bringmeback7693

Being young (23) I haven't really suffered any serious financial, medical, or relationship problems due to my alcoholism and I think that's why it's been so hard to stop. But I know that if I keep up this lifestyle it will be impossible to stop eventually. Any other young alcoholics out there found ways to stop?

Berrybean

If you haven't read the young persons AA pamphlet that might be a good start.

https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/new-...nd-alcoholism/

To be honest though, I wouldn't focus too much on the differences. There are enough similarities with other alcoholics that they will understand where youre coming from, and you will be able to learn from their journeys.

Not many of us here look back to our 23 year old selves without wishing we'd managed to spot the problem and do something about it then. It's easy to ignore it and wait for it to go away and suddenly it's 20 years later and you've lost the things you thought you never would, or you just hate yourself for things you've done or said, or youve lost all hope and integrity. If you have spotted the tide coming in to claim you, now is the time to get safely to shore. You never can tell just how stealthily it's closing in til you're cold, wet and in fear for your life and soul.

Now's the time to take action.

BB

tiredwoman

I am 21 years old. Been an alcoholic for a year and a half. It has definitely affected my life. My grades in college have slipped, my bank balance has constantly been drained due to my addiction and everyone on campus knows I am a drunk. Even the lecturers will take subtle digs in a friendly way. In my experience, alcoholism will mess you up, no matter how young or old.

tiredwoman

I think the problem with people in our early 20s is that we just think it is a phase. Modern society tells us that it is natural to get f**ked up at our age. And so we drink excess amounts and party a lot, thinking it is just normal. For most it is. They will grow out of it. My parents did as they got older. But for us alcoholics, it is no phase. It is the reality of our lives. Our disease. Our overlord that enslaves us.

thomas11

Others on this forum will have better advice than I do, but I can tell you that simply recognizing the problem at your age is a gift. I would accept that gift and doing something about it. If I was your age, it would be another 25 years before I realized I needed to stop drinking (I was 48).

ljc267

I think you're wise to have recognized your problem before it progresses. It will progress btw.

I wish when I was your age I would have quit, but I just thought it was part of having a good time. Deep down I knew I drank very different from others, but I ignored it.

Take this opportunity to do something about it.

Countrylife

I’m 28...the older I get the more I drink the worse it gets I don’t have no relationship problems no financial problems only health problems is high blood pressure which is from alcohol and anxiety which is from alcohol my lifestyle has a lot of drinking about everything I do and I know it will kill me if I keep it up but ways to stop admitting you have a problem, finding out why you drink and your tiggers, have a plan to for sobriety stay here and posting before you drink there is AA addiction counselor have to make lifestyle changes best of luck to you stay strong

Countrylife

Just thought I would add there is no easy button to recovery in addiction but it can be done as long as you try and never give up and only one to stop you from drinking is you but I can support and courage you not to which I hope you find your way to sobriety everyone on here will support you and help this site is amazing which you will find out being on here

digdug

I got sober at 31 and for many of the meetings I went to at first, I was the youngest person there, sometimes by decades. I sometimes found it hard to relate to those with different life experiences.

I finally started going to a Young Peoples' AA meeting and I met several people my age who had 10+ years sober. That means they got sober before they could even have a legal drink in the US. At least for me, having face to face support of my peer age group in early sobriety was a tremendous boost. Those people showed me how you could still have a good time without drinking or using drugs.

I'd highly recommend checking out a Young Peoples' meeting if you can, even if it's just to make friends and be around people your own age who live a sober lifestyle.

I'm 36 now - a lot of friends from that meeting have moved on to other meetings, including myself. Some of us have gotten married, had kids, and gotten degrees/better jobs. But for the most part, we are all still sober and we stay connected.

Good luck to you!

tomsteve

i was 36 when i got sober but always inspired by people that recognize the problems alcohol causes and do soemthing about it at a young age. one of my favorite AA speakers ive seen was a woman 42 years old that had just celebrated 28 years of recovery.
heres a little something from the big book of AA, the prelude into the 2nd set of stories titled,"they stopped in time:"


Among today"s incoming A.A. members, many have never reached the advanced stages of alcoholism, though given time all might have.

Most of these fortunate ones have had little or no acquaintance with delirium, with hospitals, asylums, and jails. Some were drinking heavily, and there had been occasional serious episodes. But with many, drinking had been little more than a sometimes uncontrollable nuisance. Seldom had any of these lost either health, business, family, or friends.

Why do men and women like these join A.A.?

The seventeen who now tell their experiences answer that question. They saw that they had become actual or potential alcoholics, even though no serious harm had yet been done.
They realized that repeated lack of drinking control, when they really wanted control, was the fatal symptom that spelled problem drinking. This, plus mounting emotional disturbances, convinced them that compulsive alcoholism already had them; that complete ruin would be only a question of time.

Seeing this danger, they came to A.A. They realized that in the end alcoholism could be as mortal as cancer; certainly no sane man would wait for a malignant growth to become fatal before seeking help.

Therefore, these seventeen AAers and hundreds of thousands like them, have been saved years of infinite suffering. They sum it up something like this: "We didn't wait to hit bottom because, thank God, we could see the bottom. Actually, the bottom came up and hit us. That sold us on Alcoholics Anonymous."

Snufkin

I'm 25 and drinking has already made my life unmanageable at times, my anxiety skyrocketed, I'm broke, constantly exhausted, can't keep up with uni workload, I truly hate myself... and I know it's just a start; I don't even want to think how my life is gonna be in 10 years if I keep drinking. Luckily for us, there's a solution I believe I can stop for good, now, at 25, and you can do it too! I wish you best of luck

tiredwoman

Sounds exactly like my life.

AlwaysGrowing

I sobered up a day before my 22nd birthday. Now 25+ years later I'm still sober and it was the best thing that ever happened. Mind you I was a bit nuts in the head that first year but stayed sober.
Hang with the sober folks.
Everyone is different but after a few months, I would attend an AA meeting before and/or after meeting my dinking friends out. I didn't cut ties fully as I was in the military but limited my exposure to the drinking friends.

AG

DangerZone

Getting sober young is the best time to do it. I was sober for most of my young years and it is something I cherish.

First of all think of all the money you will save as compared to someone who decides to do it in their 30s or 40s. Not to mention all the potential health problems, DUIs, other mistakes young ppl make while drunk you will avoid.

Plus it is going to be a lot easier to do it now as opposed to waiting after another 5-years or 10-years of drinking. Do it now! Like AlwaysGrowing said, it will probably be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Bird615

I sobered up the first time at 21 and what made it easier was getting involved in AA.

Because I associated with mostly other recovering people close to my age and not with my old drinking buddies, I didn't have that temptation of being young and feeling like I was missing out.

DoubleFelix

I got sober at 24. In the beginning I often felt alienated due to my age. Now I'm just grateful I was able to escape alcohol at the time I did. Posting here and reading other's posts has helped me a lot.

readyt0change

happy new year man.

i've put sobriety over everything else. just got tired of the cycle last year and one night i snapped and committed. i have 70 days sober today.

my life has gone nowhere and i'm tired of being a bum and not living up to my potential. i've spent all my disposable income on going out and seeking pleasure. 25 years old and i saw how it was progressing for me. i don't want to waste my life. my biggest fear is looking back at these years and saying "man, i could have done so much better."

if you want it bad enough it is possible.

anxiousrock

I am going through the same, where I fear it may get worse.
Start going to lots of AA meetings. They will give you lots of tips as many of the older AA’s started and suffered when they were young as well.
That’s kind of the only thing that has helped me stay sober.
Once I stop going, I always end up drinking. You have to keep going!

Outonthetiles

I just wasn't ready to quit until I quit.

Dee74

I wish I had quit earlier, and I think thats a common refrain around here.

Ironically I started drinking partly because I had FOMO (fear of missing out) on social occasions etc...and ended up a lone drinker seeing noone for weeks on end.

D