StayStrong33

Has anyone gotten sober in their 20s? Is it even possible? When people say don't make this change or that decision during early sobriety I feel stuck. As a 25 yr old its hard to focus on getting sober when there's so many changes going on. No excuses, just looking for support and encouragement please. For anyone wondering, I was an everyday heavy drinker until I found SR. Now I drink on Saturday nights. It is very hard. I feel stressed and realize that most of my "stress" would seem trivial to older people but right now it's hard for me. Feel like giving up several times a day

PurpleKnight

I first made the decision that I needed to get Sober at 28 yrs old, it took me 2 years until I was 30 yrs old to actually achieve it!!

I don't think the obstacles are any different for someone say in their 50s, age has no bearing on the fact we will always know people who drink, there will always be places that serve alcohol, stores will always sell alcohol . . . the same temptations and cravings will exist for everyone no matter what age. So no more difficult or easy.

It can be done!!

LBrain

If I could borrow thePatMan's time machine I would go back 40 years and vow to never have a drink. The old adage of "I wish I knew then what I know now" is truly apropos of alcoholism.

Joe Nerv

I was a heavy every day drinker, until Aug. 27th, 1984. I was 23 years old. I haven't had a drink since, and I haven't a single regret regarding that. I don't feel like I missed a single thing either, and know for a fact that there are thousands of things I would have missed and never experienced had I continued.

hayley86

I stopped drinking over 19 months ago (i was 26) and it's the best decision i have ever made. My drinking progressed rapidly between the ages of 22-26 and by the time i did want to stop it was incredibly difficult to do so. Every aspect of my life has improved since i got sober and i have no regrets. Wishing you the best.

least

I stopped in my thirties and then, after 20 yrs sobriety, I picked up again. Now I'm sober over four years and wish I hadn't started up again.

justinJustQuit

I just quit about three weeks ago! I'm turning 27 at the end of this month. It's a pretty good feeling!

Careful with the drinking binges on Saturdays. That can be dangerous.

Soberpotamus

I got sober the first time at age 26, for a year. Things were great. Had never been so happy. Then my grandmother died and it sent me into a tailspin. She was like a mom to me. I took it really hard. I'm from an alcoholic family and there was always a reason to drink so looking back on things I see it was quite something I even knew to get sober at that age. I've attempted to get sober a few times since then and finally stopped last year, age 36.

Do whatever it takes to maintain your sobriety.

Sent from my iPhone using SoberRecovery

falseemperor

Im 27 and dont know what sober mean. But i quit alcohol simply, because want to see respectable man when look at to mirror in next years.

Stoogy

Hi guys, it's good to be able to put a backstory to some of you that I know from SR, I was similar, stopped at 37 after years of knowing I should.

I do second the notion of being careful with weekend drinking, it's too easy to let it overlap into for instance a holiday Monday off for example and.... Well you know the rest.

Soberpotamus

Hi Stoogy, yes it's always nice to hear part of someone's story on here. Been meaning to write up my own story at some point since I've now passed a year. Just haven't gotten to it yet.

For me, I don't think I really understood I needed to stop altogether at those earlier ages. I knew I had a problem. I saw some serious consequences. I had the family history. But... I also justified drinking by using the goals I'd accomplished despite drinking as my reasons for not quitting. And I somehow thought I was special, better, different... than the rest of the crazy alcoholics in my family Smarter probably. In my twenties I guess I suffered from feeling invincible and so knowledgeable. Ha!!! Well, I can at least have a bit of a laugh and sense of humor now. It was addiction, plain and simple. And in the depths of me, I knew it had to stop eventually. The smarter/wiser me knew to do it sooner rather than later... The addicted brain part of me continued to justify. Ah well. It is what it is Glad to be sober today.

BoozeFree

I am 27 and first tried getting sober at 23. I also was a daily drinker morning till night 7 days a week. Ive relapsed several times but each time coming back to try again and have more sober days then drinking days these past 4 years. Currently 42 days sober and no way I want to go back to feeling depressed, miserable and a slave to the bottle. Sobriety in your 20s is defenitly possible if you really want it

StayStrong33

I want a sober life. I just have to buckle down and not give up on it! I'd be so much happier in the long run.

deeker

Oh StayStrong33, I wish I was facing that choice now knowing what I know.

If I only had a glimpse of what was waiting for me when I left my first meeting at age
19 thinking I was to young.

I am 52 now, jails, institutions, suicide attempts, loss of everything I owned, family , self respect.

StayStrong33

Deeker, that's what I'm afraid of if I don't get it together. I'm stuck in this cycle and it's like I'm screaming on the inside each time I slip up. I'm just hurting myself mentally and physically and it will only get worse. I need to gain my control back.

deeker

I was never able to control it once I crossed that line at least not for long and the consequences became more severe.

It's either continue and be miserable or find a new way to live without it.

Check out AA yet?

Hawk07

I'm 31 now and started binge drinking around your age, just on the weekends. Started pondering if I had a problem when I was around 27, long story short it sneaks up on you and progressively gets worse. The first warning sign I ignored was that I couldn't stop drinking once I started.. but I thought hey I'm just having 'fun' on the weekends and I can make it without a drink on most days so I'm fine. Wrong.

StayStrong33

I haven't. I guess my pride is getting in the way. SR is my only outlet for my struggles with this right now. I'm not attempting to "just cut back" or anything. I want to not drink at all. I want all of my control back and when I drink i'm giving that control away.

StayStrong33

Hawk, I can identify with your experience. Even at my age, I wish I would have smartened up several years ago. It's caused nothing but issues for me. So embarrassing to think about..

Hawk07

I still find it really hard to swallow that I have no control over alcohol.. When so many other people do. But I had to come to terms with the fact that I'm an alcoholic.. Just know that the longer you let it go the tougher the battle will be when you do finally decide enough is enough.