boss1

So, I'm 18 and am an alcoholic. I am also new here; Hi!
Alcoholic at 18? can you think of anything sadder? THe drink is ruining my relationships, causing problems at work and otherwise destroying my life. I dont tell anyone this (apart from my Dr) because how ridiculous and unbelievable does that sound? Alcoholic at 18. For the past year, the amounnt of consecutive days non-drinking i can count on one hand. On any given day, i down 1 and a half bottles of whiskey. My family and boyfriend are oblivious to this fact. I am an alcoholic of the worst kind. I want to stop for the sake of waking up and remembering what i did the previous day. I want to wake up and feel like i actually did sleep. I want to wake up without the violent shaking that plagues me, the virtigo, the fevers, the debilitating anxiety. I want to be normal! but the bottle calls much louder than those wants. I have tried to taper offf of alcohol using a bottle of whiskey, but i end up drinking it all instead of using it to taper off. I am hopeless.
please, please give me some support of some description?

starlite dawn

I wish I could help you. I am 54 and just started drinking some 8 years ago. I am in bad shape. I wish you could quit. I wish for you not to be where I am. You are young and have a shot at life. Please stop........drinking is so bad. I personally think it is the worst drug you can do. JMHO

BASEjumper

Hi Boss1

Don't feel so bad, I started drinking when I was around 14 and went hard right from the get-go. It doesn't mean your a bad person or 'sad', it just means you have the disease of alcoholism, like me. I've been sober for 14 months now, and it started for me with an out-patient treatment program. It can be done, it just takes hard work. If you do the work, you get the reward, a sober life, an for me, it's been one of the best things I've ever done. You can do it too.

boss1

for me it is hard. if it were up to me, i'd be an a detox clinic. BUT, i am doing whatever i can to keep it between me and the dr. I live with my dad and my bf's family. they know that me and alcohol and my meds dont go together but they dont know that i am dependent. they cant tell. i will have 5 shots, and they won't know, they'll think i am completely sober. its that ridiculous. I also intend to keep it that way. i cant bear to dissapoint them.

laurie6781

Yep. Drinking at 12. Full Blown Alcoholic at 16, hiding a bottle in my locker at school (yes we had 'lockers' back then, lol), hiding a bottle in my locker at work, hiding a bottle in my car (bought and paid for by myself) and hiding a bottle in my bedroom at home when I had full access with parental permission to the Liquor Cabinet. And then, NOT finding recovery until I was 3 weeks shy of my 36th birthday.

The only person I was 'hiding' the booze from was myself.

I regret that I did not have YOUR BRAINS at 18.

You go for it. You will be grateful for the 'life' you find.

Love and hugs,

Zebra1275

Discovering that you are an alcoholic and can't drink normally at 18 is a positive thing. It took me decades beyond 18 to get past the denial and figure out I was an alcoholic. Then it took me a few more years to do anything about it.

CarolD

Please do have an honest talk with your doctor about how best to de tox
safely
It's too dangerous to mess around with withdrawing by yourself....
And you know you can't taper.....so that is not going to happen.

Welcome...

TheEnd

It just means you get to have more sober quality years.

jen7916

Hi boss & welcome. I have always struggled with drinking (I started when I was 13 and binged from day 1) and I've constantly worried about disappointing other people by admitting I had a problem. Truth is, I ended up disappointing myself every single day and just perpetuated the cycle by hiding it - and that did some major damage to my self-esteem, confidence, relationships, work life, etc.

Its really hard to imagine that other people won't be disappointed, but I think you'll find that what you're imagining they will say may be far different than what they actually say. Im 30 and recently admitted to my mom that I'm an alcoholic; I imagined she would panic or freak out, be really disappointed in me and say I had some sort of personality flaw/weakness, think I was being dramatic, be in denial, whatever. She didn't do any of those things. She simply listened to what I had to say, asked me some questions, and has been supportive ever since.

I hope that you'll reach out and ask for help sooner rather than later. Pride and fear are ugly beasts, but alcoholism and self destruction are much worse. You CAN change the path you're on and I hope you will find the strength to try. After all, what's the worst that can happen? Having someone disappointed in you doesn't mean they don't love or care about you.

Hugs to you!!!