New to everything. First post.
 

So, I've been drinking pretty much every night for the past 3 years. I never thought it was ever a problem because I was in college, and young. I was 19 at the time and now I'm 21. Since then, I have dropped out of school, I have no car, no girlfriend, and no job.

I need to stop drinking. It has made me care less and less about everything around me, which is why I am losing everything around me. I'm on day 2, I've never made a commitment to stop drinking before, I didn't even think I was an alcoholic until recently, I'm not even sure why. But I will keep to not drinking, and hopefully things can only get better. And also, no one has any idea I'm an alcoholic, friends just think I'm lazy and that I've changed. I had been drinking alone weekdays and parties on weekends.

First time ever even talking about being an alcoholic. I plan to attend AA, it's in my college town so may be difficult.

Thanks everyone.

And it's usually the alcohol that changes us Tallguy. It's great you're doing something about this now. I nearly lost everything around me too when I was about your age but I managed to bring myself back from the brink just to carry on drinking for another decade :( AA sounds like an excellent plan.

Glad you're here x

Hello tallguy u are doing the right thing coming on this 2 speak about it :) I only joined today too and I already feel uplifted and not alone anymore! It's good speaking with people u don't know it makes it easier :) x

One step at a time we can all do this x

I dig college-campus-AA. Nice to not be sitting with all old geezers like my sponsor - LOLOLOL.

I drank "successfully" and pretty normally through college and into my mid 20's. For whatever reason, something changed. It was kinda slow......but it was there - my addiction and later alcoholISM started taking over. (and not everyone who drinks alcoholically has alcoholism - that's why I capitalize the last 3 letters). I went from normal drinking to alcoholic drinking. That was pretty bad. Got a DUI.....started having "issues" regarding my drinking. Like any good soldier though, I pressed on! Yay me......I finally made it to full-blown alcoholism. LOL

It's all good though. AA's going to be better and worse than you thought. Some things will be cool....some will seem pretty lame. It IS awesome though....and that's coming from someone who thought it was THE worst thing in the world to go to -- frickin' AA...... lol

It took me another 5 years to do something about my drinking tallguy. Welcome and good luck with your sobriety. This placed has been a great help to me. I'm on day 6 now, but without the support here I'm sure I'd have started drinking again.

Yeah good on you for noticing early man. Its difficult ride but I beleive if U want it, you can succeed. Alcoholic anonymous is daunting when you think about it, but leaving yourself to battle out of this alone is alot more daunting. Try find sober mates with sober ideas and plans. Find a hobby you enjoy and do it, in time your confidence will come back to you and once you start taking better care of yourself the girls will dig it.

Good luck.

Welcome :)

Alright at 21 man if you get this now, you have the chance to become a old timer. :) Thats awesome. !!!!

Thank everyone, I appreciate all the responses. It's just tough because I'm just realizing I have literally wasted 3 years of my life. And even more than wasted, dug myself a huuuge hole. I always thought I was the cool party guy but I am now the opposite. At the time I was living for the memories I made being drunk, not the future. I guess alcohol just gave me a high ego, and I'm just now realizing just how much it messes with your mind.

Yeah man it gives you a different persona. It destroys you're being when you're an alcoholic. I've been down so many times with the stuff and seen so much destruction with it.

Pah, 3 years, that's nowt...;)

Those regrets will go in time. I know how you feel but what's done is done and now you can move forward. There are a ton of people (myself included) who would have loved to have 'got it' at your age. I don't think that means it'll be any easier, just means you've got a great life ahead of you without having to waste time on booze :) x

No doubt hypo I had to waste over 20 years. Tallguy do it up and live a lovely healthy productive life. We are with you brother. :)

Welcome Tallguy - I'm so glad you're here. When I first joined I was amazed at how comforting it was to be able to talk about my drinking. I had no one else to discuss it with - everyone in my life were social drinkers & couldn't understand what I went through.

I hope you'll keep posting - you're not alone anymore. You've made a very good decision to stop this before your life is completely out of control. (Wish I had.)

Love that wisdom you expressed, Tallguy. Very impressive! Welcome!

Welcome to the family!:)

Yo Tallguy dude,

Welcome, Like yourself, I also drank my way through University. I didn't go to the parties, every night was a one man party and I was the only one invited eehe! I knew at 21 I was an alcoholic/had alcohol problems, whatever. I thought I would grow out of it. I too continued like a champ for another seven years and here I am. I wish you well and hope you continue to find the courage to kick that demon in the nuts before he becomes a raging beast :)

Thanks again everyone :). It is pretty awesome to be able to talk to people about this. I'm already learning a lot being on here. I am looking forward to the new me, however long it takes. No more time will be wasted.

my man, in those 3 years, ya gained very valuable lessons on what doesnt work too good. now ya got the choice to either keep diggin further in that hole or start fillin it in. today, i can say my past is one of the greatest posessions i have.
i was an egomaniac with low self esteem and the low self esteem was there even before i started drinking. alcohol really messed with my mind. i though it helped me be sociable, but all i ever did was be a mumbling, falling down, sloppy drunk. i would have times when i would start drinkin at home, then decide to go to the bar to be around people, only to go sit in a corner by myself. there was a bar i used to go to and i would sit on thesame barstool every time i went there. it was right in front of the liquor bottles. then one day i noticed the mirror behind the bar and saw myself in it. couldnt take that, so i started sitting at the other end of the bar.

theres hope and iffen ya put in the footwork, you can get sober too!!!

Welcome to SoberRecovery, Tallguy. Good to have you with us.

A few years before I went to my first AA meeting, I remember walking past something on campus that I believed to be an AA meeting and thinking maybe I needed to be there, that passed quickly. hmmmm

You may have meetings on campus. Maybe not.

Great decision you are making. You can always read the Alcoholics Anonymous book online. Not-God by Ernest Kurtz is a good history of AA book.

I wish you long term sobriety and a life beyond your wildest dreams!

:) Peace,

Damn.. It's getting pretty tough.. now that I actually care about the future I'm realizing I may have messed up for good. I owe around $20,000 in debt, without two years of college to show for it. My credit is horrible. The only slightly okay thing is that I don't have any major tickets, just a couple traffic violations. I'm going to continue with sobriety (only day 3). There's no way I'm going to dig this hole any deeper. I'm just struggling with the impossibility of getting things back together. I was majoring in chemistry so I always expected a good job. Any tips or advice? Thanks.
Sorry for the negative response,
but damn I'm bummed.
Anyway I hope all is well with everyone else :)