

CarolD

Welcome to SR and our Alcoholism Forum

Please take a read around ...you will find a lot of
information about drinking/alcoholism/quitting and recovery.

AA meetings? Why not simply go to
then you can decide for yourself?

Please check this out...

http://www.bma-wellness.com/papers/F...A_Meeting.html


No one will consider you are too young.
They will be pleased to see you....

Good to see you here with us

Pinkcuda

Interesting reading here.
http://aa.org/pdf/products/p-4_youngpeopleandaa.pdf

bob_sapp

I'm 25... been sober in AA since 22. Yeah, it can be tough to believe you are an alcoholic at that age... You are an alcoholic when you say you are, it's not about drinking a certain amount for a certain period of time, and losing your wife and kids. I'm not from a big city, so the younger fellowship here is sparse and it's tough sometimes, but the older people are really supportive. Give meetings a chance, they can help you meet others like yourself.

LouLou629

hi and welcome..I am 25 and have 9 months sober...One of my biggest issues since I really started drinking heavily around the age of 19 was making excuses..example: " I am only doing what everyone else my age is doing.. OR I cant be an "alchoholic" I dont wake up and drink and I can go a few days withot it, I dont live on the street I still work and pay the bills..OR I have problem I am self medicating..I deserve to drink its not a big deal I am not hurting anyone..ANDSO ON AND SO ON...well my friend, all along I knew that I had some pretty big issues with drinking but still didnt feel I sat comfortably with the term alchoholic...that took me about three months in meetings saying " hello I am kristen, I am just visiting" before I realized that the term I once was so adamant about not using to label myself, was actually the title that I would gladly take on as it was my truth and i was ready and willing to start my new life in sobriety. I didnt feel like I "fit " in for a long time in meetings...I just sat and listened fort a while and took what I could. All I knew was that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired from my ways with booze.I found this website and used it ALOT at first to ask questions and get support. I guess my point is that as much as I tried to say what I was not..that being a "alchoholic"..I knew deep down what I didnt want to be, and the rest fell into place..I am not just an alchoholic though..I have learned not to use labels to say who am..I am a funny, loving , kind, sensetive person. I am a good friend, and a sister and a daughter and an auntie and I love music and art and the outdoors and food..I know all these things..and I know that I am happier and healthieer without booze..because I have a disease called alchoholism..life is too complex and wonderfull to let all the terms and negative connotations keep us in a box..just love yourself and be kind to youself and do what you KNOW is the best for your soul and body and mind...if that means giving up booze with the help of a fellowship like AA or this site..Good Luck and hang in there.

Rainbowgirl128

Im 24 and i understand what you are saying.

jimhere

I have a friend who got sober in AA when he was fifteen and is now sober twenty-six years.

Nuclerosis

I attended my first AA meeting when I was 21. I too felt very intimidated because I was the youngest person in the meeting by a long way.

tellus

Hey Neo, welcome to SR. Age was one of my biggest worries too, when I started attending AA (a little over a year ago, I'm 23 now). What I found was there were a lot of kids my age and younger in the rooms, especially at Young People's meetings. My suggestion: try meetings, especially those marked Young People. Try different programs: I've never been to SMART or LifeRing, but different meetings might have different 'clienteles.' And if you decide to get a sponsor, go for someone close to your age, someone who'll be able to relate to your situation.

In a way I think it's harder to get sober at our age, at least socially. Rock'n'roll, as you said. Especially in college towns, it can feel like everyone drinks the way we do, and it's easy to feel alienated if you don't drink. (From your typing, it sounds like you're from the UK? Man, if any place has a worse youth drinking culture than Wisconsin, it's England, eh?) The way I see it, though, better to get sober at 23 than to wake up at 53 and realize you've drank away half your life.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

sailorjohn

welcome!!!

Many areas have 'young people in AA orgs', you might try to locate one where you live. Most aren't fortunate/blessed/whatever enough to 'get' AA-or recovery by other means-until they start getting a lot older.

Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here.

Em002

Hi Neo, I'm the same age as you. Like others said in some areas they have young people aa meetings. In my area we have a very large group of young people in aa. I still occasionally go to "regular" aa meetings, but I do find meetings with people more my age more helpful and I am less likely to talk myself out of that I have a problem. Good luck to you. PM me anytime if you feel like talking.

Serenity33

HI Neo and welcome. I am 28. I wish I had gotten help sooner, but better late than never. Hope you stick around and post and feel free to share and ask questions. I am semi new here as well, so I know how you feel at first. Have you gone to any AA meetings yet? Where are you from?

rubbersoul

Hey, I'm 20 years old and I'm 41 days sober. This is my first go at it. Reading posts on this forum has helped immensely. I've known for about 4 years that I'm alcoholic but I didn't give 2 licks to quit until recently. At any rate, I see what you mean about AA. I'm concerned that the group will consist of 60 year olds that I can't really relate to much right now (and also the religious aspect of it). I already feel alienated and abnormal because I no longer want to drink. Seems like everybody around me (and everybody my age) drinks. Everything is saturated with it. My favorite music and movies remind me of how I'm sober and only 20 years old. Anyway, I've definitely gained new perspective since quitting and one thing I've noticed is how many people just assume that everyone drinks.

Nuclerosis

I hear you rubbersoul. In the UK, university life is a sea of alcohol with everyone drinking constantly. You can be a complete alcoholic and no one will bat an eye as its part of the culture. I knew people who drank Rose with breakfast claiming it was a morning drink.

I wouldn't be too worried about the older people at AA. Most of them wish they had discovered AA at our age or tried to deal with their problem when they were younger. There were plenty of mid-20s and 30s at my AA meeting and they were all atheists like myself.

navysteve

Hey there,
I got sober when I was 22 and have always seen young people in AA ( I am 42 now). As has been said, many areas have young people meetings. Hope you find sobriety worth while. I am raising kids who never knew what it was like to see me drunk or high.

sailorjohn

As a recovering alcoholic, have discovered that when I was an active alcoholic, my perspective was a skewed by the fact that I chose to surround myself with folks that I thought were just like me.