roguegiant27

So in the last 2 years i typically haven't drank every single night but when i did drink, it didn't stop until i blacked out and woke up on my bathroom floor. I tried AA but each meeting i attended i was looked at like a child who just partied too much. Im not seeking validation from these meetings that i have a problem but i would like to have my quitting be taken seriously.

Friends also dont seem to understand the gravity of my addiction and the consequences i face due to it. Ive had some weeks sober here and there but im giving it an honest effort again and want so badly to shake this devil off my back.

Has anyone else faced ridicule or condescending remarks when your desire to find support went public?

flyonthewall

I'm 21 and I decided to quit today. Tried a few times before to scale it back and people felt sorry for me when I went out with them. Also felt extremely unfomfortable not drinking in places like bars. Now I think I'm going to stay away from alcohol completely. Stick to non-alcoholic restaurants so I won't be tempted by a huge bar.

sugarbear1

You are "middle aged" in the meetings I attend. We have so many younger adults there....

Maybe you can find a Young People in AA meeting near you.

avocado

There are plenty of ways to quit besides AA. I am over 100 days sober and I have absolutely no desire to go to AA meetings and would share my reasons why but I'd get in trouble for doing so here. SMART, AVRT, Rational Recovery and others are programs designed to help people who want to quit addictions. Or you could do like I've done and just make the decision to quit and stick to it and find your own way. It is possible.

roguegiant27

i personally didnt like AA, just not for me. Its very inspiring though to see you go 100 days by your own means

Hopeyougood

I understand your predicament. When people are young binge drinking is seen as a right of passage but for some it's a very real problem. One of my friends ended up at betty ford (think that is spelling). After when we where at the bar he would order red bull or club soda in a low ball w a lime just do people would stfu. When people tried to turn up the pressure he would say " alcohol and me don't get along , that never treats me well" whatever.

Hopeyougood

Where did you get this quote ?

Hopeyougood

Sorry the quote below what the site just quoted lol

flyonthewall

Jack Kerouac

roguegiant27

yeah, im treated like i earned a merit badge in drinking, like im a side-show and they wanna see how much i can drink. in any case it severely limited the people i spend my time with. People, places and things, like they say.

neferkamichael

Rougegiant, like im a side-show and they wanna see how much i can drink? You may very well be being used as entertainment while you are drunk. If you belief drinking is causing you problems then please quit no matter what anybody says. Rootin for ya.

empiriotrash

Hey Rogue,

I am struggling to get clean again, however the first time around I got 2 years and 4 months. I was turning 17 when I went to rehab.

I used to get the most ridiculous comments. Things along the lines of "You are so young it couldn't have gotten that bad" My personal favorite.."I've spilled more than you have drank, kid" to which I would reply with something like, "Well if you weren't so ******* clumsy maybe you would of gotten here as soon as me then, eh?"

The thing is, there are a lot of people in recovery who have the mentality that they were the "best(worst)" alcoholic/addict. Sort of like it means they have a certain status in the rooms. This is not all people, there are plenty great people out there but its impossible to not run into the rude ones.

You want to get clean, and you are doing this for you. So who cares about everyone else you know? I found people I wanted to surround myself with and I stuck with them. Took more time to find them, but it was worth it as they helped me with my RECOVERY regardless of age, experience, whatever. Socially it took time to find my place, as most people my age spend their time partying, but it worked out.

Thank you for posting your experience

ScottFromWI

Rogue:

If it's the people at the recovery meetings who are treating you this way then I'd find another meeting. And if it's friends who are treating you this way, it's expected - drinkers don't want to lose their drinking buddies. And it can also be threatening as they might feel it somehow brings their own drinking into question.

The best way I've found to deal with these types of people is to completely avoid them. At first it seems as though you are losing a friend, but in the end all you did with them was drink anyway, you weren't really friends other than your time sitting at the bar. It will take time but you will find new friends and new places to hang out. Believe it or not, most people DON'T drink all the time and have lots of fun things to do.

Anna

Try to not worry about what others think of your choices. You know why you are stopping drinking and that's all that matters. And, we do understand how difficult it is. There is always support here at SR.

Garen

Congratulations on your decision to nip this in the bud now while you are young and healthy.

At 24 I had no idea I had drinking issues and they ballooned and progressed as time went on. Before I knew it, I was drinking every day and still doing the binges on the weekend.

Finally started pulling away from the bottle at 29 and it ended up being the hardest thing I have ever done.

FreeFall

I knew I had issues with drinking at your age and buried my head in the sand for decades. Stick to your guns and do what you know is right for you. If you were the life of the party, you may end up being a leader among your friends that end up needing to quit as well. Try speaking at a meeting and explaining how you're feeling and educate the "elders"...hang in there-you're doing the right thing!

least

Good for you to quit drinking at a young age. You won't grow up to have lots of regrets.

SnwFlower

Hi Rogue, You will find great support here! I'm just past my 2nd month in sobriety and I've actually never attended an AA meeting. (AA works fantastic for a lot of people though.) One thing that I found in my local city are meet-up groups for sober social outings, and there are people of all age ranges. It's great because you can have fun with sober groups of people without the alcohol, no judgement, and it's fun! Just a thought...

You've made a great decision Rogue. Stay tuned here on SR, it's a great place for support.

BuddinK

Rogue and Fly.

It's good for both of you, at such a young age, to realize what drinking can do to you.

As others have said it doesn't matter what others think of your decision to no longer drink.

As you read through other posts you will realize that you are not alone with your thoughts and fellings.

Keep reading and posting, and Welcome to SR!!!!

Ken

DryRoastJim

Hi rogue and welcome!! Society and in particular when you are younger just loves to bury you in peer pressure. But I assure you as you get older, "society's" thoughts about how you should live/act etc will lose meaning and what is right for YOU what matters.

And that is what this is about, YOU and your choices. It doesn't matter why you want to quit, it matters that YOU want to quit and NO ONE has any right to change, mock, laugh, judge or anything else!!

I'm also willing to put down 20 bucks that some of your peers, when they are alone have serious chats with themselves about their drinking too, but un-like you, they chose to continue drinking for whatever reasons, but you can be sure that peer pressure is a contributing factor.

Just remember, do what is right for you. You don't have to get on a soap box and preach your choices but if people around don't respect you for your choice then seriously considering getting rid of them. The last thing you need in the ocean are lead weights tied to your feet!

Good luck on your journey!