youth alcoholism
 

Hi.
it just makes me sad to see people with my age acting like they don't have a problem like me...my problem started when i was about 20 and since then my life has been a living hell, i tried to quit several times, i was sober for about 3 months then fell off the wagon and...well...i guess some of you know how it feels, but anyways, how should we act torwards youth alcoholism?.

Welcome to SR, Undertow! When I was 20, I just wasn't bad enough for it to be apparent to me. At about 26, it started to. I'm 37 now, and have been trying on and off to get sober for about 5 years. I do wish I could have nipped it in the bud. One of the AA meetings I go to has high school kids that attend during school hours. I'm not sure how many take it seriously, and how many are just playing along to get out of class.

undertow, this whole thing used to scare me senseless and make me very sad and worried about the future. But there are lots of kids who also don't drink, I think there need to be more role models around who actively talk about either not drinking or drinking in moderation. Once there are a few more up there in the public eye, maybe some of the silliness that is running rampant in youth will subside. Not drinking needs to feel cool and successful for youth to be attracted to it.

You could be one of those role models for your friends. I have definitely found that by me staying sober and living it, other people close to me and around me have been influenced in a good way. I have also attracted a nicer feeling about me and I percieve other alcoholics who know me questioning and thinking about their own behaviour.

Start in your little corner of the world. Work on yourself and maybe others will follow. And if they don't well at least you will be getting it together and life will be a lot better for you!

Hope you deal with this now. I personally would like to turn back the clock and do the stopping drinking thing a lot younger, even though I truly appreciate that I have been able to stop. And yep, I have fallen off the wagon a few times, really glad I got back on though, that living hell starts to turn into a living world.

love Brigid :)

My son is 19 and has a friend who is already being thrown out of the house because of his drinking. It is scary as heck because this is basically a good kid but when he starts drinking he can't stop. I didn't become an alcoholic til the age of about 35 but I remember at 19 being concerned about my drinking for the first time. I still had the power of choice at that point and I put the brakes on it. Hindsight being what it is, I wish I had never picked it back up.

We have quite a few younger people show up at our meetings too. Some are there through the courts, some are there to get people off their *ss, some make a meeting or two and then disappear. We share our ES&H with them in the hopes that a seed will be planted.

Hugs,
Kellye
Sobriety date 8/8/04
By God's grace & AA!

Welcome to SR....:)

I do hope you are planning to find sobriety again.
There are many many young AA members,

Newcomers are the Life Blood.
 

There have been several young to really young people come to our homegroup lately. I hope to see them again and again. It seems that to me they hear good stuff, say good things and generally gain the same strength and Hope that I get from the Unity of our Fellowship. I know they get a head full of AA and that can be a real Buzz Kill, when confronted by use and abuse situations.I know that it can help anyone who has a desire to stop drinking. The attraction of our sobriety is powerfull. jackf

My addictions started in my early teens and had progressed until they became full blown when I was working in the bar in my early twenties... then cleaned up and fine until my early to mid thirties... So, I really think that had I been aware of a group that could have helped nip this in the bud I would have been really grateful. To avoid what I have done to myself over the years would have been a blessing.

Are there any youth AA or other type meetings?

Its scary. Teens already think they know it all from the get go. Try telling them they may be an alcoholic on top of that. The number one response to that from teens is "Everbody parties,.....Im young, ....thats what Im supposed to do"

On top of that,....its very commonplace for the teen alcoholic to have his or her parents constantly bailing them out of trouble so they dont even have to face the negative consequences. I find that the 'enabling' is major when it comes to teen drinking.

There are YPAA meetings (Yound People in Alcoholics Anonymous)

Hi Undertow, welcome to SR.
The best thing we all can do is lead by example by getting sober.
When I am sober I can contribute to solutions
instead of being part of the problem.
Hope to see more of you here!:)