FBL

I quit drinking at age 43. I'll be 50 in a few weeks. If I hadn't stopped when I did I'd probably be dead by now.

Cascabel

Age 42 and then sober for over 30 years. I started drinking again when I was 73 and went right back up the ladder. I quit again about 2 years ago and except for one small fail, I have been sober since then. I'm now 78 and I think I'm getting the idea.

Aellyce

39. I did not develop a problem with alcohol until ~age 32. It was still way too long to let my 30's ruled by drinking. I got sober once and plan it to last for the rest of my life no matter what.

mecanix

I got sober at 37 ,
I've had 4 glorious sober years .

I hope you decide now is the time .. I asked myself how many more years , months , weeks or days i was willing to waste finding out what i already knew .

Just how sick did i have to get , how much more of my life would i spend getting drunk and hungover …
i decided i never wanted waste a moment of my life being out of control drunk , i decided i never wanted waste another second hungover ..

m

Jsbodhi

I noticed my problem at 31-32 as well

DariaM

I'm hoping this is it, so 36? I first was aware that I might have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol in my late 20s? Had only been drinking heavier for a couple years at that point. Hardly drank at all from 30 - 34. And yet here I am again.

least

The first time, in my mid thirties. The second time I was 58.

IfYouCanDream

Realized I had a serious problem at 23.
Started recovery at 28. I'm 29 now and 11 months into recovery, managed to stay sober for almost 6 months, been struggling since (relapsing every 1-6 weeks).
On day 7 today, with a strong plan and more determination than ever.

There is no such thing as being too young. It ALWAYS only gets worse. No exceptions.

TheRake

"There is no such thing as being too young. It ALWAYS only gets worse. No exceptions."
That's a truth right there.

I definately don't think I'm too young.....the opposite...I've left it too damn long.

With some people this is progressive. With me it's being apparent that alcohol and me do not mix since day one. At age 17 I had a little incident and it was clear that alcohol changed my personality. It definately has a Doctor Jekyle and Mr Hyde affect on me.

If only I had the forsight and strenght of personality at a younger age to see this situation for what it is.

It does get worse. My incidents have got worse. Some incidents happened and I said to myself "wow, ok that's it, there's no way that incident can be "topped", surely that's it". Unfortunately I didn't stay stopped and surprise surprise....more incidents "happened". I feel so stuped even writing that. Did the incidents get worse? They just got different. But all with negative circumstances...

So yeah, I would kind of say to anyone young who has had some negative experiences due to alcohol: it's a red flag. It's a big red flag. A red flag is a danger sign for more potential trouble ahead. If one bad thing happens you can almost bet your kidneys on it that there will be more bad things in the future...

...and for what...

oldsoul1122

The first time 33....17 years sobriety. This time 66 and 4 months sober. Going back at my age is no option. I'm lucky I'm still here although I have health problems.

zombob

29 (for 8yrs)--42 (2yrs)--48 (1.5yrs)--52 (10mo)--53(2mo,twice and now 28days)


Hmm, kind of a pattern emerging here..... I don't count the times I was incarcerated (maybe 6yrs in bits and pieces).

GoldenSands

I am only 23 and on my 8th day sober. I know that is really young, and it sometimes makes me think "i'm too young to be an alcoholic." But my actions prove otherwise. I already have my own family and too much to live for. I've already done enough damage in 4-5 years. I grew up seeing way too much alcohol abuse and refuse to let myself dwindle down that path anymore than I already have. I have 2 little girls that need me and so yeah, I'm getting sober at age 23.

TheRake

It's really young yes...but that means you're really lucky and smart if you recognise it now and choose to leave it in the past where it belongs. I think the word "alcoholic" possibly stopped me from staying sober.....I don't know....I didn't want the "stigma"....I didn't want the "label". Bloody semantics! My red flags were there from an early age.....the red flag were to warn me of future dangers should I continue drinking alcohol. I didn't heed the red flags and the dangers that I was warned of came horrendously true...

You've had your red flags with your actions.....there likely to repeat with further consumation...

Yeah I think sober is the way to go for both of us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5T5uhd4m7c

loulou1981

34, 1 month down at the moment.......should have quit about 4 years ago!!!

wehav2day

Allyce, very similar to your experience. In retrospect, I think I started drinking alcoholicly at 29. Had some consequences at 30, but they couldn't DIRECTLY be linked to drinking, so of course it wasn't that.

Alcohol started to own me by about 32, but I pretty much held it together. Started to sober up at 37. I'd sober up six months, then for some dumb reason drink again. This cycle repeated until late my 40th year. I'm 43 now, approaching a third anniversary.

Alcohol ruled my 30s. But I'm ruling my 40's!

Rake, get your life back sooner than later. That's the only advice I've got.

resolute50

50 yo.

Been a couple years and a couple months of sobriety.
When you're younger, you do stupid things that put your life and other lives in danger.
But, then when you get older you can literally feel the alcohol killing you physically and mentally.
It was time to break the chains. I finally grew tired of wasting a perfectly good life.

aistar

31

Dee74

Woulda, shoulda coulda we've all been there

These days I figure everything I've experienced good or bad has bought me to this place so in that sense nothing's been wasted.

I got sober just before 40 - but I've done more in the last 8 years than the 20 before them.

Don't mourn yesterday so much that you miss the wonder of today

D

BBQBOY

Sober at 42 after 20 yrs of partying. Started again 4 yrs. later...that binge lasted 4 yrs. Sober again at 50....Started again at 51....sober again at 52... started again at 53....sober again at 54...etc. I am now 56 and have several months sober....not to start again!!

SoberBike

38 - it will be 2 years in January. Don't think too much and beat yourself up about your past. Place all your effort into staying sober today. I was the same way when I finally quit - why did it take me so long and so forth. I really beat myself up about my past, but finally realized that I was making a difference today. Good Luck and stay positive!!