vhinrich

I'm a 22 year old male. My first drink was when I was 17 and I got really wasted(drank 1/2 bottle of vodka the first time). I didn't drink much after that. But as I got to college, I started drinking 2 days a week my first year and then it increased to 3 days a week my second year and my third year it was usually 4-5 days a week. I didn't think I had a problem because I thought everyone was doing it. I drank as often over the summers too. One night over the summer when I was really wasted, I got into an accident which required a major surgery or I was going to die. After that incident, I didn't drink for about 3 months and then I started drinking again. About 2-3 days a week. Then in the Fall of 2008, I stopped drinking for 2 months and then I started again. This time it's getting worse, for the past 2 months, I've been drinking at least 2-3 nights a week and this past week, I drank every single day, including thanksgiving. I've been saying to myself this is the last night I'm drinking but it doesn't work. The next evening I somehow talk myself into drinking. This is the first night I've been sober in a week. This night I didn't drink because last night I was confronted by one of my family members who accused me of being drunk which I heavily denied plus it was pretty embarrassing for me. By the way, my family doesn't think I drink. I drink secretly and always deny the allegation of being drunk when confronted. No one in my family drinks or has ever drank alcohol before. I feel really bad about drinking the next day almost every time I drink. The only reason I finally decided to seek help is because I realized tonight that being a young alcoholic will only get me into deeper trouble later so getting help sooner is better.

So...this is the day one. Let's see how long I can last.

Do you guys have any suggestion on how to handle the urges of drinking?

bloodshoteyes

Dear Vhinrich,

I know EXACTLY what you are going through. I am twenty-six and have been drinking since twelve-years old. I didn't bother hiding it from my family because we were all greiving from multiple deaths (including my mother).

I have been using alcohol to calm my nerves and slow my brain--which it has indeed. Nothing hurts your poor brain more than booze! Chances are, you have a fine mind, and can't control it. Too many thoughts. Too many ideas. Too many memories. Too many of anything; if you can think it, you can dwell on it. Right? How about using that big grey wonderful marvel for something awesome?! Get creative and keep us all posted!


Stop. Please.


Drinking only does two things:

1) Cause anti-social tendencies
2) Cause short-term memory loss

Don't roll your eyes, please, this is what happens.

Please feel free to contact me anytime. I'm a young victim of alcoholism and it will never go away. When it's in you, it's with you -- for life. It's how you decide to fight it.:wtf2

CarolD

You may experience some symptoms of withdrawal.
Please check out ...

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

Note that not one of us who shared there
had exactly the same expeiences.
We did survive the de tox...many of us are sill sober.

You are making a very wise choice...Congratulations!


Welcome to our recovery community

aNewHope

good luck to you, i wasn't a drinker, but i know cravings well.

find some way for rewarding yourself each time you have a craving, or each hour you're still craving but don't drink. remember that the craving will pass. and please remember it gets easier and easier to ride out your cravings. make a date with yourself, if you get to such and such a day, you'll do something, it may sound stupid, but for me, it helped me know that i was doing well, it helped having something i could hold in my hands to show that i was clean. for my first clean urine screens, i got copies of the paper that said Opites - Negative, and i kept them with pride.

oh, also, i wrote a journal. helped me tremendously. try writing.

CarolD

About cravings...

In early sobriety....
I timed my cravings.

They were 5-7 minutes in duration.
Not too long too endure discomfort
.
Soooo....I took action.
Walked...rushed my teeth... Drank cold water...Hard candy

Within 2 weeks...the lessened in both time and intensity.
By 2 or so months .... they vanished.

Now...were they mental or physical?
Darn if I know. Nor do I care.

I've never regretted that I quit drinking...

tommyk

Do you guys have any suggestion on how to handle the urges of drinking?

Fitness/sports, reading, playing an instrument, exploring new activities.

Basically for me it involved a lifestyle change away from the people, places, and things of my past.

I like the change.

nickishine

Hey Vhin... and welcome to SR!!!

Your eyes seem to be open to the affects alcohol is having on your life right now (and over the past 5 years). That's big - huge!!!

There's an endless canvas for us to start painting on once we get sober and learn to stay sober, one day at a time. We don't know how to magically make our lives happen and live it to the fullest with sobriety. We need help and support from those who can identify with us. Please don't do this alone and keep reaching out here and maybe check out a few AA mtgs. on the way????

Hugs & prayers!!! Best of luck to you!
:praying
Nicki