TexasMichael

I realized I was drinking too much in my late teens and early twenties. Never drank at or missed work, but often went in hung-over from a weekend or mid-week bender.

I quit drinking in my 20's, and 30's, and 40's, and 50's.

With the help of my Higher Power I decided to make it permanent before I turn 60.

Will have over seven sober months when 60 arrives.

Wish I had listened to myself decades ago.

Jsober

I knew my drinking wasn't normal from the get go at 14. This was a gift then because I could drink with the best of them and I thought this was great. It then became a curse in my twenties when consequences and withdrawals hit. My drinking didn't seem so great after college when I wanted to drink like a normie but could not.
Now in my thirties, I have accepted that I am abnormal and havnt had a drop in 2 plus years. That's the way to go for me.

drunkyjules

I was 25 when I realized I had a big problem and was probably an alcoholic. It took me until I was 33 to really fully accept that just one drink starts the cycle and that I would have to put some real effort into staying sober. I think I have about 140 days sober now.

silentrun

Feb 10th 2013. It was progressive for me. I didn't start out having a problem when I drank. Somewhere in my early 30s I abused alcohol to the point I could tolerate huge amounts without becoming sick. Binge drank for about another 8 years. Then another 2 years of binge drinking almost nightly. I knew something wasn't right but until that day I didn't realize how serious this was. I just thought I drank too much and should probably slow down. Then one day I just saw it for what it was.

karate

There will arrive a time when people decide to

1- keep drinking in check

2- quit .

Im of the first group , but have not always been . Quit forever?, nope .Keep drinking in check ,yep .

pinkdog

Hi Greg, I drank like you described. I guess it would have to be when I realized I just wanted to drink. Period. I just wanted to drink and everyone leave me alone. That was my plan for the evening. And nothing could interfere with it.

Sobersunshine

For years i suspected but denied I had a problem with alcohol. I really couldn't deny it any longer when I started having withdrawal symptoms after just a few hours without booze in my system. And when drinking made the symptoms go away. I didnt quit then, though. Just moved on to a new level of denial. So grateful to be a year sober.

foolsgold66

15

George3334

I realized that my drinking was different/unhealthy the night I watched the episode of West Wing in which Leo, the alcoholic, said these words: " I don't understand people who say they've had enough.... How can you have "enough" of feeling like this? How can you NOT want to feel like this longer? My brain works differently."

Like2Hike

I abused alcohol for 25 years with mostly weekend binge drinking. During the last few years I started filling in the gaps with nightly boozing. Like so many others I did not realize how much drinking diminished my life until I stopped. Now i see it as an addictive drug for which I was addicted.

gaffo

I knew that I was an alcoholic when I was 18. I knew that it was bad for me from day one I guess but I could always drink as much or more than anyone but I very rarely got ill or in trouble. I quit because I thought it was getting in the way of my dreams when I was 46. Now I know how bad it was for me. The symptoms creep up and there was always someone around to compare myself to who had it worse. Just more alcoholic BS.