Dee74

good to hear you're doing ok ItsMe

D

ItsMe23

Yeah, I'm doing okay. It could be better, but it could also be much worse too. Take the good with the bad and keep going forward.

Nitram

I'm 22, turning 23 in november, and I've been drinking for about 2.5 years. 7 days without any alcohol at all, 10 days since I last got drunk.

Thereunconfined

I'm 26, and I've been a problem drinker since I was ~21. The desire to quit drinking is a survival instinct, and learning new things (ways of living) does not get easier with age.

Maybe this is a late 20's thing (I don't know) but quitting drinking this time doesn't make me feel unusual, just sort of... paradoxically ancient. I don't know how I survived the last few years, I feel like I've experienced numerous deaths, and yet here I am still quite young and now with a reasonable frame of mind. Has anyone else experienced this sort of head trip?

AprilMay1895

Yeah, I hear ya. I feel incredibly old but young at the same time. I think a lot of people don't go through this for another 20 years. I figure if you have a drinking problem you're trying to get over in your 20's, you're on the fast track plan of alcohol addiction. lol We can either keep drinking and be doubted to make it another 10 years in this world or stop drinking and still have a pretty long future of potential ahead of us.

CamilleBelle

27 here! Just coming to terms with the thought of an alcohol free lifestyle... picked a quit date of the 13th, and that lasted... a few hours. (My husbands friend was killed in an accident... on his birthday) Never been a real heavy drinker, never been to rehab, or the Dr. Never had a DUI or legal trouble, never thought I had a problem... because everyone around me is doing the same thing! BUT one day, you realize that there is a better way to live, and maybe you do have a problem. I will quit one day. I have cut down a lot, I'm just not ready to give it up completely, I just don't see that working and If I put that pressure on myself I feel like it will backfire. So for now, I am making realistic goals. I am inspired by all the young people in here. It gives me hope that one day drinking wont be the norm. It has become too socially acceptable. Every song glamorizes drinking, every tv show, every movie... It would be so much easier to quit if EVERYONE around you wasnt doing it too. The store clerk yesterday said it best when a customer was getting her I.D. out... customer: "I'm next, I guess it's booze day!" Clerk: "What do you mean? Everyday is booze day!" Best of luck to all of us, young and old dealing with this. It's not a fun thing to battle, but I see from a lot of posts on this site that it can be done.

LotusBlossom

27 years young. . Started drinking pretty much every day at age 16 when I started working. I'd give my mother $3 every night, she'd put her $3 in, would buy a 12 pack of Milwaukee's Beast Ice and she'd have her 6 pack and I'd drink my 6 pack. This continue EVERY night until I moved out after I graduated and in with my boyfriend...where it continued. Continued drinking a 6 pack every night for the next...4 years while in college because we couldn't afford to drink anymore (each). After I got out and got a job (yes, I binged that 6 pack every night and at times drank more than that 6 pack) (and yes I finished with a 3.6 GPA with honors, 2 degrees, etc in 4 years) our drinking escalated as we had 2 incomes to drink with now! WEEE! Anyways, marriage turned abusive (though, it was abusive long before), we divorced, I knew I had to get sober or I would end up losing my life at a young age.

Yesterday marked 9 months sober for me. I'm battling some very serious health issues right now (not related to drinking Trigeminal Neuralgia), so it's been kind of bitter sweet for me, but I am getting through it. Going for an MRI/MRA tomorrow and I am praying that it is nothing serious like MS/brain tumors but know that it is not in my hands.

Anyways, get sober while you are young! Get help! Never be ashamed. And you are never "too young" to be an alcoholic.

lbern

Hey guys! Great thread! I'm 26 and have almost 3 months sober now. It really is hard being this age and sober when you're constantly surrounded by it. I live in San Francisco which is basically a huge party. Thankfully, it also has a great AA community. This is my first legit attempt at sobriety. I've been an alcoholic since I was probably 19-20 and have been drinking since I was maybe 14-15? I am grateful to be sober today. I hope that relapse is not a part of my story. I love the benefits of sobriety. Even if sometimes I feel weird about it. I know my life is much better off without alcohol.

eJoshua

So true: never too young to be an alcoholic, but more importantly you are never too young to get sober.

sapperdude

Hi all,

I just stumbled onto this thread while doing some procrastinating tonight. I'm 26 and have been sober since my DUI on July 1st. Court ordered to go to AA and so far I've found it's been a helpful community as I stumble through the consequences (professional, relationship, financial, etc.) of my drinking career.

TheOjibway84

Hey NeverLookinBack! Im 27 years young lol not exactly in your age post but still considered yuong compared to my older aa members lol.

Just recently I have finally gotten back on track of being sobered. I have been in AA for 4 years now and still haven't grasped soberity for life. I was a heavy binge drinker. I was never taught how to drink properly so I never stood a chance to drink socially. I started drinking when I was 21. All I was taught was to binge by my cousins. But hey I don't blame them for anything I could have walked away. But I was told in a meeting tonight to not worry about the what ifs.

Drinking led me to almost losing my family, friends and my job which I loved for 8 years of employment so far. Also the sanity of myself. I was almost out of control 4 months ago and it proves alcoholism can affect anyone at any age. You can even have a kid who may get into the cabinet and drink liquor and get addicted. I once laughed at a commerical of addiction (Way before I ever drank) of a kid sitting with adults in a circle and he said his name and said im an alcoholic. I didn't believe such a thing would be possible but it is.

Tonight my group had an interchange at another group which we hosted and my sponsor popped me a surprise question to do the slogans. I was scared but when I went up to the front and spoke my mind to people I haven't met before the program started working on me and I was able to express myself and make people laugh or nod in agreement. I was thrilled tonight and wanted to share my story here. We are lucky to those who get help before its too late. Im not saying you can be old and not recover on time. SOme envy us for doing it so young but in a good way. I'll sure be happy some day when Im old and see a young man getting help. I look forward to be a sponsor someday because everything this time around has really helped me.

Sorry to those who don't do AA. Im not trying to preach. But its hard not to express myself. Which I was never able to do before. its new and a great tool for me now. It does work! Well I hope this post was good lol. latz my friends!

TheOjibway84

It's good to hear your in AA sapperdude. But can you look at yourself and admit your defeat to alcohol on your own? Instead of someone making you go to AA? Im not saying going on order is bad, it'll show you the tools we have and can use. I don't mean to pry and Im happy your sober since July. Just was wondering because I was made to go to AA myself 4 years ago and I only did it because my parents wanted me to go, I never listened just stayed sober and whenever I had the chance would drink secretly. Good luck though my friend, AA is great.

sapperdude

Thanks for your concern Oji and welcome back.

I've definitely admitted to losing control over alcohol and have decided to work through the program. My main point is it took getting in trouble and being forced to go to really acknowledge and look back at the many close calls and warnings that I had ignored along the road because I wasn't like "those people". The first two months after the arrest I was sober on my own and although I drove to a couple of AA meetings I couldn't bring myself to go own in as it seemed intimidating and I wanted to continue to feed my gigantic ego.

TheOjibway84

Well thats great to hear buddy Im glad to hear that you do admit it. It's a good thing because it took me along time to do so as well. Last night I went to an interchange meeting where we hosted of course if you know what it is by now. And my sponsor who was chairing asked me to do the slogans and I have never done it yet out of these past 4 years. At first I was nervous and almost declined but remembered my program that I have to give back in return of such a free gift of AA so I accepted and though I was nervous, I got up and asked my higher power to help me and he did! Everyone was told it was my first time doing it and they thought I did an amazing job for my first time. I felt good. Well I hope I didn't sound like I was preaching you. Just wanted to know incase I could give some advice COngratulations! My 4 month of being sober is coming a week and a half and I feel great!

Jay1980

What's up everyone? I'm 30 and hope I qualify to be in this thread... if not, just let me know. But as far as AA goes I'm an infant. I'm going to a Young People's meeting Thursday and hoping to meet some more people my age.

TheOjibway84

lol 30 is still young lol. I almost thought you were from around here in Whitby Ontario Canada. There is a Young Peoples Meeting here as well on Thursday nights. I went there for a few months but went back to my first group again. Im youngest in my group and I thought if I joined the Young Peoples Group I'd fit in but everyone knew each other so I felt uncomfortable. And when it came close to them selecting me to Chair I decided to leave the group and go back to my first group and they welcomed me back with such happiness.

I don't mind being the youngest member in my group really. Everyone is nice there and everyone has years of being sober so it really helps me more with advice and such being in that group plus I've known them for 4 years just like the YPG have known each other for 2 years.

Well this is a really great post for young people like us Love this site, and aa. it works so well for me lol

Jay1980

I'm trying to get to somewhere between 3 and 5 meetings a week so I thought I'd try out the Young People's one as well. That way I still have the "old timers" at the other meetings and maybe can meet some people to hang out with at the Young People's. It's not so much the meetings I need but I need sober friends to hang out with. I have a lot of friends ask, "I know you're not going to drink but is it okay if I do?" when we go out to eat or something. I appreciate them asking but I'd like to have friends that don't even have to ask that question.

tscanlanrr4life

any advice for a newly sober 20 year old? I have only one day right now, i had 6 months but i relapsed two months ago. I'm ready to make the changes.. people places and things.

TheOjibway84

im confused sorry. you say you have 1 day right now. but you said you relasped 2 months ago. Does this mean you been drinking since then? I know how you feel for sure. I first started to stay sober and I relasped after 9 months! And from then on it was a rollercoaster ride. I've been going to AA for 4 years now and finally now I am taking it seriously to stay sober because recently I have finally hit rock bottom where I drank for days and skipped work to get drunk. I was lucky not to get fired from my job but I suffered enough knowing I couldn't go on. Well it's good to know your taking measures to want to stop. Alcoholism does affect anyone at any age. I learned that the hard way thinking I could drink for years but in a short amount of time it really hit me hard having withdrawals. Keep in touch, try AA anything, change your habits such as doing something different for a change. For instance. Today I sat down for the first time in years and drew something. I haven't drawn much since I started drinking and when I finished my drawing I was thrilled and was like "I drew this?!" Then I accepted the fact that I can still draw as long as I dont drink for one day at a time.

slp88

I am 23 and I have been drinking heavily for the past 2 years. I had my children at 20 and 21 and I used alcohol to help me cope with the stresses. I use to be able to drink and drink and wake and and just have a hangover. Within the past few months when I drink the next day is hell, shakes, nausea, room spinning, I even hallucinated a spider on the ceiling for a few seconds. My alcohol use is just getting out of control. I went 5 days sober last week but drank on the weekend so hopefully this week I can stick with it. It is very hard being so young and having a drinking problem, a lot of the time that's a big portion of our "socializing". Good luck to everyone!