Oswin

My next door neighbour made home made wine and was clearing his garage out and sorting all the bottles. I kept asking if I could have a sip and then went in to my mum extremely tipsy and an hour later had the worst headache. I was aged 6. Think it was definitely a sign of things to come

brynn

I'm another one that grew up in an alcoholic home and watched my parents drink themselves senseless every day. They were both pretty mean drunks and us kids learned to stay out of their way at night and leave them alone In the morning to nurse their hangovers. I think they justified their drinking because they both had very demanding jobs and were both quite successful in their professional life. My brothers and sister used to sneak beer and vodka but I was too scared of getting caught so I was always the 'lookout'.

I didn't have my first drink until I was 15 but I was immediately hooked. My drinking became a problem almost right away as I was kicked off the cheerleading squad my Junior year of high school for drinking at school.

Im just now realizing that I literally had a drinking problem from that first drink at age 15.

Bostonsportsfan

It's hard to say. I always watched my parents drinking around me growing up, but I'm not sure I "idolized" them for it. My dad was always drinking Budweiser and my mom was always drinking wine. I think I believed it was "normal" for adults to drink heavily because of my parents, but it almost killed my dad in 2001, but he kept drinking heavily for years before he finally stopped. I didn't understand in 2001 that the drinking was a huge part of why he almost died. Long story short, I'd say I did watch my parents drink when I was a kid and I believe it has something to do why I started to drink so heavily at a young age.

serenityfreedom

It's good to put down in words what started my drinking/drugging, and to hear all your stories. I had alcoholic tendencies long before I ever drank. I used to hide and eat stolen cookies. I only know because my family remembers and caught me several times as a young child. Compulsive eating stealing and hiding it are examples of how I treated drugs and alcohol later in life. I drank my first beer at age 9, just one. It felt good. I didn't drink again til I was 15 and two of the 'cool kids' from school shared a couple of joints and a bottle of red wine with me. I knew I was going to do that more often.
I always overdid it from that point on.
I was sent to my first A.A. meeting at 18 by my parents. I knew then I was an alcoholic but kept drinking anyway. I didn't get sober until I was 48, 30 years later. I'm glad I decided to go back to A.A. and work the 12 steps. I'm Finally Happy, joyous and free.
peace-Jonathan

Grungehead

The first time I got drunk it was New Year's Eve and me and my buddies took a bunch of liquor from our parent's supply. Our plan was to get drunk, walk around the neighborhood and then sleep in my friend's tree house. I got so drunk that I blacked out and then passed out in the tree house. When I woke up I was freezing and I had frozen vomit in my sleeping bag. My other 2 buddies got cold and went inside to sleep but they said they couldn't wake me up.

I was 14. I got off to a rough start but that didn't stop me.

MaxxPower

This makes allot of sense. The first few times getting drunk, I couldn't understand why people would do illegal drugs when they could simply drink. It was legal, and socially exceptable. Alcohol was it for me. At the beginning it really was a feeling of pure ecstasy. I knew right then, after the numbing warm rush of alcohol flowed from my head to toes, that alcohol was going to be a big part of my life.

I was right.

Its scary to say, but I almost knew back then... that this was going to happen. Recovery. Took the drinking to far.

IfYouCanDream

One of my vivid childhood memories is praying on my knees for all the alcohol to disappear from the face of the earth. I remember promising to always be a good girl if only that one thing happened. It was right after my father got very drunk and I remember being scared to death. I knew it was alcohol making him act this way.

I think I must have been 4 or 5.