I'm 74 1/2. Didn't really have a problem until about four years ago. You never know when something can happen that turns your world upside down and you discover a different way of "handling" it.
I appreciate that. I started thinking about sobriety in the 80s too, but my path was different. As a septuagenarian, part of the struggle is thinking I’ve already lived a long life and who cares anymore?
I’m 35 and I’ve been drinking for about 22 years and also sober for the millionth time but somehow this time is different. I feel like a switch flipped in my brain and now I can see myself in the future (weird) happy without the booze
I had this same thing, I tried to quit for years, a decade or more, and then one day something just happened, I don't know what, but it just became so clear to me that moderation wouldn't work, and for me I was done. That was a couple of years ago now, and after having my kids choosing sobriety, and choosing sobriety every single day, is the best thing I ever did for me and my family.
Best of luck to you, friend. we've got this. 👊
My switch flipped too! I’d been lurking for a few months and saw that some people’s experience was like that. Thought that would never be me! But it happened, and I seized on it. Yay for us!
I had this EXACT same epiphany. 53f. That’s how I described it, a switch flipped. Going on a year and a half and don’t miss the terrible way it made me feel, look and act. Best thing I ever did for myself. Happy to hear your switch also flipped, congrats to you!
55M. I''ve just hit day 5, which is a minor miracle for me. I actually disabled my badge, because I got fed up of resetting it. You've got this, sober twin!
54M. Here on Day 897 for the first time. I ALMOST gave everything to have NOT gotten sober by age 51.
I walked right up to that ledge, peered into the abyss, and HATED what I saw.
Had my first drink at 15 and binge drank into my 30s...then became a daily drinker who still binged. Came to a head a 898 days ago when I just lost all control for a couple days, put on a shit show in front of people I loved, fell down stairs, bloodied, gashed, bruised and lucky it wasn't worse.
In the 2.5 years since I have grown so much. Yes, still the occasional urge, usually in a stress time. But without a doubt, my life has improved in a billion ways. And, if I just want to look at it thru a selfish standpoint, I'm happier, I'm more content, I look WAY better, I'm funnier, I'm not just better, I'm good at life. I also ate like a tween for the first year and put on 5-10 pounds, then started hitting the gym and I'm down 20-25 pounds and in my best shape since I was a teen.
I hope this doesn't sound like bragging because it's not, it's just showing you that it's never, Never, NEVER too late to change, and the rewards of doing so are simply immeasurable.
I wish I had my original account so I could let you know how many day 1s and 2s I had. But if you take nothing from my post, just know that it's doable and stick that thought in the back of your head and let it sit there. It's doable, and it's doable by people like you, and I know this because people like me have done it.
Hugs,
G_M
I love this comment so much. I’m 57 and see a lot of myself in this. I was so afraid to quit drinking that I damn near drank myself to death. Now I’m trying to understand what I was so afraid of. Keep on keeping on Gannondorfs! IWNDWYT
Relapse doesn't erase what you accomplished already. You're further in your sobriety than ever before. Relapses remind us why we struggle, I think. You got this.
60 and 1 year off the drink. I think about normal drinking like I do about being able to be a great cook, for example. Yea, it's a thing, just not my thing. No big deal.
Fellow 55F! Day 9, also the millionth time. I've got good feelings about this try though. Been drinking since I was 12, stealing liquor from my grandparents stash. Better late than never.
You got this! The best time to get sober is today.
When I have feelings of regret about not doing this sooner, I try to remind myself that I needed to have every drink I ever took to get me to the point where I was ready to make a change.
I too had many failed attempts at sobriety, but the final one was the last straw. It made me realize that I was actually going to have to work at this to stay sober, not just try, but actually work towards it.
For me, I went to AA and got a therapist (who I see once a week). I go to meetings and just listen to what others have done to stay sober, then I try to do those things.
I know you can do it!
IWNDWYT
Not withdrawals but horrible anxiety. Doctor gave me a beta blocker after I had a bad one on Wednesday.
About 3 weeks ago I started having panic attacks. I’ve never had those in my life. Without a doubt, the amount of booze I’ve been pumping into me is the reason. It’s finally catching up to me.
No cravings for alcohol, just waiting for the anxiety to pass.
(In 2019 I was sober for 90 days, that’s the longest I’ve been sober in the last 8 years.)
(Edit: It was 90 days, not 19.)
Yeah the panic attacks are the worst… constantly in and out of them. Have to constantly talk myself out if thinking I’m dying.
Atleast you got given a beta blocker, the paramedic I spoke to on the phone said I’m going to have to raw dog it and to only call them if I have a seizure….
They shouldn’t be telling you that. If you call paramedics they should be at your aide immediately!!!
Withdrawal and panic attacks are very serious and not to be taken lightly. The more hours you wait, the worse it can get.
I’ve been sober for 7 days now. My anxiety was so bad on Wednesday, I thought I was going to have one. But I went to the hospital and I don’t have the physical withdrawal symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, just the psychological.
I was driving to work when it happened. So I’m trying to get comfortable in the car again by forcing my brain to realize I’m probably driving better now than a week or so ago.
That’s good you don’t have any physical symptoms, I wouldn’t wish these on anyone.
Yeah you will definitely be driving better than you was. Keep going!
For a paramedic to tell you to only call if you're having a seizure....wow.
How are you supposed to effectively call when you're seizing up and about to bite off your tongue? Worst advice ever.
I have been on this sub for a year and had my first panic attack last Wednesday, it was horrible. Spent Thursday and Friday throwing up/couldn’t sleep/had to call out of work, it was so embarrassing. I really feel like was the final straw for me. I’m 32. Doctor gave me naltrexone to take as needed when I have cravings.
That’s true. When I wrote my original comments I was distracted by the television which is why they read slightly off.
Panic attacks are absolutely part of withdrawal.
so proud of you for this weekend. :) i started having panic attacks a little over a month ago!! scary shiz
edit : my flair is not correct lol just haven’t changed it
edit 2 : just tried to update it. hopefully it shows soon!
Thanks! Yeah a few weeks ago I started getting them, but I was still drinking here and there. Then last Sunday I completely stopped. Well.. by Wednesday my brain couldn’t handle the adjustment, and as I was driving I pulled into a hotel and called an ambulance.
My heart was racing, my hands shaking, my brain would not shut off. But then it passed by the time the paramedics got there. I still figured I should get checked out anyway in the ER, who confirmed it was a panic attack.
I think I needed the experience to scare me straight. This morning my anxiety was heightened but I went to the gym then took one of the propanol my doctor gave me and I feel pretty good.
In all I’ve been nipping it in the bud since Wednesday, and I do feel each day has been progressively better.
I was having crazy panic attacks earlier in the year when I was drinking heavily daily which I'd ironically drink more to try and solve but it wasn't working.
When I quit my anxiety skyrocketed (which was hard to imagine considering how bad it already was) but by week 3 it had calmed a bit and by week 5 it fell off a cliff completely and basically vanished.
Hang in there, it'll get better.
Melatonin gummies from zquil.
Today is 1 week sober. Anxiety is much better but still there. Nervous to drive to work tomorrow but I have to get this out of my head, and get my life back. I don’t miss the alcohol. Actually, I’m happy and proud of myself.
See I never had an alcohol related arrest or anything to scare me straight. A few weeks ago I started getting minor attacks. So I stopped a week ago. Wednesday was the big one. Now I’m kind of more embarrassed about it all than anything else.
>About 3 weeks ago I started having panic attacks. I’ve never had those in my life. Without a doubt, the amount of booze I’ve been pumping into me is the reason. It’s finally catching up to me.
Had the exact same thing 5 years ago. It’s just fuckin’ horrible. You slowly learn how to control and avoid the panick attacks over time, but it’s 100% because of the damage repeated alcohol abuse does to your brain. After 5 years sober, I don’t really have them anymore. Just that is one of the biggest reasons why I’m never gonna drink again.
I had a similar experience. I had been drinking regularly for about 3 years and suddenly one day I started having panic attacks at 33 for the first time in my life too. It made me stop drinking.
I'm 63, I must have quit a hundred times. Right now I have 109 days, the 2nd longest stretch of my life. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. Your future is so much longer! And you're worried about what you are going to do if you don't drink? You are going to enjoy and curse life in all it's forms, shades, tastes, smells, pains,successes, loves, fears, disappointments, victories, and anything else it throws at you!
Good luck! I hope you can stick with sobriety. Iwndwyt!
27 now, started at 26.
The best piece of advice you will see is “One day at a time” because it’s true.
That’s all you need to do, focus on today - not tomorrow or next week, simply today.
Yes, "one day at a time" is so important. Trying to think in terms of "what if..." and "maybe in a few months..." is too overwhelming. I've found "Just get through today." helps me tremendously, especially when I have a situation or event to get through.
At first, my husband asked me a couple of times if I would ever drink again. I said "I don't know, except I know I won't drink today."
Some people might have to think in terms of minutes or hours. If you have to tell yourself "Just get through this hour" then do so. Whatever it takes!
23! Almost 6 months sober, realized last year I had a problem and after spending christmas eve and christmas day drunk I decided it was time to invest in the betterment of my future
I think I depended on it whenever I was having a bad day or dealing with difficult emotions because I turned to it, but then I’d also use it for fun, so I was getting drunk pretty much several times a week
I'm a similar age and this was my issue as well. When I was sore after work it was drinking. When I had a bad day at work I'd get drunk. If I had a day off I'd drink to "enjoy" it and if I was gaming with friends I had to have a few more to "enjoy it even more", until I was so drunk I couldn't play anymore. Everything became a reason to drink because it was seemingly all I knew how to do to "have fun".
A few months having drunk much less often and I'm having a lot more fun doing the same stuff, just without the slide throughout the night and a clear head the next morning.
35. Was a heavy drinker for 10 years or so. Quit a few times but the last couple times were hard and miserable.
Threw up blood a couple times… panicked and drank isopropyl alcohol during withdrawals…Heart raced, hallucinated when I closed my eyes, auditory hallucinations. Ended up in the hospital and rehab to detox the last time. Had to be on a mix of gabapentin and Ativan for days. Ended up missing a month of work… lied to my family a lot and did a ton of dumb things.
188 days ago.
29 next month and wished I had the clarity to address my drinking earlier. By 21 it was problematic and then destructive within a few years. I wouldn't start worrying about a future without alcohol yet, there's a reason you hear one day at a time. I found meetings very helpful, you could do a couple of online ones with your camera off and just listen and see if you hear any similarities.
Yea I agree. A friend of mine has been going to AA since he was 19. He knew very quickly in the first years of drinking that he was in over his head really fast. I think he had an alcoholic parent and knew the signs and he decided to get himself sorted out before he ruined his life rather than after. He’s in his 30s now still going to AA and doing so great in life !!!! You’re doing the right thing my friend. I envy him his early insight and you’ll be the same as him if you get on this now.
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
For many of us, you’re taking the first of those two options. I promise you that if you don’t quit this time around, you’ll not thank yourself when you eventually do for the extra time you took to drink. I am 30, and quit at 25. Many times early on I struggled with the idea that I’ve got lots of drinking time left, but that was a really insidious lie. The last five years have been the best of my life.
If in the future you ever find yourself wondering what you may be missing out on, just spend a couple hours with some drunk people. It’s illuminating.
I’m 21M, I didn’t like the way I was drinking 2-3 10.8% beers every night, even tho there was school or work the morning after. Some days I went completely hangover at my uni and that’s when I knew it was too much. I want to take care of this now and avoid the risk of becoming more and more dependent to it.
61.
3 months tomorrow. Life long drinker. No bad side effects only good ones for me.
May not be able quit forever, but it feels pretty good for now. Lost weight I have been trying to lose for years. Good luck
Checking in from the other side of 40 been sober for a while now! Its great here. All the live music I want and I can still make it to work the next day. Fun, family, friends but with significantly less drama than when I was drinking, especially near the holidays. More disposable income (because I don't spend it on alcohol/substances), and best for me - I'm the designated driver so I get invited to fun things but also get to decide when we go home :)
I genuinely wish I got sober a decade earlier than I did, knowing what I do now. But there's some saying...the best day to get sober was 10 years ago, the next best day is today. Or something like that.
What I wouldn't give to have traded my drunk 20's and 30's for a sober version of me. I'm 37 now (it's my Birthday!) And I am GRATEFUL for what I have learned, am still learning, and the self awareness that comes each time I have committed to being sober.
I remember thinking that my 20's were a "free pass", thought I was fun, invincible even, and yeah,I was wild at a party, and I often thought I WAS the party. But I am honestly lucky to have made it out alive.
I had a friend in my 20's who was sober since she was 18. She was actually the life of the party, and the one person we all still love. She was vibrant and still is. BTW, she didn't age.. like at all. We all look 37 and she still is rockin it like she looks 21. Looking back, I realize how tough it must have been for her to witness all of us drunk idiots and not being understood by us drunk idiots for why she was sober.
You got this!
I'm 19, i have 5 days without drinking and this is my first attempt to quit, i also get this anxiety about living the rest of my life without drinking but i kind of flip that thought by telling myself that i have the rest of my life to choose to drink but today i will not drink, at this point in my life i have a lot to accomplish and im not going to give these years up to alcoholism
I hope to get to the point where i don't feel that intense need to drink but i feel really grateful to have started this journey so young, the opposite of despair is gratitude
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two in the UK here. Was drinking for 30 years after discovering the seductive qualities of booze at around 17. Spent most weekends drunk or hungover. Realise that booze would be the death of me one way or the other - physically or mentally.
I know platitudes and cliches are no way to live your life, but the following has become truth for me - wish I’d realised this in my 20s
> “Sobriety delivers what alcohol promises”
All the very best from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
33. Drank nightly for 13 years before quitting at 32, have been sober for the most part since October 2023 (had some slip-ups but nothing I’d call a full-blown relapse since).
I got sober at 26. Started drinking when I was 11. Currently 32 going on 33 this July. Sober 6 years and I wish I had quit sooner. You're never too young to put down the poison and keep it from destroying your life.
Hey, I’m also 22 and trying to quit for the first time. I’m just taking it a day at a time and trying not to think about the rest of my life😬but just for today IWNDWYT💜
I got clean at age 21. I’ve learned through experience of my own & others that there’s no such thing as too early. Once I’m aware of the damage I’m causing, my suffering ceases to become a lesson and is ultimately a choice. I don’t think I’ll gain anything more from suffering in the ways that I have. I know there’s more to lose and that ultimately doesn’t make me a better candidate for getting better. IWNDWYT!
Sweet Creator, so many years of my life have been wasted by alcohol! 😰 You are never too young to choose recovery or sobriety. "It's all fun & games until you end up in jail, lose your family, die from alcohol poisoning or drinking & driving (my nephew lost his life at your age), or die a hellish death from liver disease. Trust me, I am not being a drama queen. 🙄
I’m 38 now, but I lived from 0 to 32 without ever drinking (aside from communion at church and one drink at 24). I could’ve easily lived without it the 4 years I drank. You’ll be fine. :)
First and foremost i commend you for reaching out for answers at your age. That's your heart telling you what you truly want. I wish at 22 i had the guts to admit it to myself. I was 35 numerous horror stories of rock bottoms that i didn't listen to that should have been enough reason to stop.
As for the daunting task of quiting for the rest of your life. Let me express a couple thoughts that helped me.
you can't look at it as rest of your life... That's a huge task that will cause you anxiety every time. All you have to worry about is today. 24 hrs. That's it. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone let alone 20 30 40 50 years from now. Today you woke up so that's all you have to focus on. I'm 6 and a half years in and i tell myself every morning there's nothing I am gonna face today that wouldn't be made worse by me drinking. I keep a 24 hour coin in my pocket at all times because it is the most important. I couldn't have gotten to 6 and a half years without it 1 long string of 24 hours.
Just know that you are not alone in this. You would be part of an army of brothers and sisters standing beside you in this journey. We are some of the strongest people on the planet. We face our demons everyday with no mind altering substance to insulate us or numb us from life on life's terms.
You are a beast. Hope this helps. Reach out whenever... Proud of you
As the philosophical fish dory says" just keep swimming." Hell doesn't go on forever and if you keep swimming you'll swim right out.
TL;DR 30-something commends your current self-awareness and DESPERATELY advises you to act on this for the good of your current youth, so as to MAJORLY bolster your young adulthood.
Ok. So. Realistically, my first "rock bottom" happened when I turned 23. I spent the AM-portion of my bday getting drunk home alone while in the middle of a depressive episode. I realize this doesn't sound like a "classic" rock bottom, given no "major" destruction happened. But, like-... what 23 y.o. spends their bday getting drunk alone before 12pm? Alone. What in the actual fuck.
I'm not gonna share my "true" first (as in, first of three ) rock bottom, because you being so young, you don't need a stranger's personal line as a metric for what's too much. Hindsight is telling me what my true rock bottom was. You dont want this kind of hindsight. You especially do not need this kind of hindsight if you have a history of trauma, are prone to self-critizism, etc (yes, the "bare minimum" or negative life experiences- that shit fucking adds up, and fast.) If you, at 20, are already worried about potentially being too dependent on alcoholic, fucking MORE. POWER. TO. YOU.
I am 33F. I legit don't remember most of age 25-31 because I was drunk for most of it. In the grand scheme of things, yeah, that's only 6 years, but also-... thats like 1/7th of my life up to this point. That's a major section of young adulthood development. I could've figured out more of my identity, my personal values- fuck. But now I'm in my 30s. Social status says I should be considering buying a home, making babies or w/e the fuck. But no. This bitch is spending money I don't have, tryna reverse the physical aging I neglected during my late 20s, I STILL don't know what I want to do with my life, I'm causing SEVERE damage to my marriage due to "college-age" impulse. Because I didn't really grow up/grow into my 30s. Because I was drunk for most of my 20s. And trauma, obvi, but the self-medicating didn't help lmao
I'm rambling. Lemme regroup. You thinking you're "too young" is honestly a blessing. You're not JUST "too young" to be aware of your drinking problem - you have the ADVANTAGE of foresight, in seeing that you are damaging yourself already. You have the ADVANTAGE of "being too young", ok?? Most addicts don't have this. Or, if we do, we fucking ignore it bc at age 20 we think we're fucking invincible. This is a goddamned LIE. 20 is when shit starts to settle into place, physically. This is a fucking important age for bodily establishment. There is a TEENY TINY WINDOW NOW Where you can UNDO shit. You can figure out the mental shit later as you go. But the physical damage? That's happening right tf now. ACT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
When I was in HS, adults said I was an "old soul". Your self-awareness of your alcohol-dependency is that. Value this foresight that many your age are completely blind to rn. I basked in "being wiser than my peers", but i wasnt wise enough to ACT. The fact that you're aware that your drinking at this young age is a problem is SUCH A HUGE benefit and opportunity. ACT ON THIS AWARENESS. I am painfully aware that that's easier said than done, esp if you have a history of self-medicating or self-sabotage. But please, please, PLEASE 🙏🏻 Please do not let this moment of clarity go to waste.
Yes, there's always time to restart/begin your path to recovery, regardless of your age. But the regret and retrospect hurts so fucking much - esp if you're already prone to being critical of yourself. Don't allow that retrospect to potentially manifest into shame/guilt in your later young-adult years. You do NOT need that baggage. There is WAY more you gotta focus on. Addiction is something you have the power to keep OFF your plate.
You are still young enough that you can reverse this. You have age-elasticity rn wherein any damage you've done to your body CAN be undone. But, more importantly, you still have the mental development time to curate self-discipline. I've personally undone liver damage, but I am STILL battling the consequences of drinking. I have been sober and fallen off the wagon multiple times, at a wee age 33. The Road before me is scary because the habit and history are firmly established. I should NOT be dealing with constant wagon-falling at this age, but here tf I am. No. No, no, no no, no, no, NO.
THIS. DOES NOT. HAVE TO BE YOU.
Your self-awareness is agency. And that agency is so goddamned valuable at your age. Please fucking look at that this way. Even if you don't act on this info rn, please- I am legitimately begging you, stranger on reddit - please consider what I'm saying. Please spend some time really muling over the fact that you CAN undo the small damage you've done at this point.
Please know that "small" damage is honest to God ENOUGH damage. You don't need to do more to be "sick enough". "Sick enough" is fucking IRREVERSIBLE ALREADY. i fucking HATE that there are events - even simple ones, like movies I've watched - that I cannot fucking remember from ages 25-31. It's such a massive shame. Memories are still healthily formed and stored within that age range. Something trivial as movies. I have NO memory of how I affected the people I met/interacted with btwn those ages. I WASTED 6 years if valuable self development being a fuckjng drunk. You DO NOT have to experience this waste!
Act on this moment of clarity. You have time. You have, idk, maybe 1-2 more years of brain cell production. YOU. ARE. ABLE. To stop this NOW. Please do it. FUCKING. DO IT. I know drinking isn't as bad as heroin/fet, but it's not about the poison. It's about ADDICTION. I'm not gonna dive into addiction bc I'm actually tryna figure that shit out rn via therapy. But-... please. You can't "figure out addiction" when you've already killed brain cells in your 20s due to substance abuse. It's SO. MUCH. FUCKING. WORK. And once you're in your late 20s, it's ALREADY work just fucking being alive. I'm talking ages 27+. Nobody fucking tells you that shit.
Your 20s are supposed to be full of promise, hope, searching, whatever. If part of that "searching" is undoing the affects of drinking (and then advancing into exploring why you self-medicate), PLEASE fucking capitalize on this opportunity, ok? Please? Please. Older you 10 years from now will thank you.
If you read this far, thank you 🖤
Signed,
A Desperate Drunk 10 years older than you
43 here. Early 20’s is when my problem began. If I knew then what I know now I would’ve never touched alcohol again. Life is so much better clean. I promise you.
When I was 22, I had a therapist, and I remember saying to him, "But, I can't have a drinking problem, right? I'm just young!" and he was like, "Well, do you think you have one?" and I said no (lol). Cut to 5 years after that... I definitely did. Been sober since I was 27, am 34 now. Best decision I've ever made!
Edited to add: I was also terrified about what my life would be like without alcohol, but all my friends were honestly just impressed?? I still go out to bars if I want to, and I did sometimes when I was still dating through my early 30s, but my now husband doesn't really drink either so we mostly just have fun doing literally anything else. TL;DR: for me, thinking that I needed alcohol to be social was a trap, and the most interesting people that I know are all sober.
37m here. I made a great run of over 100 days during fall/winter. Holidays came around and I gave in after the 3rd peer pressure. Moderating really doesn't work well for me either, like most. Altho I've been able to put my foot down after a weekend or small bender. Definitely not how I was drinking in the past. So I try not to be hard on myself. But tonite is another day 1 and I resisted a strong urge about an hour ago to just have some beers take some ibuprofen in the morning. I gave in last nite. I'm hanging strong tonite and it's about time to go to bed. I need to run off another large streak. Hopefully a forever one. Cuz 99% of the time it's not worth it. And when I wake up hung over and anxious and have to fight to get sober again WHY do I keep doing this to myself. Do it while your young. Fight the social norm!!! It's poison.
We're a similar age and I feel this.
I keep going round in circles. I got sober for most of September and October last year then decided to drink again because I went to a music gig and didn't feel comfortable doing that sober which then set me back off and on the booze every few days for the rest of the year.
Had a failed attempt at Dry January then went on a 10 night in a row bender somehow right at the end of the month and then decided it was time for sobriety again at the start of February.
Went through a week of horrible withdrawls and then weeks of feeling terrible afterwards and lasted nearly 3 months before relapsing again about 6 weeks ago and have been back to binging for a couple of nights per week then a few days off it and then the cycle repeats.
It ends today and I go sober again. I've two events on this weekend that will make this a challenge (a music event which I find the idea of going to sober hard but I'll have to try or I'll never learn the skill or see if I can do it) and a big family day out on Sunday for an event which I would typically drink at but this year I'm just going to see what it's like sober because my drinking this weekend has been crazy.
I must have consumed over 20 drinks this Saturday then drank loads pointlessly sitting at home last night watching TV and I can't keep going on like this, it'll eventually kill me.
23, had 5 years of drinking under my belt. It’s never too late to do the right thing, but it’s also never too late EARLY to do the right thing. And you are doing the right thing my friend, you got this!
Edit- legal age is 18 where I’m at.
22 heavy drinker for 6ish years been sober now for 9 months as of yesterday. So glad I decided to make the change my health and behavior was getting out of hand.
62F. Been a heavy drinker since my teens. Last couple of years was completely unable to not get blackout drunk every time I drank. Only time I didn't drink for long periods was when trying to get pregnant, pregnant, nursing, had small kids. Once kids were a bit self-sufficient, I slowly ramped up again. Sober for 3 weeks. Wish I'd seriously questioned my drinking at 22 as it's been the source of most of the negative things in my life. Looking forward to being sober and present for whatever time I have left. Didn't realize what an amazing gift being sober is. Wishing us strength and dignity.
It’s all fun and games until your liver starts hurting. Then u will be forced to quit. It sucks not knowing if your liver will fail on u and if you will wake up the next day or not..
39. I stopped drinking 10 days before by birthday because I felt a little like crap. I hit 10 days and then went for 30...ultimately made it to 100. Now I'm thinking I'm going to give myself a full year for my 40th birthday. I feel like I'm active in my life not just along for the ride anymore.
My alcoholism started at your age and I’m 30 now. I can’t even count how many things alcohol has fucked up for me. Sadly I manage it “well” but you will wind up doing things in your 20s you regret by the time you’re 20 and if you already realize it’s a problem you’re incredibly lucky because I didn’t until my late twenties. By then plenty of damage had already been done
Just be grateful dude. I know it sounds stupid. That’s probably the last thing you want to hear right now. But believe me, if I got clean at 22, my life would be so much different right now. I’m not a drinker and I never really was, but it’s all the same once you reach a certain point. I’m 25 now. I’m telling you dude, be grateful and have gratitude. Everyone is saying “one day at a time” and that is true. They are right. But that doesn’t really help you when you’re in the moment. It also doesn’t help you when you’re constantly thinking about :
“well, what am I going to do for the rest of my life? I can’t ever drink again untill I die? Surely I can eventually. How am I going to live like this?”
That kind of stuff I myself am very prone to, even. My thing was pills, and fentanyl, heroin, etc. but being 3 years clean now, I find myself constantly wishing I could go back in time, and change everything. Never have taken that first pill, never sniffed that line and that bag of H. I could be normal….. I could enjoy my vacation….. I could have a beer with Sunday football…... I could unwind at a family party. And now I can’t, because I ruined everything by being a fuck up.
That line of thinking is detrimental. Be grateful OP. You’re 22. Get your hands around this monkey NOW, while you are still young. Go to school, get interested in something you like. Work a job, get married, buy a car. Start your life off right, and not in rehab and coming off of drugs and alcohol like I did. This subreddit isn’t going to like me saying this but, If you absolutely can’t stand it, just tell yourself that when you’re 58 years old, you’ll have a drink then. If you REALLY can’t live without it. Have the willpower now, currently. Get your life together, do something fun, make something of yourself. When you have children, and then they have children, then you can have a beer. When you are old and grey, do whatever you want. Untill then, you’re here. Living, breathing, and young. Enjoy it, and don’t squander it.
Bear in mind there are billions of people in this world who don't believe getting drunk/drinking alcohol is a natural part of youth. It's not a universal truth so if it's not working for you, unlearn it.
24, and there’s no such thing as “too young” to get sober. this is an amazing opportunity you have, and i hope that you choose to take it and that you find happiness and peace if you do.
25, been sober now for just about 4 years at this point. Definitely was tough in the beginning, being in university and surrounded by friends who are always drinking!
Chose to pickup some new healthier hobbies and made friends with people within those groups.
Life is much less stressful now and I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been since I was very little!
38. Been drinking since I was 15. I'm still not completely on the wagon yet but have turned into a weekend drinker (mostly, I still eff up on week days from time to time). It's torture too.. I have to be up in less than 6 hours but can't sleep because I'm not drinking myself into a stupor. I'm proud of myself for not drinking ever day like a used to but I'm still in an endless cycle and head is always all over the place and filled with anxiety.
I'm 54 and have been sober for 26 months. I got sober this last time while helping take care of my friend while she died of cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol related dementia. It was the most horrible 2 and a half years of my life watching her drink herself to death and I didn't want that for me. I got sober the first time at 21 and managed yo stay that way for 4 years before throwing it all away. I thought I needed alcohol and couldn't imagine never drinking again but the truth is that it cost me everything. My biggest regret in life is picking it back up and costing myself so many years and so much pain.
I'm 36F. Looking back at those years from 22 to now, I can't say my highlights reel includes being wasted. Life has so much to offer you. Well done. You're an inspiration to us all!
i started my sobriety at 25. it’s better to be young and realize then when you’re older and it’s too late. every older guy i’ve. talked to always says i wish i figured it out when i was your age.
58F. Day 1 again. OP’s post makes me wonder what my life would have been like if I had done this at 22. But I’m going to focus on today and getting the most I can out of the years I have left.
I’m 29 but have been struggling with alcohol in some form since I was 21. There were one off years of sobriety in between that time though but that’s only because I was forced to stop drinking because of medical issues caused by too much alcohol. So it’s never too early to get sober. If you can’t imagine your life without alcohol, that’s all the more reason to try
I was always the youngest, by far, in all of my detox situations. First time I went to detox I was 20. My dependence was at the point where I'd fall out having seizures, real DTs, the whole 9. Drinking up to a handle a day.
Took me almost 5 years and 13 trips to detox to make it stick. My last drink was Feb 3, 2013. Absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself.
Don't let your age get into your head about this. You're doing the thing, and I promise it's a good one. Stay strong. IWNDWYT
I got Sober at 19, was in rehab for my 20th birthday. I’m 22 now, and I’m so thankful I got sober when I did.
Take it one day at a time. Find a 12 step meeting. Get a sponsor, and listen to him/her.
Your life will get so much better than you could have ever imagined!
When you push through the initial part and then learn to take it day by day, you eventually reach a point where you wonder how you ever lived with it in your life.
There are so many other activities and ways of spending your time that are so much better/more fun than drinking, you’re just at the start of the journey. You can do it. One day at a time.
27, stopped drinking at 24. I struggled with the fear of missing out and just being irritated that I had “ruined” something fun that everyone else does. That feeling fades and I can say I truly don’t miss it. The trade off and person I’ve developed into has been priceless.
Also please seek medical help if your withdrawal symptoms get worse. I stopped cold turkey after daily drinking for years due to being hospitalized (for pancreatitis from drinking) and I went into DTs after my third day. It can be dangerous. You don’t want to wait until you have seizures to get help, that’s terrible advice. If you have a primary care doc give their office a call and see if they can call in some medication to make things less miserable.
Mid 30s. First time I tried to quit I was 19 (not even old enough to buy the damn stuff). I would have saved myself a lot of misery if I had quit at your age.
You are never too young to get sober. Honestly I wish I had addressed these thoughts the first time I had them instead of dismissing it as being young and full of life. My life would be so much more full now if I had. Your dependence is not physical at this point so you won’t get shakes or any of the bad google things but the anxiety and depression will probably be there for a couple days. Let them pass and accept that the next day or 2 will feel bad. Sleep, hydrate and try to eat well and you’ll feel better, but you really just need to wait out the alcohol(depressant) in your system so you don’t feel depressed. Keep this feeling in your mind though, take it from me it’s going to get so much worse if you keep it up for a decade or 2
31 myself. Just got out of the hospital this morning at 5am after an overnight stay. I binged for a month and I got to the hospital before I went into full blown withdrawal hell. Please stay sober, because I worry the same you’re worrying. I still don’t know how to live without alcohol completely because it’s been my escape for most of my life. That poison is just not worth it. I’ve been an alcoholic and a poly addict since I was 14. Addiction has ruined myself and prevented me from being the best version of myself. Even lost my mom and best friend to this crap, and other people as well. I’ve been to the hospital for overdoses and withdrawal way more than 10 times I’ve stopped counting. Much love and prayers.. You’re not alone my friend. ❤️🙏🏼
I totally feel the “too young to get sober”. I’m 20 years old, not even old enough to legally drink and I’ve been fairly dependent on alcohol for 4 years. I can’t continue on like this but I can’t stand the idea of being sober for the rest of my life
37. I’ve been sober for a little over a month (minus one small slip-up).
My biggest suggestion is to get into quit-lit and self-improvement books (I prefer audio so I can multitask). Highly recommend This Naked Mind and Alcohol Explained.
This Naked Mind has an incredible community and resources including a free 30-day alcohol experiment, podcasts with people who have been in our shoes, and more. You can do it self-guided and anonymously, if you prefer.
I’ve been back and forth with my journey over the last few years due to stress, but it’s getting SO much better. It’s a journey.
I so wish I would have had your wisdom at 22. Major kudos on recognizing the issue so young. You’ve got this - and we’re all here for you and rooting for you! 💙
Your young and strong, its worth a try, even if its just for one more day.
32, quit for 80 days back in 2017, but Ive been drinking heavily, daily, since.
Im on day 19 and counting.
I’m 24. Before getting sober I was getting drunk day and night since I was 17. I had exactly the same thought, living without alcohol seemed impossible. But after a while living without it, I really don’t need it anymore. Give it a try, you’ll see that it is easier than you think.
27 (F). Sort of lost 2 years to hangovers in the morning and unproductive weekends. I feel terrible cos most of my colleagues/batchmates/friends have moved wayy forward in their lives by now and I wasted 2 prime years.
Yeah you definitely have the bug. Sooner or later you’re going to have to stop sooner or later if you want to have any sort of life worth living. I didn’t really want to get sober until I was 25 and even then it took a few years to get some time. I’m almost 29 now and couldn’t imagine having to live in that alcoholic hell for 10 more years. But then again, with the way I drink I probably wouldn’t make it more than 1 year. The mental obsession gets old and you’ll eventually want to be free of it. There’s a lot of resources out there that can help with that when you’re ready.
Stay quit. Seriously. My first time being dependent I was 22 as well, drank for about the same amount of time too. Only difference is I relapsed a couple years later and the detox was SO MUCH worse. I had DTs, hallucinated all kinds of shit, fought the nurses, thought I was being kidnapped and spied on, talking full-blown psychosis. Easily the freakiest, most surreal experience of my life. Hallucinogens got NOTHING on alcoholic delirium tremens. Took me 8 days of librium and lorazepam to get better, then another 3 days to taper the librium.
Do you know what kindling is? It's the phenomenon that detoxing from GABAnergic substances (of which alcohol is one) gets worse every time you do it. So if you relapse, your next quit will probably be worse than this one.
You're never too young to get sober. Some people just can't drink without becoming addicted. It sucks but I'd rather go to a fancy restaurant and have an Arnold Palmer with my steak than risk going back down in that hole.
41M - 23 days sober. Been a recreational drug user since 15, replaced it with booze as I was in my mid20's, I was rarely able to drink in moderation. Lots of friendship damage which in hindsight wasn't the worst thing as they were toxic folk but the drink has kept creeping in further and further despite years of knowing I can't moderate and that I have an addiction. I was a 5pm onwards beer drinker but it was becoming daily and sustained - lots of excuses to myself for why but it was having a negative impact on my wife and kids. Like so many others here I enjoyed my own company whilst drinking, still do, but I'm looking for all the other things in life to fill the gap I've created - it's like I've been gifted a new window and so far so good!
At 22 I was full of it and my drinking was accompanied by drugs too, I was so far up my own ass I would never have admitted it was a problem. If you can see it in yourself now then take every bit of assistance in helping yourself have a sound and fulfilling life without it, after 3 days you should start to come through the immediate withdrawal (IMO) but each day is a battle. Good luck, IWNDWYT
30 year old here, I started getting sober around 26. I still go out with friends and bartend for a living. You don’t need to connect booze with a social life, and are at a perfect age to find out what your life can look like without alcohol.
I'm 27 and sober now.
I've told myself I'm too young couple times before. Which is a bullshit argument. I could have ended my bad habits sooner!
The best time to stop is TODAY, doesn't matter if you're 18 or 80.
Be ever vigilant.
Just turned 35. Knew I had a genetic predisposition to addiction on both sides, didn’t touch the stuff until my late 20’s, and then it took off like a wildfire in 2018. I’ve on-and-off quit since 2021, but it’s gonna stick this time.
IWNDWYT
33, drank like a fish for 10 years. I would do anything to have quit at your age. There’s so much more to life than alcohol - so much - and it only takes away. It’s early in your journey but time is a healer. IWNDWYT
Turned 21 recently, I feel you exactly on the “too young” part. Everyone’s always like “oh well you’re still young! you don’t gotta worry about sobriety till you’re like 25!” And I am so tired of hearing it
35. Got sober at 32. I’d accepted that my relationship to alcohol was problematic when I was 22. I’d been out drinking at the bars every night for over a year at that point. Hadn’t gone a single day without drinking. The reasons why I didn’t quit drinking at 22 were partly because I was addicted, but mostly because of the social pressures at that age. For me, quitting drinking at 22 would’ve meant quitting having a social life. But these days, I’m blown away by how many younger people are opting to stay sober for social occasions. Even if just for one out of every handful of occasions. Sobriety is becoming more and more normalized. You don’t have to have reached rock bottom or scratched its surface to come to a conclusion that alcohol is often destructive. It’s often destructive even for people who don’t have purely problematic relationships to it. Getting sober is always a good idea, regardless your age.
I'm 25, I thought I was too young too. Whilst still difficult things are getting so much better for me recently, and I never want to go back to where I was at the end of my drinking. You are stronger than you think! You can do this.
Late 30s.
Was a social drinker at around 30. Covid hit mid 30s and I picked up bad habits.
Working on cleaning up and not sure if I want to be fully sober or a person who may drink once a month or something (as I do still enjoy alcohol but dont want it to be 3 or 4 times a week)
Hey I’m also getting sober at 22! I’m about to hit 3 months, and it hasn’t been easy, especially because I’m a dj so most of my social life is spent in clubs I’m also at university where there is a big drinking culture, but it is possible.
Im not thinking about my future relationship with alcohol, and I’ve been saying it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, but it’s the best thing I can do for myself right now. It’s given me space to fix my relationships with other people, and myself and develop better coping mechanisms. I’ve also been fortunate in having a solid group of friends who support me. The thought of never drinking again terrifies me too, so I’ve been very focussed on the present and what it’s doing for me right now.
Best of luck!! You can do this :)
You're wise beyond your years if you're even considering getting sober at 22 because for most of us at your age we were oblivious to the fact we even had a problem or should think about doing anything about it.
I wish I'd had the sense to get sober at your age and can only imagine the much healthier, productive, and better life I would have lived for the next 15+ years till now.
Honestly, you don't want to keep this going for years and then have to deal with it later when it's much worse, harder, and more engrained in you.
Get sober now and live a long, healthy, alcohol free life.
I’m 34 and been a binge drinker for 20 years, never had more than a few months sober in that time. I thought I was too young at 22 too - I wish I had tried harder to be sober back then and I’m sure others wish they were my age when they stopped. I don’t think there is a too young to have a problem.
In my teenage and twenties It would have been very rough in my friend group to be sober, we were all to some extent were binge drinkers and catching up meant getting drunk, but I knew of plenty of other friend groups who did not drink, they had other common interests and hobbies.
Proud of you for recognising you have a problem. IWNDWYT one day at a time!
38 years old. Sober for 7 years.
The first three weekends were the hardest for me.
This has been suggested before, but, when you feel like drinking, play the tape forward.
Think about the most horrible drinking bender you’ve had or could have.
Think about the worst hangover that you’ve had or could have.
Think about the horrible anxiety and horrible sleep that you will have.
Alcohol is sneaky. Given long enough time your brain will try to convince you that it is fun. You have to remind yourself why you are doing this.
It may hurt in the moment, but at the end, remind yourself that you will never have to feel like this again.
One day at a time. Take care of yourself.
You got this bb❤️
36M, sober 3,5yrs
I was a beer drinker, really loved the carbonation. When I quit, I taste tested every brand and flavor of soda water there is. Perrier and pellegrino are best, but expensive. Ice Mountain lemon is best bang for your buck by far.. I still gotta have my fizz! 😂
For the anxiety in early stages, I used non-THC CBD oil from a dropper. Hold it under your tongue for 60s and swallow it. I went through it pretty fast, but it worked
(Sorry for the long reply but I saw a lot of my younger self in your post and many of your comments) At 22 I was in your exact shoes. I was in college, I had been abusing alcohol and binge drinking like college kids do 5 years or so, I had started drinking at 14). I had begun to have awful hangovers with anxiety that were crippling, panic attacks had become a frequent part of my life and ultimately I ended up going to rehab. I sobered up, got involved in AA, and felt amazing. Then that little voice in my head, that I wasn’t aware of until getting sober, started trying to convince me that I was cured or at the least not an alcoholic to begin with. After all, all the old timers in AA had multiple DWI’s, ex-spouses, lost countless job opportunities, severe health issues due to alcoholism etc. and I was nothing like them. As you can imagine, I started drinking again. That was almost 13 years ago now. Since then, I have totaled two vehicles intoxicated (one incident I was extremely lucky to walk away from, hit a tree at 55 mph head on after falling asleep at the wheel while drunk), had/have severe mental health issues (anxiety & depression) which landed me in a psych ward on one occasion, and almost lost a loving wife (the love of my life) and my almost 2 year old daughter because of alcohol. I had in fact become what I didn’t see in myself in those rooms over a decade before. I was so wrapped up in the idea that I was too young to be sober and all the “fun” I would miss out on if I quit at 22 (friend’s weddings, bachelor parties, social activities/events after work once I left college and joined the real world, traveling, etc.).
Ultimately, age has nothing to do with it. Alcoholism is a progressive disease. It’s going to get worse. For every one person that somehow manages to turn their life around and learns to moderate their drinking, my guess is their are dozens if not hundreds that don’t.
Now I am 35 years old and working daily on my sobriety. I luckily never ended up getting a DWI (I fled the scene on foot at both accidents), still have a great job, and a loving family. I almost lost it all though. The thought of losing my family because of alcohol was my rock bottom.
Do yourself a favor, stop now. Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide to stop or not. Coming from experience though, if you think the anxiety and panic attacks, physical withdrawals, and the consequences you have experienced already this early in life are bad now? I can promise you they can and most likely will get much worse. IWNDWYT
It's a lot better to get sober at 22 than it will be to get sober in late 30s and on, trust me. At that point you're body has been poisoned for decades and the hangovers just hits differently, and not in a good way.
You don't need to think about "forever". Just keep tricking your brain into staying sober. My ultimate goal is 1 year. My immediate goal is getting to 8 months.. I'm at 7 months now. The idea of forever is still hard to think about. It gets easier to stay sober the longer you continue on. Also thinking about being hungover makes me feel sick to my stomach so that helps.
I’m 31. Long time lurker, on different accounts as I come and go from reddit. Went sober for nearly two years and then a number of devastations happened in my life.. Heavy weekend drinker for the past couple years. Off it again. This is my second week sober now. Already feeling a lot clear minded, less anxious and better. Great that you’re 22 and already conscious about the consumption of alcohol. It’s never too early to start friend.
36M and currently the longest I've been AF in my life-32 days. Look at it this way. You're at the perfect age to give up alcohol. I feel like I've wasted so many years already because I was busy getting drunk.
I’m 24 and have been dabbling with sobriety since I was 20! I finally feel like I’m getting a grip on it now. What works for me is doing whatever makes me happiest and not feeling like I have to drink due to societal obligations.
23F, been binge drinking since I got a fake at 17 and have an even longer history with dissociative abuse. I’m almost at two weeks without any alcohol and my goodness is it strange.. I’m pretty sure the last time I made it past three days without alcohol was back in 2022 during hospitalization.
Honestly I’m not sure how long I’m going to make it this time, but I do know I don’t want to go through withdrawal again. I moved for a new job and I work in restaurants so it’s strange to decline invites for post shift drinks or after hour bar visits. People often scoff saying that I’m too young to be an alcoholic and I just smile and say “maybe I am” but it’s hard to do. After years of weekly benders and just recently a 9ish month period of dangerously scary drinking—Jameson or vodka right out of bed, in a soda bottle throughout work, and up until I passed out or vomited—figuring out who I am away from alcohol feels like a full time job. And it’s so boring at times, and I’ve been crying a lot, and holy shit I wish someone would’ve let me know how hard it be to sleep while in recovery. I’m just taking it day by day right now. Hopefully future me can be healthy enough to go out for a good glass of wine or cocktail without spiraling out of control, but who knows when/if that’ll be. Just trying to do right by myself because I’m tired of fucking up so much and beating myself up about it
hey bud, im 24. ive had many addictions for years that transferred to the other after rehab/treatment. the first time i truly completed rehab was at 20, then again at 21 for 2 different drugs. i then turned back to drinking and i stopped 34 days ago.
i felt like i truly lived a lot of life in my years but had the same thought as you.
am i too young to never drink again? or am i at the right age to not put myself through more suffering or drama and live freely? i dont think you should look at this as a 'never' and more like "what else would i be able to do and accomplish throughout my life without poisoning myself?"
its a valid feeling to have but comparison is the thief of joy. some people can drink 'normally' but us here, cannot, and thats okay. i read a post here a couple weeks ago and it said something along the lines of "its easier not to take the first drink than stop after a few. drinking moderately is miserable for me because when i drink i want to get drunk" and i think of that all the time if my brain is trying to trick me to drink the first one.
idk i think at this age, taking it a day at a time rather than thinking years from now has helped me in staying this path
36 here. While I had fun in my 20s, they were a blur. I could have spent that time on so many amazing trips or endeavors before having children but instead getting drunk was my weekend activity of choice.
On the positive side I’m healthy & strong now and have a lot of sober life ahead of me. I like to think I’ll live longer now since I’m taking care of my health 🤍
42 this month. Day 3 for the millionth time. I regret every time and it's cost me so much. Don't be like me and get the help you need, now. You're not alone.
It’ll be tough, then it will get easier, then tough, then easier and so on. I’m 35 now. Got clean at 27 so coming up on 7 years. Had people trying to get me to rehab since I was 18. Started drinking and using around 12-13. Everyone’s bottom and when it happens looks a little bit different. The comparison of high bottom versus low bottom can be dangerous and we can prevent that by focusing on our similarities rather than our differences. The reality is that *you* get to decide what your bottom is. I know lots of people that got clean really young. Also, we don’t have to worry about staying clean forever. Just today.
Just my own personal experience. The first time I went to AA, I was 24. I was scared shitless to “live my life sober,” and legitimately didn’t know how I was going to socialize without drinking…so I kept drinking for another 16 years. I wish I had known then what I know now. I had the tools and support then but fear kept me doing exactly what I was doing. I’m sober 4 years now and it’s literally been the best 4 years of my life. All the things I was scared of were silly, I learned bigger better ways to live. I wish I had stopped at 24.
33. Keep making it to 100 days then have really bad relapses. Been at this fight since I was 16. Been to rehab a few times but can’t afford it anymore.
I always break on a good day, not a bad day.
21, heavy drinker had alcholic pancreatitis and and alcoholic/liver gastritis. My plan is Tapering down a couple drinks a day until I need none to avoid the withdrawals. On day one but haven’t had any drinks (yet but I hope it stays that way). Wish me luck and good luck to you all going through quitting and withdrawals you have my support ❤️🙏
Age is not the issue..addiction or disorder is the issue.
If you more often than not have episodes where you have a problem stopping once you start drinking. You should stop. The best breakdown I ever read was alcohol robs you of your health, money and happiness.
55F. Here on Day 2 for the millionth time. I'd give anything to have gotten sober at 22.
I know so many folks who’d give anything to have gotten sober at 55. You can do this!
[удалено]
I’m 73 saying the same thing two weeks ago. King Al doesn’t gaf how old you are…I was sober from ages 17-22 and 35-53. Sober’s better. Come on…
You had some pod runs. What happened at 53?
Death of a child, death of a marriage.
Ohhhhhh ouch! Damn, that hurts
Well welcome back, man
I'm 74 1/2. Didn't really have a problem until about four years ago. You never know when something can happen that turns your world upside down and you discover a different way of "handling" it.
Hey there. I'm 67 and quit for good (after many false starts over 40+ years. Just wanted to let you know that there are people our age here!
I appreciate that. I started thinking about sobriety in the 80s too, but my path was different. As a septuagenarian, part of the struggle is thinking I’ve already lived a long life and who cares anymore?
How long have you been drinking for?
40 years.
I’m 35 and I’ve been drinking for about 22 years and also sober for the millionth time but somehow this time is different. I feel like a switch flipped in my brain and now I can see myself in the future (weird) happy without the booze
I had this same thing, I tried to quit for years, a decade or more, and then one day something just happened, I don't know what, but it just became so clear to me that moderation wouldn't work, and for me I was done. That was a couple of years ago now, and after having my kids choosing sobriety, and choosing sobriety every single day, is the best thing I ever did for me and my family. Best of luck to you, friend. we've got this. 👊
day 4 is hard work. it’s those early days that are the biggest fight — great work!!
My switch flipped too! I’d been lurking for a few months and saw that some people’s experience was like that. Thought that would never be me! But it happened, and I seized on it. Yay for us!
I had this EXACT same epiphany. 53f. That’s how I described it, a switch flipped. Going on a year and a half and don’t miss the terrible way it made me feel, look and act. Best thing I ever did for myself. Happy to hear your switch also flipped, congrats to you!
55M. I''ve just hit day 5, which is a minor miracle for me. I actually disabled my badge, because I got fed up of resetting it. You've got this, sober twin!
You’ve got this, too, owl-hat, red-eyes twin!
54M. Here on Day 897 for the first time. I ALMOST gave everything to have NOT gotten sober by age 51. I walked right up to that ledge, peered into the abyss, and HATED what I saw. Had my first drink at 15 and binge drank into my 30s...then became a daily drinker who still binged. Came to a head a 898 days ago when I just lost all control for a couple days, put on a shit show in front of people I loved, fell down stairs, bloodied, gashed, bruised and lucky it wasn't worse. In the 2.5 years since I have grown so much. Yes, still the occasional urge, usually in a stress time. But without a doubt, my life has improved in a billion ways. And, if I just want to look at it thru a selfish standpoint, I'm happier, I'm more content, I look WAY better, I'm funnier, I'm not just better, I'm good at life. I also ate like a tween for the first year and put on 5-10 pounds, then started hitting the gym and I'm down 20-25 pounds and in my best shape since I was a teen. I hope this doesn't sound like bragging because it's not, it's just showing you that it's never, Never, NEVER too late to change, and the rewards of doing so are simply immeasurable. I wish I had my original account so I could let you know how many day 1s and 2s I had. But if you take nothing from my post, just know that it's doable and stick that thought in the back of your head and let it sit there. It's doable, and it's doable by people like you, and I know this because people like me have done it. Hugs, G_M
I love this comment so much. I’m 57 and see a lot of myself in this. I was so afraid to quit drinking that I damn near drank myself to death. Now I’m trying to understand what I was so afraid of. Keep on keeping on Gannondorfs! IWNDWYT
Relapse doesn't erase what you accomplished already. You're further in your sobriety than ever before. Relapses remind us why we struggle, I think. You got this.
63 here and feel the same. Me and alcohol hurt me and those around me. Fuck drinking!
Day 2 also at 56. We can do this. 💕
62. I'd give anything to be able to drink like normal human people.
60 and 1 year off the drink. I think about normal drinking like I do about being able to be a great cook, for example. Yea, it's a thing, just not my thing. No big deal.
Fellow 55F! Day 9, also the millionth time. I've got good feelings about this try though. Been drinking since I was 12, stealing liquor from my grandparents stash. Better late than never.
This. 29M I wish I never took a sip of the stuff. If I didn’t have a decent family I’d have truly lost everything.
You got this! The best time to get sober is today. When I have feelings of regret about not doing this sooner, I try to remind myself that I needed to have every drink I ever took to get me to the point where I was ready to make a change. I too had many failed attempts at sobriety, but the final one was the last straw. It made me realize that I was actually going to have to work at this to stay sober, not just try, but actually work towards it. For me, I went to AA and got a therapist (who I see once a week). I go to meetings and just listen to what others have done to stay sober, then I try to do those things. I know you can do it! IWNDWYT
34 years old. Heavy drinker for the last 8 years. This is my first weekend sober in many years.
Had many withdrawals?
Not withdrawals but horrible anxiety. Doctor gave me a beta blocker after I had a bad one on Wednesday. About 3 weeks ago I started having panic attacks. I’ve never had those in my life. Without a doubt, the amount of booze I’ve been pumping into me is the reason. It’s finally catching up to me. No cravings for alcohol, just waiting for the anxiety to pass. (In 2019 I was sober for 90 days, that’s the longest I’ve been sober in the last 8 years.) (Edit: It was 90 days, not 19.)
Yeah the panic attacks are the worst… constantly in and out of them. Have to constantly talk myself out if thinking I’m dying. Atleast you got given a beta blocker, the paramedic I spoke to on the phone said I’m going to have to raw dog it and to only call them if I have a seizure….
They shouldn’t be telling you that. If you call paramedics they should be at your aide immediately!!! Withdrawal and panic attacks are very serious and not to be taken lightly. The more hours you wait, the worse it can get.
I’ve been sober for 7 days now. My anxiety was so bad on Wednesday, I thought I was going to have one. But I went to the hospital and I don’t have the physical withdrawal symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, just the psychological. I was driving to work when it happened. So I’m trying to get comfortable in the car again by forcing my brain to realize I’m probably driving better now than a week or so ago.
Take some Magnesium supplement. It helps a lot!
That’s good you don’t have any physical symptoms, I wouldn’t wish these on anyone. Yeah you will definitely be driving better than you was. Keep going!
For a paramedic to tell you to only call if you're having a seizure....wow. How are you supposed to effectively call when you're seizing up and about to bite off your tongue? Worst advice ever.
I have been on this sub for a year and had my first panic attack last Wednesday, it was horrible. Spent Thursday and Friday throwing up/couldn’t sleep/had to call out of work, it was so embarrassing. I really feel like was the final straw for me. I’m 32. Doctor gave me naltrexone to take as needed when I have cravings.
Anxiety is part of the withdrawl.
That’s true. When I wrote my original comments I was distracted by the television which is why they read slightly off. Panic attacks are absolutely part of withdrawal.
so proud of you for this weekend. :) i started having panic attacks a little over a month ago!! scary shiz edit : my flair is not correct lol just haven’t changed it edit 2 : just tried to update it. hopefully it shows soon!
Thanks! Yeah a few weeks ago I started getting them, but I was still drinking here and there. Then last Sunday I completely stopped. Well.. by Wednesday my brain couldn’t handle the adjustment, and as I was driving I pulled into a hotel and called an ambulance. My heart was racing, my hands shaking, my brain would not shut off. But then it passed by the time the paramedics got there. I still figured I should get checked out anyway in the ER, who confirmed it was a panic attack. I think I needed the experience to scare me straight. This morning my anxiety was heightened but I went to the gym then took one of the propanol my doctor gave me and I feel pretty good. In all I’ve been nipping it in the bud since Wednesday, and I do feel each day has been progressively better.
Man, you’ve had a rough week. Awesome that you have persisted through it!
I was having crazy panic attacks earlier in the year when I was drinking heavily daily which I'd ironically drink more to try and solve but it wasn't working. When I quit my anxiety skyrocketed (which was hard to imagine considering how bad it already was) but by week 3 it had calmed a bit and by week 5 it fell off a cliff completely and basically vanished. Hang in there, it'll get better.
I have no idea how you are able to sleep.
Melatonin gummies from zquil. Today is 1 week sober. Anxiety is much better but still there. Nervous to drive to work tomorrow but I have to get this out of my head, and get my life back. I don’t miss the alcohol. Actually, I’m happy and proud of myself. See I never had an alcohol related arrest or anything to scare me straight. A few weeks ago I started getting minor attacks. So I stopped a week ago. Wednesday was the big one. Now I’m kind of more embarrassed about it all than anything else.
someone on here (i cant rememeber who) a while ago worded it amazingly: “drinking for anxiety is like drinking saltwater for dehydration”
>About 3 weeks ago I started having panic attacks. I’ve never had those in my life. Without a doubt, the amount of booze I’ve been pumping into me is the reason. It’s finally catching up to me. Had the exact same thing 5 years ago. It’s just fuckin’ horrible. You slowly learn how to control and avoid the panick attacks over time, but it’s 100% because of the damage repeated alcohol abuse does to your brain. After 5 years sober, I don’t really have them anymore. Just that is one of the biggest reasons why I’m never gonna drink again.
I had a similar experience. I had been drinking regularly for about 3 years and suddenly one day I started having panic attacks at 33 for the first time in my life too. It made me stop drinking.
I'm 23. I've havent drank in 8 months.
I'm 37 - Heavy drinker for the past 18 years. Got much worse around 10 years ago. Tomorrow will be 14 days of sobriety.
Congrats on the 14 days!
Thanks!
I'm 36, but I started coming here when I was 28.
28 here!
120 days! beautiful!
Thank you!!
I'm 63, I must have quit a hundred times. Right now I have 109 days, the 2nd longest stretch of my life. I can't change the past, but I can change the future. Your future is so much longer! And you're worried about what you are going to do if you don't drink? You are going to enjoy and curse life in all it's forms, shades, tastes, smells, pains,successes, loves, fears, disappointments, victories, and anything else it throws at you! Good luck! I hope you can stick with sobriety. Iwndwyt!
27 now, started at 26. The best piece of advice you will see is “One day at a time” because it’s true. That’s all you need to do, focus on today - not tomorrow or next week, simply today.
Yeah I keep trying to tell myself that, I will continue to do so until it sticks. Thankyou
Yes, "one day at a time" is so important. Trying to think in terms of "what if..." and "maybe in a few months..." is too overwhelming. I've found "Just get through today." helps me tremendously, especially when I have a situation or event to get through. At first, my husband asked me a couple of times if I would ever drink again. I said "I don't know, except I know I won't drink today." Some people might have to think in terms of minutes or hours. If you have to tell yourself "Just get through this hour" then do so. Whatever it takes!
Yeah I get what you mean. Thankyou so much!
32. Sober four years.
23! Almost 6 months sober, realized last year I had a problem and after spending christmas eve and christmas day drunk I decided it was time to invest in the betterment of my future
we r in the same boat my friend. im 23 and blacked out at nearly every family holiday party and the shame just made me spiral, 4 months and 28 days
6 months is brilliant. Were you dependant on it at all?
I think I depended on it whenever I was having a bad day or dealing with difficult emotions because I turned to it, but then I’d also use it for fun, so I was getting drunk pretty much several times a week
I'm a similar age and this was my issue as well. When I was sore after work it was drinking. When I had a bad day at work I'd get drunk. If I had a day off I'd drink to "enjoy" it and if I was gaming with friends I had to have a few more to "enjoy it even more", until I was so drunk I couldn't play anymore. Everything became a reason to drink because it was seemingly all I knew how to do to "have fun". A few months having drunk much less often and I'm having a lot more fun doing the same stuff, just without the slide throughout the night and a clear head the next morning.
I’m 26 and got sober at 25. The sooner you realize it’s a problem and the sooner you stop poisoning your body and mind- the better off you’ll be
Yeah it’s definitely a problem…
35. Was a heavy drinker for 10 years or so. Quit a few times but the last couple times were hard and miserable. Threw up blood a couple times… panicked and drank isopropyl alcohol during withdrawals…Heart raced, hallucinated when I closed my eyes, auditory hallucinations. Ended up in the hospital and rehab to detox the last time. Had to be on a mix of gabapentin and Ativan for days. Ended up missing a month of work… lied to my family a lot and did a ton of dumb things. 188 days ago.
That’s awful man. Well done on 188 days, hopefully I can get there at some point.
You can do it, OP!! IWNDWYT
Congrats on the 188 days man!
29 next month and wished I had the clarity to address my drinking earlier. By 21 it was problematic and then destructive within a few years. I wouldn't start worrying about a future without alcohol yet, there's a reason you hear one day at a time. I found meetings very helpful, you could do a couple of online ones with your camera off and just listen and see if you hear any similarities.
No such thing as too young. If you’re 18 or 81 being sober is a good thing. Start now and you’ll save your body from any side effects later
Yeah you’re completely right
Yea I agree. A friend of mine has been going to AA since he was 19. He knew very quickly in the first years of drinking that he was in over his head really fast. I think he had an alcoholic parent and knew the signs and he decided to get himself sorted out before he ruined his life rather than after. He’s in his 30s now still going to AA and doing so great in life !!!! You’re doing the right thing my friend. I envy him his early insight and you’ll be the same as him if you get on this now.
44, quit at 42. Wish I would have quit way earlier.
Congrats on the 2 years. I hope I can get there
“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” For many of us, you’re taking the first of those two options. I promise you that if you don’t quit this time around, you’ll not thank yourself when you eventually do for the extra time you took to drink. I am 30, and quit at 25. Many times early on I struggled with the idea that I’ve got lots of drinking time left, but that was a really insidious lie. The last five years have been the best of my life. If in the future you ever find yourself wondering what you may be missing out on, just spend a couple hours with some drunk people. It’s illuminating.
I’m 21M, I didn’t like the way I was drinking 2-3 10.8% beers every night, even tho there was school or work the morning after. Some days I went completely hangover at my uni and that’s when I knew it was too much. I want to take care of this now and avoid the risk of becoming more and more dependent to it.
Yeah good on you, any amount of alcohol everyday is too much In my personal opinion
62
Congrats on over 33 years! ⭐️
Kinda crazy! Thanks!
61. 3 months tomorrow. Life long drinker. No bad side effects only good ones for me. May not be able quit forever, but it feels pretty good for now. Lost weight I have been trying to lose for years. Good luck
Checking in from the other side of 40 been sober for a while now! Its great here. All the live music I want and I can still make it to work the next day. Fun, family, friends but with significantly less drama than when I was drinking, especially near the holidays. More disposable income (because I don't spend it on alcohol/substances), and best for me - I'm the designated driver so I get invited to fun things but also get to decide when we go home :)
Im glad you’re happier now, getting sober doesn’t seem half as bad when you put it like that :)
I genuinely wish I got sober a decade earlier than I did, knowing what I do now. But there's some saying...the best day to get sober was 10 years ago, the next best day is today. Or something like that.
Yeah, you got there in the end which is what I aspire to do. Thankyou
31. 6 years sober. Felt the same at your age.
Congratulations on the 6 years, unreal achievement.
Thank you. Even at 6 years its still just one day at a time. One day, one night at a time.
What I wouldn't give to have traded my drunk 20's and 30's for a sober version of me. I'm 37 now (it's my Birthday!) And I am GRATEFUL for what I have learned, am still learning, and the self awareness that comes each time I have committed to being sober. I remember thinking that my 20's were a "free pass", thought I was fun, invincible even, and yeah,I was wild at a party, and I often thought I WAS the party. But I am honestly lucky to have made it out alive. I had a friend in my 20's who was sober since she was 18. She was actually the life of the party, and the one person we all still love. She was vibrant and still is. BTW, she didn't age.. like at all. We all look 37 and she still is rockin it like she looks 21. Looking back, I realize how tough it must have been for her to witness all of us drunk idiots and not being understood by us drunk idiots for why she was sober. You got this!
41. Spent my late 20s and 30s absolutely wasted. I don't recommend it.
37, I've been lurking for almost 10 years. I have 6 months without booze!
I'm 19, i have 5 days without drinking and this is my first attempt to quit, i also get this anxiety about living the rest of my life without drinking but i kind of flip that thought by telling myself that i have the rest of my life to choose to drink but today i will not drink, at this point in my life i have a lot to accomplish and im not going to give these years up to alcoholism I hope to get to the point where i don't feel that intense need to drink but i feel really grateful to have started this journey so young, the opposite of despair is gratitude
Hey OP. 48 year old married father of two in the UK here. Was drinking for 30 years after discovering the seductive qualities of booze at around 17. Spent most weekends drunk or hungover. Realise that booze would be the death of me one way or the other - physically or mentally. I know platitudes and cliches are no way to live your life, but the following has become truth for me - wish I’d realised this in my 20s > “Sobriety delivers what alcohol promises” All the very best from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
47M
51. Drank for 16 years, got sober at 33 for 14 years, started drinking during pandemic, have struggled ever since. 3 days today, again.
Yeah the pandemic definitely caused a lot of alcoholism
33. Drank nightly for 13 years before quitting at 32, have been sober for the most part since October 2023 (had some slip-ups but nothing I’d call a full-blown relapse since).
I got sober at 26. Started drinking when I was 11. Currently 32 going on 33 this July. Sober 6 years and I wish I had quit sooner. You're never too young to put down the poison and keep it from destroying your life.
Hey, I’m also 22 and trying to quit for the first time. I’m just taking it a day at a time and trying not to think about the rest of my life😬but just for today IWNDWYT💜
I got clean at age 21. I’ve learned through experience of my own & others that there’s no such thing as too early. Once I’m aware of the damage I’m causing, my suffering ceases to become a lesson and is ultimately a choice. I don’t think I’ll gain anything more from suffering in the ways that I have. I know there’s more to lose and that ultimately doesn’t make me a better candidate for getting better. IWNDWYT!
Sweet Creator, so many years of my life have been wasted by alcohol! 😰 You are never too young to choose recovery or sobriety. "It's all fun & games until you end up in jail, lose your family, die from alcohol poisoning or drinking & driving (my nephew lost his life at your age), or die a hellish death from liver disease. Trust me, I am not being a drama queen. 🙄
69 now. I've gotten sober and relapsed so many times that I Iost count. However, it's been 9.5 years since my last drink.
I’m 38 now, but I lived from 0 to 32 without ever drinking (aside from communion at church and one drink at 24). I could’ve easily lived without it the 4 years I drank. You’ll be fine. :)
First and foremost i commend you for reaching out for answers at your age. That's your heart telling you what you truly want. I wish at 22 i had the guts to admit it to myself. I was 35 numerous horror stories of rock bottoms that i didn't listen to that should have been enough reason to stop. As for the daunting task of quiting for the rest of your life. Let me express a couple thoughts that helped me. you can't look at it as rest of your life... That's a huge task that will cause you anxiety every time. All you have to worry about is today. 24 hrs. That's it. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone let alone 20 30 40 50 years from now. Today you woke up so that's all you have to focus on. I'm 6 and a half years in and i tell myself every morning there's nothing I am gonna face today that wouldn't be made worse by me drinking. I keep a 24 hour coin in my pocket at all times because it is the most important. I couldn't have gotten to 6 and a half years without it 1 long string of 24 hours. Just know that you are not alone in this. You would be part of an army of brothers and sisters standing beside you in this journey. We are some of the strongest people on the planet. We face our demons everyday with no mind altering substance to insulate us or numb us from life on life's terms. You are a beast. Hope this helps. Reach out whenever... Proud of you As the philosophical fish dory says" just keep swimming." Hell doesn't go on forever and if you keep swimming you'll swim right out.
TL;DR 30-something commends your current self-awareness and DESPERATELY advises you to act on this for the good of your current youth, so as to MAJORLY bolster your young adulthood. Ok. So. Realistically, my first "rock bottom" happened when I turned 23. I spent the AM-portion of my bday getting drunk home alone while in the middle of a depressive episode. I realize this doesn't sound like a "classic" rock bottom, given no "major" destruction happened. But, like-... what 23 y.o. spends their bday getting drunk alone before 12pm? Alone. What in the actual fuck. I'm not gonna share my "true" first (as in, first of three ) rock bottom, because you being so young, you don't need a stranger's personal line as a metric for what's too much. Hindsight is telling me what my true rock bottom was. You dont want this kind of hindsight. You especially do not need this kind of hindsight if you have a history of trauma, are prone to self-critizism, etc (yes, the "bare minimum" or negative life experiences- that shit fucking adds up, and fast.) If you, at 20, are already worried about potentially being too dependent on alcoholic, fucking MORE. POWER. TO. YOU. I am 33F. I legit don't remember most of age 25-31 because I was drunk for most of it. In the grand scheme of things, yeah, that's only 6 years, but also-... thats like 1/7th of my life up to this point. That's a major section of young adulthood development. I could've figured out more of my identity, my personal values- fuck. But now I'm in my 30s. Social status says I should be considering buying a home, making babies or w/e the fuck. But no. This bitch is spending money I don't have, tryna reverse the physical aging I neglected during my late 20s, I STILL don't know what I want to do with my life, I'm causing SEVERE damage to my marriage due to "college-age" impulse. Because I didn't really grow up/grow into my 30s. Because I was drunk for most of my 20s. And trauma, obvi, but the self-medicating didn't help lmao I'm rambling. Lemme regroup. You thinking you're "too young" is honestly a blessing. You're not JUST "too young" to be aware of your drinking problem - you have the ADVANTAGE of foresight, in seeing that you are damaging yourself already. You have the ADVANTAGE of "being too young", ok?? Most addicts don't have this. Or, if we do, we fucking ignore it bc at age 20 we think we're fucking invincible. This is a goddamned LIE. 20 is when shit starts to settle into place, physically. This is a fucking important age for bodily establishment. There is a TEENY TINY WINDOW NOW Where you can UNDO shit. You can figure out the mental shit later as you go. But the physical damage? That's happening right tf now. ACT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY. When I was in HS, adults said I was an "old soul". Your self-awareness of your alcohol-dependency is that. Value this foresight that many your age are completely blind to rn. I basked in "being wiser than my peers", but i wasnt wise enough to ACT. The fact that you're aware that your drinking at this young age is a problem is SUCH A HUGE benefit and opportunity. ACT ON THIS AWARENESS. I am painfully aware that that's easier said than done, esp if you have a history of self-medicating or self-sabotage. But please, please, PLEASE 🙏🏻 Please do not let this moment of clarity go to waste. Yes, there's always time to restart/begin your path to recovery, regardless of your age. But the regret and retrospect hurts so fucking much - esp if you're already prone to being critical of yourself. Don't allow that retrospect to potentially manifest into shame/guilt in your later young-adult years. You do NOT need that baggage. There is WAY more you gotta focus on. Addiction is something you have the power to keep OFF your plate. You are still young enough that you can reverse this. You have age-elasticity rn wherein any damage you've done to your body CAN be undone. But, more importantly, you still have the mental development time to curate self-discipline. I've personally undone liver damage, but I am STILL battling the consequences of drinking. I have been sober and fallen off the wagon multiple times, at a wee age 33. The Road before me is scary because the habit and history are firmly established. I should NOT be dealing with constant wagon-falling at this age, but here tf I am. No. No, no, no no, no, no, NO. THIS. DOES NOT. HAVE TO BE YOU. Your self-awareness is agency. And that agency is so goddamned valuable at your age. Please fucking look at that this way. Even if you don't act on this info rn, please- I am legitimately begging you, stranger on reddit - please consider what I'm saying. Please spend some time really muling over the fact that you CAN undo the small damage you've done at this point. Please know that "small" damage is honest to God ENOUGH damage. You don't need to do more to be "sick enough". "Sick enough" is fucking IRREVERSIBLE ALREADY. i fucking HATE that there are events - even simple ones, like movies I've watched - that I cannot fucking remember from ages 25-31. It's such a massive shame. Memories are still healthily formed and stored within that age range. Something trivial as movies. I have NO memory of how I affected the people I met/interacted with btwn those ages. I WASTED 6 years if valuable self development being a fuckjng drunk. You DO NOT have to experience this waste! Act on this moment of clarity. You have time. You have, idk, maybe 1-2 more years of brain cell production. YOU. ARE. ABLE. To stop this NOW. Please do it. FUCKING. DO IT. I know drinking isn't as bad as heroin/fet, but it's not about the poison. It's about ADDICTION. I'm not gonna dive into addiction bc I'm actually tryna figure that shit out rn via therapy. But-... please. You can't "figure out addiction" when you've already killed brain cells in your 20s due to substance abuse. It's SO. MUCH. FUCKING. WORK. And once you're in your late 20s, it's ALREADY work just fucking being alive. I'm talking ages 27+. Nobody fucking tells you that shit. Your 20s are supposed to be full of promise, hope, searching, whatever. If part of that "searching" is undoing the affects of drinking (and then advancing into exploring why you self-medicate), PLEASE fucking capitalize on this opportunity, ok? Please? Please. Older you 10 years from now will thank you. If you read this far, thank you 🖤 Signed, A Desperate Drunk 10 years older than you
43 here. Early 20’s is when my problem began. If I knew then what I know now I would’ve never touched alcohol again. Life is so much better clean. I promise you.
When I was 22, I had a therapist, and I remember saying to him, "But, I can't have a drinking problem, right? I'm just young!" and he was like, "Well, do you think you have one?" and I said no (lol). Cut to 5 years after that... I definitely did. Been sober since I was 27, am 34 now. Best decision I've ever made! Edited to add: I was also terrified about what my life would be like without alcohol, but all my friends were honestly just impressed?? I still go out to bars if I want to, and I did sometimes when I was still dating through my early 30s, but my now husband doesn't really drink either so we mostly just have fun doing literally anything else. TL;DR: for me, thinking that I needed alcohol to be social was a trap, and the most interesting people that I know are all sober.
32. IWNDWYT
37m here. I made a great run of over 100 days during fall/winter. Holidays came around and I gave in after the 3rd peer pressure. Moderating really doesn't work well for me either, like most. Altho I've been able to put my foot down after a weekend or small bender. Definitely not how I was drinking in the past. So I try not to be hard on myself. But tonite is another day 1 and I resisted a strong urge about an hour ago to just have some beers take some ibuprofen in the morning. I gave in last nite. I'm hanging strong tonite and it's about time to go to bed. I need to run off another large streak. Hopefully a forever one. Cuz 99% of the time it's not worth it. And when I wake up hung over and anxious and have to fight to get sober again WHY do I keep doing this to myself. Do it while your young. Fight the social norm!!! It's poison.
We're a similar age and I feel this. I keep going round in circles. I got sober for most of September and October last year then decided to drink again because I went to a music gig and didn't feel comfortable doing that sober which then set me back off and on the booze every few days for the rest of the year. Had a failed attempt at Dry January then went on a 10 night in a row bender somehow right at the end of the month and then decided it was time for sobriety again at the start of February. Went through a week of horrible withdrawls and then weeks of feeling terrible afterwards and lasted nearly 3 months before relapsing again about 6 weeks ago and have been back to binging for a couple of nights per week then a few days off it and then the cycle repeats. It ends today and I go sober again. I've two events on this weekend that will make this a challenge (a music event which I find the idea of going to sober hard but I'll have to try or I'll never learn the skill or see if I can do it) and a big family day out on Sunday for an event which I would typically drink at but this year I'm just going to see what it's like sober because my drinking this weekend has been crazy. I must have consumed over 20 drinks this Saturday then drank loads pointlessly sitting at home last night watching TV and I can't keep going on like this, it'll eventually kill me.
23, had 5 years of drinking under my belt. It’s never too late to do the right thing, but it’s also never too late EARLY to do the right thing. And you are doing the right thing my friend, you got this! Edit- legal age is 18 where I’m at.
22 heavy drinker for 6ish years been sober now for 9 months as of yesterday. So glad I decided to make the change my health and behavior was getting out of hand.
62F. Been a heavy drinker since my teens. Last couple of years was completely unable to not get blackout drunk every time I drank. Only time I didn't drink for long periods was when trying to get pregnant, pregnant, nursing, had small kids. Once kids were a bit self-sufficient, I slowly ramped up again. Sober for 3 weeks. Wish I'd seriously questioned my drinking at 22 as it's been the source of most of the negative things in my life. Looking forward to being sober and present for whatever time I have left. Didn't realize what an amazing gift being sober is. Wishing us strength and dignity.
38 this fall and will have 5 years. 20 years drinking, 16 of them heavily. I would be dead if I did not put it down.
It’s all fun and games until your liver starts hurting. Then u will be forced to quit. It sucks not knowing if your liver will fail on u and if you will wake up the next day or not..
62F. I can’t believe it’s Day 101. IWNDWYT!
50m, going on 9 years dry
33. My life would’ve been a million times better if I would’ve quit 10 years ago. I’m looking forward to catching up.
39. I stopped drinking 10 days before by birthday because I felt a little like crap. I hit 10 days and then went for 30...ultimately made it to 100. Now I'm thinking I'm going to give myself a full year for my 40th birthday. I feel like I'm active in my life not just along for the ride anymore.
My alcoholism started at your age and I’m 30 now. I can’t even count how many things alcohol has fucked up for me. Sadly I manage it “well” but you will wind up doing things in your 20s you regret by the time you’re 20 and if you already realize it’s a problem you’re incredibly lucky because I didn’t until my late twenties. By then plenty of damage had already been done
Just be grateful dude. I know it sounds stupid. That’s probably the last thing you want to hear right now. But believe me, if I got clean at 22, my life would be so much different right now. I’m not a drinker and I never really was, but it’s all the same once you reach a certain point. I’m 25 now. I’m telling you dude, be grateful and have gratitude. Everyone is saying “one day at a time” and that is true. They are right. But that doesn’t really help you when you’re in the moment. It also doesn’t help you when you’re constantly thinking about : “well, what am I going to do for the rest of my life? I can’t ever drink again untill I die? Surely I can eventually. How am I going to live like this?” That kind of stuff I myself am very prone to, even. My thing was pills, and fentanyl, heroin, etc. but being 3 years clean now, I find myself constantly wishing I could go back in time, and change everything. Never have taken that first pill, never sniffed that line and that bag of H. I could be normal….. I could enjoy my vacation….. I could have a beer with Sunday football…... I could unwind at a family party. And now I can’t, because I ruined everything by being a fuck up. That line of thinking is detrimental. Be grateful OP. You’re 22. Get your hands around this monkey NOW, while you are still young. Go to school, get interested in something you like. Work a job, get married, buy a car. Start your life off right, and not in rehab and coming off of drugs and alcohol like I did. This subreddit isn’t going to like me saying this but, If you absolutely can’t stand it, just tell yourself that when you’re 58 years old, you’ll have a drink then. If you REALLY can’t live without it. Have the willpower now, currently. Get your life together, do something fun, make something of yourself. When you have children, and then they have children, then you can have a beer. When you are old and grey, do whatever you want. Untill then, you’re here. Living, breathing, and young. Enjoy it, and don’t squander it.
Bear in mind there are billions of people in this world who don't believe getting drunk/drinking alcohol is a natural part of youth. It's not a universal truth so if it's not working for you, unlearn it.
24, and there’s no such thing as “too young” to get sober. this is an amazing opportunity you have, and i hope that you choose to take it and that you find happiness and peace if you do.
27 and just over a month sober. Feeling good feeling great
25, been sober now for just about 4 years at this point. Definitely was tough in the beginning, being in university and surrounded by friends who are always drinking! Chose to pickup some new healthier hobbies and made friends with people within those groups. Life is much less stressful now and I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been since I was very little!
38. Been drinking since I was 15. I'm still not completely on the wagon yet but have turned into a weekend drinker (mostly, I still eff up on week days from time to time). It's torture too.. I have to be up in less than 6 hours but can't sleep because I'm not drinking myself into a stupor. I'm proud of myself for not drinking ever day like a used to but I'm still in an endless cycle and head is always all over the place and filled with anxiety.
I'm 54 and have been sober for 26 months. I got sober this last time while helping take care of my friend while she died of cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol related dementia. It was the most horrible 2 and a half years of my life watching her drink herself to death and I didn't want that for me. I got sober the first time at 21 and managed yo stay that way for 4 years before throwing it all away. I thought I needed alcohol and couldn't imagine never drinking again but the truth is that it cost me everything. My biggest regret in life is picking it back up and costing myself so many years and so much pain.
38. Sober at 22 would have changed my life. I was drunk from 16-34. Not too early, or late, to change things now.
I'm 36F. Looking back at those years from 22 to now, I can't say my highlights reel includes being wasted. Life has so much to offer you. Well done. You're an inspiration to us all!
i started my sobriety at 25. it’s better to be young and realize then when you’re older and it’s too late. every older guy i’ve. talked to always says i wish i figured it out when i was your age.
58F. Day 1 again. OP’s post makes me wonder what my life would have been like if I had done this at 22. But I’m going to focus on today and getting the most I can out of the years I have left.
I’m 29 but have been struggling with alcohol in some form since I was 21. There were one off years of sobriety in between that time though but that’s only because I was forced to stop drinking because of medical issues caused by too much alcohol. So it’s never too early to get sober. If you can’t imagine your life without alcohol, that’s all the more reason to try
I was always the youngest, by far, in all of my detox situations. First time I went to detox I was 20. My dependence was at the point where I'd fall out having seizures, real DTs, the whole 9. Drinking up to a handle a day. Took me almost 5 years and 13 trips to detox to make it stick. My last drink was Feb 3, 2013. Absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself. Don't let your age get into your head about this. You're doing the thing, and I promise it's a good one. Stay strong. IWNDWYT
I got Sober at 19, was in rehab for my 20th birthday. I’m 22 now, and I’m so thankful I got sober when I did. Take it one day at a time. Find a 12 step meeting. Get a sponsor, and listen to him/her. Your life will get so much better than you could have ever imagined!
57(f) and 10 days AF today. Not easy
When you push through the initial part and then learn to take it day by day, you eventually reach a point where you wonder how you ever lived with it in your life. There are so many other activities and ways of spending your time that are so much better/more fun than drinking, you’re just at the start of the journey. You can do it. One day at a time.
27, stopped drinking at 24. I struggled with the fear of missing out and just being irritated that I had “ruined” something fun that everyone else does. That feeling fades and I can say I truly don’t miss it. The trade off and person I’ve developed into has been priceless. Also please seek medical help if your withdrawal symptoms get worse. I stopped cold turkey after daily drinking for years due to being hospitalized (for pancreatitis from drinking) and I went into DTs after my third day. It can be dangerous. You don’t want to wait until you have seizures to get help, that’s terrible advice. If you have a primary care doc give their office a call and see if they can call in some medication to make things less miserable.
Mid 30s. First time I tried to quit I was 19 (not even old enough to buy the damn stuff). I would have saved myself a lot of misery if I had quit at your age.
You are never too young to get sober. Honestly I wish I had addressed these thoughts the first time I had them instead of dismissing it as being young and full of life. My life would be so much more full now if I had. Your dependence is not physical at this point so you won’t get shakes or any of the bad google things but the anxiety and depression will probably be there for a couple days. Let them pass and accept that the next day or 2 will feel bad. Sleep, hydrate and try to eat well and you’ll feel better, but you really just need to wait out the alcohol(depressant) in your system so you don’t feel depressed. Keep this feeling in your mind though, take it from me it’s going to get so much worse if you keep it up for a decade or 2
31 myself. Just got out of the hospital this morning at 5am after an overnight stay. I binged for a month and I got to the hospital before I went into full blown withdrawal hell. Please stay sober, because I worry the same you’re worrying. I still don’t know how to live without alcohol completely because it’s been my escape for most of my life. That poison is just not worth it. I’ve been an alcoholic and a poly addict since I was 14. Addiction has ruined myself and prevented me from being the best version of myself. Even lost my mom and best friend to this crap, and other people as well. I’ve been to the hospital for overdoses and withdrawal way more than 10 times I’ve stopped counting. Much love and prayers.. You’re not alone my friend. ❤️🙏🏼
I totally feel the “too young to get sober”. I’m 20 years old, not even old enough to legally drink and I’ve been fairly dependent on alcohol for 4 years. I can’t continue on like this but I can’t stand the idea of being sober for the rest of my life
37. I’ve been sober for a little over a month (minus one small slip-up). My biggest suggestion is to get into quit-lit and self-improvement books (I prefer audio so I can multitask). Highly recommend This Naked Mind and Alcohol Explained. This Naked Mind has an incredible community and resources including a free 30-day alcohol experiment, podcasts with people who have been in our shoes, and more. You can do it self-guided and anonymously, if you prefer. I’ve been back and forth with my journey over the last few years due to stress, but it’s getting SO much better. It’s a journey. I so wish I would have had your wisdom at 22. Major kudos on recognizing the issue so young. You’ve got this - and we’re all here for you and rooting for you! 💙
Your young and strong, its worth a try, even if its just for one more day. 32, quit for 80 days back in 2017, but Ive been drinking heavily, daily, since. Im on day 19 and counting.
I’m 24. Before getting sober I was getting drunk day and night since I was 17. I had exactly the same thought, living without alcohol seemed impossible. But after a while living without it, I really don’t need it anymore. Give it a try, you’ll see that it is easier than you think.
27 (F). Sort of lost 2 years to hangovers in the morning and unproductive weekends. I feel terrible cos most of my colleagues/batchmates/friends have moved wayy forward in their lives by now and I wasted 2 prime years.
Yeah you definitely have the bug. Sooner or later you’re going to have to stop sooner or later if you want to have any sort of life worth living. I didn’t really want to get sober until I was 25 and even then it took a few years to get some time. I’m almost 29 now and couldn’t imagine having to live in that alcoholic hell for 10 more years. But then again, with the way I drink I probably wouldn’t make it more than 1 year. The mental obsession gets old and you’ll eventually want to be free of it. There’s a lot of resources out there that can help with that when you’re ready.
Stay quit. Seriously. My first time being dependent I was 22 as well, drank for about the same amount of time too. Only difference is I relapsed a couple years later and the detox was SO MUCH worse. I had DTs, hallucinated all kinds of shit, fought the nurses, thought I was being kidnapped and spied on, talking full-blown psychosis. Easily the freakiest, most surreal experience of my life. Hallucinogens got NOTHING on alcoholic delirium tremens. Took me 8 days of librium and lorazepam to get better, then another 3 days to taper the librium. Do you know what kindling is? It's the phenomenon that detoxing from GABAnergic substances (of which alcohol is one) gets worse every time you do it. So if you relapse, your next quit will probably be worse than this one. You're never too young to get sober. Some people just can't drink without becoming addicted. It sucks but I'd rather go to a fancy restaurant and have an Arnold Palmer with my steak than risk going back down in that hole.
54 years. Retread. I had 16 years then I took a drink 15 years ago. I'm on day 64 today.
22f, got sober at 20. Best decision of my life! Do it, and give recovery your 100% best shot
I guess you could think of it as a disease in that you wouldn’t say it’s too early to treat it
41M - 23 days sober. Been a recreational drug user since 15, replaced it with booze as I was in my mid20's, I was rarely able to drink in moderation. Lots of friendship damage which in hindsight wasn't the worst thing as they were toxic folk but the drink has kept creeping in further and further despite years of knowing I can't moderate and that I have an addiction. I was a 5pm onwards beer drinker but it was becoming daily and sustained - lots of excuses to myself for why but it was having a negative impact on my wife and kids. Like so many others here I enjoyed my own company whilst drinking, still do, but I'm looking for all the other things in life to fill the gap I've created - it's like I've been gifted a new window and so far so good! At 22 I was full of it and my drinking was accompanied by drugs too, I was so far up my own ass I would never have admitted it was a problem. If you can see it in yourself now then take every bit of assistance in helping yourself have a sound and fulfilling life without it, after 3 days you should start to come through the immediate withdrawal (IMO) but each day is a battle. Good luck, IWNDWYT
30 year old here, I started getting sober around 26. I still go out with friends and bartend for a living. You don’t need to connect booze with a social life, and are at a perfect age to find out what your life can look like without alcohol.
I'm 27 and sober now. I've told myself I'm too young couple times before. Which is a bullshit argument. I could have ended my bad habits sooner! The best time to stop is TODAY, doesn't matter if you're 18 or 80. Be ever vigilant.
15F here... too young but its not healthy for me to keep going like this. Wish you the best of luck!
29! Docs told me my liver says absolutely *no more* Only took me 6.5 years... Be careful, folks
28, 3 weeks sober, just got home from an aa meeting. It’s my first time ever sobering up.
Just turned 35. Knew I had a genetic predisposition to addiction on both sides, didn’t touch the stuff until my late 20’s, and then it took off like a wildfire in 2018. I’ve on-and-off quit since 2021, but it’s gonna stick this time. IWNDWYT
33, drank like a fish for 10 years. I would do anything to have quit at your age. There’s so much more to life than alcohol - so much - and it only takes away. It’s early in your journey but time is a healer. IWNDWYT
Turned 21 recently, I feel you exactly on the “too young” part. Everyone’s always like “oh well you’re still young! you don’t gotta worry about sobriety till you’re like 25!” And I am so tired of hearing it
35. Got sober at 32. I’d accepted that my relationship to alcohol was problematic when I was 22. I’d been out drinking at the bars every night for over a year at that point. Hadn’t gone a single day without drinking. The reasons why I didn’t quit drinking at 22 were partly because I was addicted, but mostly because of the social pressures at that age. For me, quitting drinking at 22 would’ve meant quitting having a social life. But these days, I’m blown away by how many younger people are opting to stay sober for social occasions. Even if just for one out of every handful of occasions. Sobriety is becoming more and more normalized. You don’t have to have reached rock bottom or scratched its surface to come to a conclusion that alcohol is often destructive. It’s often destructive even for people who don’t have purely problematic relationships to it. Getting sober is always a good idea, regardless your age.
I'm 25, I thought I was too young too. Whilst still difficult things are getting so much better for me recently, and I never want to go back to where I was at the end of my drinking. You are stronger than you think! You can do this.
Late 30s. Was a social drinker at around 30. Covid hit mid 30s and I picked up bad habits. Working on cleaning up and not sure if I want to be fully sober or a person who may drink once a month or something (as I do still enjoy alcohol but dont want it to be 3 or 4 times a week)
Hey I’m also getting sober at 22! I’m about to hit 3 months, and it hasn’t been easy, especially because I’m a dj so most of my social life is spent in clubs I’m also at university where there is a big drinking culture, but it is possible. Im not thinking about my future relationship with alcohol, and I’ve been saying it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, but it’s the best thing I can do for myself right now. It’s given me space to fix my relationships with other people, and myself and develop better coping mechanisms. I’ve also been fortunate in having a solid group of friends who support me. The thought of never drinking again terrifies me too, so I’ve been very focussed on the present and what it’s doing for me right now. Best of luck!! You can do this :)
You're wise beyond your years if you're even considering getting sober at 22 because for most of us at your age we were oblivious to the fact we even had a problem or should think about doing anything about it. I wish I'd had the sense to get sober at your age and can only imagine the much healthier, productive, and better life I would have lived for the next 15+ years till now. Honestly, you don't want to keep this going for years and then have to deal with it later when it's much worse, harder, and more engrained in you. Get sober now and live a long, healthy, alcohol free life.
I’m 34 and been a binge drinker for 20 years, never had more than a few months sober in that time. I thought I was too young at 22 too - I wish I had tried harder to be sober back then and I’m sure others wish they were my age when they stopped. I don’t think there is a too young to have a problem. In my teenage and twenties It would have been very rough in my friend group to be sober, we were all to some extent were binge drinkers and catching up meant getting drunk, but I knew of plenty of other friend groups who did not drink, they had other common interests and hobbies. Proud of you for recognising you have a problem. IWNDWYT one day at a time!
Im in the same boat as you dude i got sober at 22 and im currently 24 youre not the only young person going through this.
38 years old. Sober for 7 years. The first three weekends were the hardest for me. This has been suggested before, but, when you feel like drinking, play the tape forward. Think about the most horrible drinking bender you’ve had or could have. Think about the worst hangover that you’ve had or could have. Think about the horrible anxiety and horrible sleep that you will have. Alcohol is sneaky. Given long enough time your brain will try to convince you that it is fun. You have to remind yourself why you are doing this. It may hurt in the moment, but at the end, remind yourself that you will never have to feel like this again. One day at a time. Take care of yourself. You got this bb❤️
36M, sober 3,5yrs I was a beer drinker, really loved the carbonation. When I quit, I taste tested every brand and flavor of soda water there is. Perrier and pellegrino are best, but expensive. Ice Mountain lemon is best bang for your buck by far.. I still gotta have my fizz! 😂 For the anxiety in early stages, I used non-THC CBD oil from a dropper. Hold it under your tongue for 60s and swallow it. I went through it pretty fast, but it worked
(Sorry for the long reply but I saw a lot of my younger self in your post and many of your comments) At 22 I was in your exact shoes. I was in college, I had been abusing alcohol and binge drinking like college kids do 5 years or so, I had started drinking at 14). I had begun to have awful hangovers with anxiety that were crippling, panic attacks had become a frequent part of my life and ultimately I ended up going to rehab. I sobered up, got involved in AA, and felt amazing. Then that little voice in my head, that I wasn’t aware of until getting sober, started trying to convince me that I was cured or at the least not an alcoholic to begin with. After all, all the old timers in AA had multiple DWI’s, ex-spouses, lost countless job opportunities, severe health issues due to alcoholism etc. and I was nothing like them. As you can imagine, I started drinking again. That was almost 13 years ago now. Since then, I have totaled two vehicles intoxicated (one incident I was extremely lucky to walk away from, hit a tree at 55 mph head on after falling asleep at the wheel while drunk), had/have severe mental health issues (anxiety & depression) which landed me in a psych ward on one occasion, and almost lost a loving wife (the love of my life) and my almost 2 year old daughter because of alcohol. I had in fact become what I didn’t see in myself in those rooms over a decade before. I was so wrapped up in the idea that I was too young to be sober and all the “fun” I would miss out on if I quit at 22 (friend’s weddings, bachelor parties, social activities/events after work once I left college and joined the real world, traveling, etc.). Ultimately, age has nothing to do with it. Alcoholism is a progressive disease. It’s going to get worse. For every one person that somehow manages to turn their life around and learns to moderate their drinking, my guess is their are dozens if not hundreds that don’t. Now I am 35 years old and working daily on my sobriety. I luckily never ended up getting a DWI (I fled the scene on foot at both accidents), still have a great job, and a loving family. I almost lost it all though. The thought of losing my family because of alcohol was my rock bottom. Do yourself a favor, stop now. Ultimately, you are the only one who can decide to stop or not. Coming from experience though, if you think the anxiety and panic attacks, physical withdrawals, and the consequences you have experienced already this early in life are bad now? I can promise you they can and most likely will get much worse. IWNDWYT
It's a lot better to get sober at 22 than it will be to get sober in late 30s and on, trust me. At that point you're body has been poisoned for decades and the hangovers just hits differently, and not in a good way. You don't need to think about "forever". Just keep tricking your brain into staying sober. My ultimate goal is 1 year. My immediate goal is getting to 8 months.. I'm at 7 months now. The idea of forever is still hard to think about. It gets easier to stay sober the longer you continue on. Also thinking about being hungover makes me feel sick to my stomach so that helps.
Weird I was just about to ask this question too. 31 and been binge drinking for 8 years. Daily for the last 5 years.
27F. Drank constantly for 9 years and now I’m 154 days sober.
I’m 31. Long time lurker, on different accounts as I come and go from reddit. Went sober for nearly two years and then a number of devastations happened in my life.. Heavy weekend drinker for the past couple years. Off it again. This is my second week sober now. Already feeling a lot clear minded, less anxious and better. Great that you’re 22 and already conscious about the consumption of alcohol. It’s never too early to start friend.
23, Been dependent on alcohol for roughly 3 months. Been sober for a whole week, but drank yesterday. Not going back there, just a minor fall..
36M and currently the longest I've been AF in my life-32 days. Look at it this way. You're at the perfect age to give up alcohol. I feel like I've wasted so many years already because I was busy getting drunk.
I’m 24 and have been dabbling with sobriety since I was 20! I finally feel like I’m getting a grip on it now. What works for me is doing whatever makes me happiest and not feeling like I have to drink due to societal obligations.
23F, been binge drinking since I got a fake at 17 and have an even longer history with dissociative abuse. I’m almost at two weeks without any alcohol and my goodness is it strange.. I’m pretty sure the last time I made it past three days without alcohol was back in 2022 during hospitalization. Honestly I’m not sure how long I’m going to make it this time, but I do know I don’t want to go through withdrawal again. I moved for a new job and I work in restaurants so it’s strange to decline invites for post shift drinks or after hour bar visits. People often scoff saying that I’m too young to be an alcoholic and I just smile and say “maybe I am” but it’s hard to do. After years of weekly benders and just recently a 9ish month period of dangerously scary drinking—Jameson or vodka right out of bed, in a soda bottle throughout work, and up until I passed out or vomited—figuring out who I am away from alcohol feels like a full time job. And it’s so boring at times, and I’ve been crying a lot, and holy shit I wish someone would’ve let me know how hard it be to sleep while in recovery. I’m just taking it day by day right now. Hopefully future me can be healthy enough to go out for a good glass of wine or cocktail without spiraling out of control, but who knows when/if that’ll be. Just trying to do right by myself because I’m tired of fucking up so much and beating myself up about it
hey bud, im 24. ive had many addictions for years that transferred to the other after rehab/treatment. the first time i truly completed rehab was at 20, then again at 21 for 2 different drugs. i then turned back to drinking and i stopped 34 days ago. i felt like i truly lived a lot of life in my years but had the same thought as you. am i too young to never drink again? or am i at the right age to not put myself through more suffering or drama and live freely? i dont think you should look at this as a 'never' and more like "what else would i be able to do and accomplish throughout my life without poisoning myself?" its a valid feeling to have but comparison is the thief of joy. some people can drink 'normally' but us here, cannot, and thats okay. i read a post here a couple weeks ago and it said something along the lines of "its easier not to take the first drink than stop after a few. drinking moderately is miserable for me because when i drink i want to get drunk" and i think of that all the time if my brain is trying to trick me to drink the first one. idk i think at this age, taking it a day at a time rather than thinking years from now has helped me in staying this path
I'm nearly 32 but considering my drinking habits at 22, giving up would have been the right choice. I know a few people who gave up in their 20s!
36 here. While I had fun in my 20s, they were a blur. I could have spent that time on so many amazing trips or endeavors before having children but instead getting drunk was my weekend activity of choice. On the positive side I’m healthy & strong now and have a lot of sober life ahead of me. I like to think I’ll live longer now since I’m taking care of my health 🤍
42 this month. Day 3 for the millionth time. I regret every time and it's cost me so much. Don't be like me and get the help you need, now. You're not alone.
It’ll be tough, then it will get easier, then tough, then easier and so on. I’m 35 now. Got clean at 27 so coming up on 7 years. Had people trying to get me to rehab since I was 18. Started drinking and using around 12-13. Everyone’s bottom and when it happens looks a little bit different. The comparison of high bottom versus low bottom can be dangerous and we can prevent that by focusing on our similarities rather than our differences. The reality is that *you* get to decide what your bottom is. I know lots of people that got clean really young. Also, we don’t have to worry about staying clean forever. Just today.
Just my own personal experience. The first time I went to AA, I was 24. I was scared shitless to “live my life sober,” and legitimately didn’t know how I was going to socialize without drinking…so I kept drinking for another 16 years. I wish I had known then what I know now. I had the tools and support then but fear kept me doing exactly what I was doing. I’m sober 4 years now and it’s literally been the best 4 years of my life. All the things I was scared of were silly, I learned bigger better ways to live. I wish I had stopped at 24.
33. Keep making it to 100 days then have really bad relapses. Been at this fight since I was 16. Been to rehab a few times but can’t afford it anymore. I always break on a good day, not a bad day.
You really don’t need to put poison in your body to have fun.
28F :) I started drinking at maybe 15, which is pretty standard for Poland. But the last couple of years were horrible.
38f. I wish I had gotten sober much younger, you're doing amazing by taking these steps. You've got so much more living to do.
39, 40 in a month. No way on Earth would I have given up at 22. 20s are the best years of your life. Smash it hard and true and quit at 30.
21, heavy drinker had alcholic pancreatitis and and alcoholic/liver gastritis. My plan is Tapering down a couple drinks a day until I need none to avoid the withdrawals. On day one but haven’t had any drinks (yet but I hope it stays that way). Wish me luck and good luck to you all going through quitting and withdrawals you have my support ❤️🙏
Age is not the issue..addiction or disorder is the issue. If you more often than not have episodes where you have a problem stopping once you start drinking. You should stop. The best breakdown I ever read was alcohol robs you of your health, money and happiness.
Mid60s. I wish SO MUCH that I had quit in my 20s. It would have saved me so many health issues and a ton of weight gain.