Sober in your twenties?
 

Hello SR,

I'm on day 22, which makes me super happy! I had a good and productive day and even managed to drag my anxious butt to AA meeting. I got lost on my way there and I was a bit late (awkward), but I'm glad I made it anyway. I love listening to folks in recovery sharing their personal stories and struggles, and it helps me a great deal to be around people... But there is something that I'm concerned about; I receive a lot of 'praise' for wanting to quit at such 'young age' (-ish? I'm 25). This happens at every single meeting (I look young I guess) and tbh it drives my AV crazy, I start to think, well, maybe I could drink for a few more years and quit when I'm 30? :lmao Yes, I know it's utterly ridiculous and a very alcoholic way of thinking, but I'm worried I'm gonna convince myself to believe in this nonsense and relapse. So, I'm looking for people who successfully quit in their 20s for some strengh and inspiration. Can anyone relate?

Thank you for reading :)

I quit at 21 and didn't drink again for about 30 years.

Most of that sobriety was contented and happy in AA until I quit going which led to slacking off of my program and then sliding back into my old way of thinking.

I can totally relate! I considered quitting in my mid twenties, and gave up partly for the AV saying what you describe. I've also seen people (even on this forum) suggest that 30 is "early." It all boils down to what you know to be true about yourself and what kind of life you want. Personally, I sure wish I had stuck to my guns in my twenties and gotten sober then :)

You are wise beyond your years. I'm in my early 40's, and wish I had quit earlier.

Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you later on.

👍

Hate to be sombre but one of my good friends here died before they were 30 - you can't always count on being lucky enough to get a second chance.

You won't regret getting sober now Snuf :)

D

Thanks Dee, this is indeed something to keep in mind...

I'm sorry about your friend!

I can definitely relate. Have you tried a young peoples' meeting? It definitely helped me early on being around people closer to my own age who had significant sobriety.

Thank you Digdug, unfortunately there are no young people meetings where I live.

My current home group has a median age of about 50. But then I think about the fact that half those people have like 20 years+ sobriety, so they got sober around the same time I did. I listen closely to them, as I want to get to 20+ years too and still have a lot of life ahead of me.

one of the best AA speakers i have ever seen was a woman 42 years old who had just celebrated 28 years of recovery.

I think "young age" comments probably reflect a bit of envy among some. I knew in my twenties I should quit, and if you're doing it at 25, more power to you.

No one ever accused me of quitting early (at 41), but some people questioned it as I wasn't a public heavy drinker. There will always be comments that throw the AV into overdrive, but you can choose to not give it extra space in your head.

Stopping at 27.

I still have a life to live.

My meetings are usually half younger people and half older. We have some sober living homes nearby and the residents come to the meetings. Many of them are 19, 21, etc. We talk about having "reservations" alot. The younger members seem to suffer from more of those than the older. I'm 29 and have none. I've done enough drinking to last my whole life. I am thankful it didn't take til 40 or 50 or 60 or a premature death to get me to quit.

Alcoholism is a slow rotting illness. Cutting it off in its early stages is the best thing you can ever do!

Thanks guys, amazing responses as always. You convinced me that it’s doable. ;) I don’t know what’s so appealing with a few more years of shame and misery... I need to keep that AV chatter at bay.

I quit at 28 years. The best thing I ever did. Alcohol was destroying my health.

I quit drinking at 26 and have almost 7 months now of no alcohol.. thought I could maybe get away with recreational use of other substances but have come to see that as pointless as well.

I remember when I was in college and would hear older people talking about their glory days in youth and thinking "if college was honestly the best time of your life and everything else has been downhill from there, that's really really sad".

I don't know if I would've had another decade of drinking in me but even if I had.. what would I have been able to accomplish in that state? So I've just come to accept that the party is over, time to move on..

Same for me. I'm 35, if I can stay off the drink, I'll have nipped alcoholism in the bud before it has done me real harm. But I look back at the last 15 years of drunkenness and ask myself what good has it done for me. Nothing whatsoever. I look forward to see what the next 15 years and beyond of sobriety brings me. The party of drink is over but the party of life has just started.

I got sober at 22. I'm 58. Life is good.

-allan

the great thing i see, snufkin, is you could work the steps, recover, and be an inspiration for other young people. there are probably a lot of people in your age range in your area that are in your shoes and have felt similarly about getting sober and being young at AA meetings.
you could even start a young people AA meeting eventually.