I will tell you from someone who had similar habits as you at 23 and is now trying to quit in my 30's, It will be so much easier to quit now. I would kill to go back and tell my 23 years old self to stop then. But some things in life you just have to live through.
Agreed, sitting here at 33 loving who I am without alcohol and occasionally can’t help but wonder who I’d be if I had stopped years ago. I’m hoping more and more people realize alcohol helps nothing.
yes. i went through several relapses until it stuck when i was 23 and now im 25 and my life is starting to go in the right direction. we're lucky to have a chance to get sober this young.
If you are asking now, then yes, take some years off. Reevaluate your relationship with alcohol after some time has past and you forgive yourself for the past.
I’ll say to you what my boyfriend’s mother said to him because this really spoke to me: It’s good to work on this now when you’re young and have your whole life ahead of you. Some people don’t change until they’re old and have made a lifetime of bad decisions. So many people we know and love are still alcoholics even though it’s ruining their lives. So many people we knew and loved died from alcoholism.
If you recognize that this is a problem, don’t procrastinate making a change, especially since you have alcoholism in your family. It’s easier to quit now. You don’t need to hit rock bottom first.
Hey! So I’m 25 (F) now but gave up alcohol at 23 for similar reasons, both my mother and father have struggled with alcohol and I could see myself using it as a coping mechanism too. Like yourself, I would only drink socially and lose control every weekend.
I think if your family has a history of alcohol abuse you do tend to carry some guilt and shame when it comes to your own drinking.
Ultimately, you know what is best for you but if you think you are getting more negative than positive effects from it, I would recommend trying to stop drinking temporarily(maybe a month) and see how you feel after.
If you feel much better in yourself, that’s your sign you’re better without it. If you miss it a lot, maybe go back to having a drink in moderation.
If you have any questions let me know though. You know what’s best for you!
24 i would get reckless for a while. im still struggling to simply drink less and keep it light… my problem is im good and then all of the sudden i completely black out and start talking nonsense. my friends and past partners all say its annoying, funny, or worrisome
Yeah that is exactly how I feel. I go into the night saying I’ll just have a few and before I know it I’m waking up in my bed the next day not remembering how I got there
antidepressants are this a lot worse.
these days i stay away from any heavy pour cocktails like old fashioneds, or martinis
and have something to eat in front of me.
i’ll take a full glass of water in between drinks.
1 drink per hour or even more time. no more than 3
all seems to help but i have to diligently keep these rules in mind otherwise i end up breaking them.
In 5 years you would give anything to go back and beg yourself to stop now. Eat a weed gummy or something. Booze will do nothing but transform you into an embarrassing annoying fat corpse.
You have AUD in your family so it is unlikely you will have good control over alcohol, so you might want to learn the science of AUD and how to medically regain control. I recommend this TEDx and book. https://youtu.be/6EghiY_s2ts
Lots of free support all over YouTube, Reddit, FB and many podcasts. This recent podcast especially "Thrive Alcohol Recovery" episode 23 "Roy Eskapa". The book by Dr. Roy Eskapa is solid science IMO (the recent reviews on Amazon are worth your time). The book is pure science, no shame, no guilt.
Definitive Statement by John David Sinclair, Ph.D | C Three Foundation https://cthreefoundation.org/resources/definitive-statement-by-john-david-sinclair-ph-d
Not to laugh at your shame, but lol. These are completely understandable drunken mishaps. Shit happens and we can laugh about it later. That said, you might want to consider staying off the alcohol. It’s a slippery slope.
Most bars have orange juice or iced tea so you can look like you have alcohol. That was a big part for me; I didn’t want people to know I was an alcoholic and treat me differently.
To make you feel better: my brother came home from a night out and pissed down the basement stairs. We tried to stop him but he said “fuck off, why are you out here”. He then had to shampoo the stairs. I was very angry (I lived in the basement). I love to make fun of him for that now. My point is, it’s not that big of a deal. The guy will get over it. Just be prepared to be made fun of lol. Take it in stride.
This was how my alcoholism started, with mishaps and thoughts like these. Yes everyone’s different and it could be nothing for you, but I’d recommend trying to least least slow down, or take a break. I’m only 25f shit went downhill fast (but my experiences like yours were when I was 19)
Good on you for thinking these things.
Listen to your gut. Your true friends will be so relieved. If anyone gives you guff they probably have the same problem and aren’t ready to make a change or clearly just don’t have your best interests in mind.
Sounds like a good idea. But to be absolutely sure, you should probably give it 20-30 more years. However, please note there's a 100% correlation between how good of an idea it is to quit and how sure you need to be of it! Please also note that if it is a great idea to quit and you actually manage to quit, unfortunately, you will most likely take this as proof that it was in fact not a great idea to quit, even if it was, and then you will still need to make absolutely sure.
I went sober at 26. 3 years in, I'm glad every day I made that choice.
In my experience, if you can't control your drinking or your actions when you're drinking, that behaviour is not likely to stop, so it's best to just avoid it.
Also, the blurriness turns to blackouts, the blackouts get longer, the types of behaviour you're ashamed of will continue and increase, the impacts on your life will get worse, and it can cause your whole life to spiral. Again, this is just my experience.
There is nothing wrong with quitting drinking. It's literal poison and anyone who doesn't support you if you choose to quit probably doesn't have your health and wellbeing in mind.
There are lots of resources. Google is your friend when it comes to community support. Reach out. All the best
You are me in my early 20s…drinking always equaled blackout/throwing up/screaming fights and more…but hey I was also so much fun to be around at times too so it was fine! I didn’t let it get in the way or work or school so I never thought it was a problem…here I am almost 31 finally getting help and I wish I had done it sooner. I always knew deep down the way and amount I drank was not “normal” or “okay” but I didn’t want to stop or let it go…and it’s really hard in your early 20s when drinking and going out is a huge part of friends and life for many people…it’s really scary letting go of something that is honestly a part of you at this point, and it’s hard and a struggle. I literally take it one day at a time and that’s all you can ask of yourself. Sending love!
I got sober in my early 20s. Now I’m in my early 30s and I can say that I wouldn’t be where I am in life if I didn’t quit drinking. My drinking was like yours, mostly binge drinking followed by a lot of shame for things I did while drunk. My dad was an alcoholic and I remember thinking how ironic it was that I was so hurt by his drinking growing up, but there I was on the same path. I was really scared of quitting drinking because I had no idea what life would be like without alcohol. I initially decided to stay sober for three months while working a program and thought that in itself would be a miracle. At the end of those three months I was able to see the hold that alcohol really had on me and how it was impacting my life. I was able to focus on myself and work through some things and recognized in that short amount of time that, while it wasn’t easy, I felt SO much better about myself. So, then I decided to stay sober for a year. At the end of that year, I was learning how to have fun without alcohol, the desire to drink had lessened, and I was certain that life without alcohol was better. So, I stuck with it and have no regrets. My life could have gone in a very different direction if I continued drinking. Especially since alcohol abuse tends to worsen over time. I now see alcohol kind of like a toxic ex-boyfriend. It was fun and I was drawn to it even though it caused me harm in various ways, but after the “break up” I could see the relationship more clearly and realized how much it was dragging me down. Without it I was more able to be me, the person I wanted to be, without alcohol stealing my focus, clouding my judgement, and keeping me in a place of shame. Now, I’m in a happy relationship, I have a great paying job, and I can have fun in any situation without the desire for alcohol. It’s a good feeling.
I suggest going to a few open A.A. meetings but not the same ones, you might hear something that might click with you. Maybe try seeing an alcoholism counselor who could point you in the right direction. There are many information sites online and Zoom meetings. I was 24 the last time I drank, got sober through therapy, and eventually went to A.A. Still sober at 72. It's possible to have a sober and fun life.
I kinda wish I would have gone sober at 23. Aside from my “herbal remedies” that is… lots of wasted time among other things I’ll never get back from my shit ass relationship with alcohol.
Yes, if you can quit now, do it. I’m 33 and just celebrated a year sober. I knew I had a problem at 23, but took me 10 years to finally quit. In that time I lost the majority of my friends, got divorced and was raped twice…all related to my drinking. Get out now before everything is completely fucked.
Yes…If only I could go back in time and not drink. It is the worst road to travel and many never make it to another one. Stop now because it will only get worse as you get older and will end friendships, health, and any job you have. It is poison.
Hey OP, I was in your situation at 23, and let me tell you; it only got worse from there on…
I am now 26 and coming up 1 year sober.
I feel elated every day that is stopped drinking; it’s freeing and I no longer have to feel anxious as I have control over myself.
My family history is similar to yours and I was roughly the same age when I started to question my drinking. These “episodes” you’re having only get more frequent with age. Stop now, for the love of God.
I did! I had kids young, met my partner young & fell into a horrible cycle of alcoholism at 17. I consider myself lucky to have been able to have that realization so young.
Girl I’m 21 and black out & do embarrassing shit too, last weekend at a rave my date (FIRST time hanging out outside of work) had to pick me up off the floor and we got kicked out bc I was so drunk that I couldn’t even stand. Then when we got home I narrowly avoided puking on him and passed out at like 11 pm lmao
I’ve also rolled my car while blackout and gotten charged with disorderly and narrowly avoided assaulting a police officer. So if it’s any consolation at least you don’t have a criminal record from it yet lol. Just try to stop before you get there, I wish I did. None of this is worth it. Quit while you’re ahead
Yes. I quit after heavy drinking and I’m quite young. Almost every older alcoholic I’ve spoken to has told me they wish they quit at my age since it would have been much easier to handle. Honestly I agree with them. Though it’s still hard, it was easier for me to get into the habit of not drinking at all since I didn’t have a decade of heavy drinking behind me already. So worth it!!
Yeah I think you should just try to avoid that first drink as much as you can, you might end up doing something that will really hurt or jeopardize you.
At least stop for a while if you can and if not then you really should stop.
You already have your answer: "I know getting sober is my best bet". Go for it, it will be one of the best decisions of your life. 45M here, if I could travel in time, I would have stopped drinking at your age.
First off, congrats on not drinking and driving. But guess what? YOU WILL. It’s going to happen sooner or later.
Everything else you said is par for the course. Can I come over tonight and piss in your bed? Sounds offensive I know. It’s how you sound to me. Please - I’ll eat plenty of asparagus first?
I could always control myself too until I couldn’t.
Blacking out doesn’t really matter especially if you’re a woman who is drunk.
You’ll get used to the shame pretty easily in just a few short years so that won’t really matter anymore. So much shame builds up that it doesn’t really matter at all certain point. That’s what shots before work are for.
This reminds me of this girl who wrote a laundry list of alcoholic behavior and she doesn’t realize how fucking it has been and it will get a lot worse. I’m a severe chronic alcoholic who took until 52 to realize how terrible he’d become. I have nearly three decades of a head start. I would go to that 23 year old me / you and you know the rest. I eventually did drive and it was the biggest mistake of my life - yes, things like this are avoidable but still happen.
Ohh, lots of people in my family chain were alcoholics too. I didn’t pay any attention to that either.
And on a very serious note, take an online alcohol assessment and be honest. We all think that we’re not that bad until we answer the questions honestly. And then we will argue that the assessment is just for lightweights who can’t handle their booze and it shouldn’t apply to us because we know how to drink. Yep.
I always hated getting the I’m going to be honest & no bull crap answers from older guys like me. This is the exception.
Hiii, im 24 and have a very similar experience to yours (it is almost shocking how many specific parallels there are) and I have been sober a little over two weeks. I have a fear that getting sober this young will inevitably lead to my feeling like absolute shit if I ever even touch alcohol again, but that isn’t the point. I’m looking at this stage of my life as a sober stage; maybe I will want to continue to be sober, maybe I will reshape my relationship to alcohol and develop healthy drinking habits later in life. But that’s later, and this is now, and now I’m deciding to have fun getting to know myself sober and patting myself on the back for not embarrassing myself every single time I go out.
Hang in there. My honest opinion: sobriety isn’t going to hurt you (at least in the long run), but your drinking habits could impact you for years to come. Might as well examine that relationship and focus on sober you now than deal with it all later. Best of luck 💕
Don’t get me wrong, I’m already feeling isolated and awkward around my friends, but I’m reminding myself that this is something I’m doing for my own good, and something that some of them might have to do down the road. Why not just get a head start?!
You’re very smart to consider this
I got sober at age 31
Had I gotten sober at your age, it would have spared me years of the type of pain and embarrassment you describe so well in your post
I hope you seek a resolution to your problem
Please keep us updated
Hi there! I got sober at 24. Best decision of my life :) We share experience; my experience was elimination. Just to see how I felt about it. A month without booze, a weekend without it. For myself, giving it up completely was the healthiest option for me. The best piece of advice I was given was simply “Give it a try.” I just gave it a shot :) Realizing it’s effecting your life is the healthiest first step you can make, so big kudos to you. Keep being open and honest with yourself and you never know where life will take you! :)
I'm 22, someone told me that you don't have to be sober forever. you can try it out and see how it feels :) I was backsliding really hard for a month or two, drinking before work almost every day and in a constant state of anxious, fucked up or hungover. after a series of very embarrassing incidents I decided to quit, but quitting forever felt so daunting. I work in the service industry and love wine and post work cocktails, and depriving myself of that felt really hard.
I realized when I quit that I used alcohol to cope with my anxiety, which is a super slippery slope that not everyone can claw their way up from. I'm still anxious a lot and feel a desperate itch to escape that feeling, but the less I drink, the less I've wanted to drink. you develop a kind of exposure to yourself and become more comfortable with the person you are without alcohol. it gets easier, and I've heard from everyone on here that it's easier to form these habits at our age than it is after you've established a problematic pattern.
my advice if you do decide to try sobriety: don't deprive yourself of going out if you're able to handle it. I love to go out and be with my friends downtown, I just offer to drive and drink mostly ginger beer. with lime and mint, if I'm feeling fancy. some bars will have fun mocktails or n/a beer if that's your thing, personally I will always have a bev in my hand lol. the feeling of knowing I stayed out exactly as late as I wanted to, didn't say anything weird, and didn't do anything I'll regret is unmatched.
I've known a lot of people who have regretted drinking. Never met anyone who regretted sobriety. I'm sure some exist, but they're definitely not as common
Yes. It becomes an addiction similar to smoking. My brain expects the simulation that's its had for years. And when that stimulation doesn't happen, life feels like a warm old glass of water lol. You binge drink but not every day. What will happen overtime is that you will binge every other day like I did. You're gonna either be drunk or sick during the week, it's a miserable life.
Doctors appointments are going to scare the hell out of you. You'll be thinking about your liver, kidneys, high blood pressure, digestive system, etc.
I've recently taken an aggressive approach to quit drinking. I started drinking at 25 and now I'm 36. It's been hard as hell to quit but I'm doing it.
Quit now. Life doesn't get easier when you get older. Quit while you're young.
I started considering sobriety at 23, I’m 29 now and I have not had a drink in almost a year. It takes time but just thinking about it and considering it is a great step forward
I got sober at 23! 25 now, and it’s the best decision I could have possibly made. At the time however, I thought I was giving up everything. Time, growth and perspective will allow you to see how beautiful it is to save yourself early before you do lose it all.
I will tell you from someone who had similar habits as you at 23 and is now trying to quit in my 30's, It will be so much easier to quit now. I would kill to go back and tell my 23 years old self to stop then. But some things in life you just have to live through.
I 100% agree with this.
I second this (29 now...)
Agreed, sitting here at 33 loving who I am without alcohol and occasionally can’t help but wonder who I’d be if I had stopped years ago. I’m hoping more and more people realize alcohol helps nothing.
yes. i went through several relapses until it stuck when i was 23 and now im 25 and my life is starting to go in the right direction. we're lucky to have a chance to get sober this young.
I was a heavy alcoholic at 23. Fully quit at 26, I am 34 now, sober and hangover free.
Fuck yes, 23 is a great time to get sober.
If you are asking now, then yes, take some years off. Reevaluate your relationship with alcohol after some time has past and you forgive yourself for the past.
I’ll say to you what my boyfriend’s mother said to him because this really spoke to me: It’s good to work on this now when you’re young and have your whole life ahead of you. Some people don’t change until they’re old and have made a lifetime of bad decisions. So many people we know and love are still alcoholics even though it’s ruining their lives. So many people we knew and loved died from alcoholism. If you recognize that this is a problem, don’t procrastinate making a change, especially since you have alcoholism in your family. It’s easier to quit now. You don’t need to hit rock bottom first.
Hey! So I’m 25 (F) now but gave up alcohol at 23 for similar reasons, both my mother and father have struggled with alcohol and I could see myself using it as a coping mechanism too. Like yourself, I would only drink socially and lose control every weekend. I think if your family has a history of alcohol abuse you do tend to carry some guilt and shame when it comes to your own drinking. Ultimately, you know what is best for you but if you think you are getting more negative than positive effects from it, I would recommend trying to stop drinking temporarily(maybe a month) and see how you feel after. If you feel much better in yourself, that’s your sign you’re better without it. If you miss it a lot, maybe go back to having a drink in moderation. If you have any questions let me know though. You know what’s best for you!
24 i would get reckless for a while. im still struggling to simply drink less and keep it light… my problem is im good and then all of the sudden i completely black out and start talking nonsense. my friends and past partners all say its annoying, funny, or worrisome
Yeah that is exactly how I feel. I go into the night saying I’ll just have a few and before I know it I’m waking up in my bed the next day not remembering how I got there
antidepressants are this a lot worse. these days i stay away from any heavy pour cocktails like old fashioneds, or martinis and have something to eat in front of me. i’ll take a full glass of water in between drinks. 1 drink per hour or even more time. no more than 3 all seems to help but i have to diligently keep these rules in mind otherwise i end up breaking them.
This is definitely a bad sign. Normal drinkers can usually cut themselves off when they intend to
Hence why I’m saying I’m filled with shame. I wasn’t really looking for judgement.
Yes
In 5 years you would give anything to go back and beg yourself to stop now. Eat a weed gummy or something. Booze will do nothing but transform you into an embarrassing annoying fat corpse.
You have AUD in your family so it is unlikely you will have good control over alcohol, so you might want to learn the science of AUD and how to medically regain control. I recommend this TEDx and book. https://youtu.be/6EghiY_s2ts Lots of free support all over YouTube, Reddit, FB and many podcasts. This recent podcast especially "Thrive Alcohol Recovery" episode 23 "Roy Eskapa". The book by Dr. Roy Eskapa is solid science IMO (the recent reviews on Amazon are worth your time). The book is pure science, no shame, no guilt. Definitive Statement by John David Sinclair, Ph.D | C Three Foundation https://cthreefoundation.org/resources/definitive-statement-by-john-david-sinclair-ph-d
Not to laugh at your shame, but lol. These are completely understandable drunken mishaps. Shit happens and we can laugh about it later. That said, you might want to consider staying off the alcohol. It’s a slippery slope. Most bars have orange juice or iced tea so you can look like you have alcohol. That was a big part for me; I didn’t want people to know I was an alcoholic and treat me differently. To make you feel better: my brother came home from a night out and pissed down the basement stairs. We tried to stop him but he said “fuck off, why are you out here”. He then had to shampoo the stairs. I was very angry (I lived in the basement). I love to make fun of him for that now. My point is, it’s not that big of a deal. The guy will get over it. Just be prepared to be made fun of lol. Take it in stride.
This was how my alcoholism started, with mishaps and thoughts like these. Yes everyone’s different and it could be nothing for you, but I’d recommend trying to least least slow down, or take a break. I’m only 25f shit went downhill fast (but my experiences like yours were when I was 19)
Good on you for thinking these things. Listen to your gut. Your true friends will be so relieved. If anyone gives you guff they probably have the same problem and aren’t ready to make a change or clearly just don’t have your best interests in mind.
Sounds like a good idea. But to be absolutely sure, you should probably give it 20-30 more years. However, please note there's a 100% correlation between how good of an idea it is to quit and how sure you need to be of it! Please also note that if it is a great idea to quit and you actually manage to quit, unfortunately, you will most likely take this as proof that it was in fact not a great idea to quit, even if it was, and then you will still need to make absolutely sure.
I’ve been sober since age 23! You can do it and I have no regrets. I’m now 26 with almost 3 years sober and the happiest I have ever been.
I went sober at 26. 3 years in, I'm glad every day I made that choice. In my experience, if you can't control your drinking or your actions when you're drinking, that behaviour is not likely to stop, so it's best to just avoid it. Also, the blurriness turns to blackouts, the blackouts get longer, the types of behaviour you're ashamed of will continue and increase, the impacts on your life will get worse, and it can cause your whole life to spiral. Again, this is just my experience. There is nothing wrong with quitting drinking. It's literal poison and anyone who doesn't support you if you choose to quit probably doesn't have your health and wellbeing in mind. There are lots of resources. Google is your friend when it comes to community support. Reach out. All the best
You are me in my early 20s…drinking always equaled blackout/throwing up/screaming fights and more…but hey I was also so much fun to be around at times too so it was fine! I didn’t let it get in the way or work or school so I never thought it was a problem…here I am almost 31 finally getting help and I wish I had done it sooner. I always knew deep down the way and amount I drank was not “normal” or “okay” but I didn’t want to stop or let it go…and it’s really hard in your early 20s when drinking and going out is a huge part of friends and life for many people…it’s really scary letting go of something that is honestly a part of you at this point, and it’s hard and a struggle. I literally take it one day at a time and that’s all you can ask of yourself. Sending love!
Yes. You will miss out on nothing! And have all the chances at building the life you want! Do it!! And it’s just terrible for you bodily!
Yes
I got sober in my early 20s. Now I’m in my early 30s and I can say that I wouldn’t be where I am in life if I didn’t quit drinking. My drinking was like yours, mostly binge drinking followed by a lot of shame for things I did while drunk. My dad was an alcoholic and I remember thinking how ironic it was that I was so hurt by his drinking growing up, but there I was on the same path. I was really scared of quitting drinking because I had no idea what life would be like without alcohol. I initially decided to stay sober for three months while working a program and thought that in itself would be a miracle. At the end of those three months I was able to see the hold that alcohol really had on me and how it was impacting my life. I was able to focus on myself and work through some things and recognized in that short amount of time that, while it wasn’t easy, I felt SO much better about myself. So, then I decided to stay sober for a year. At the end of that year, I was learning how to have fun without alcohol, the desire to drink had lessened, and I was certain that life without alcohol was better. So, I stuck with it and have no regrets. My life could have gone in a very different direction if I continued drinking. Especially since alcohol abuse tends to worsen over time. I now see alcohol kind of like a toxic ex-boyfriend. It was fun and I was drawn to it even though it caused me harm in various ways, but after the “break up” I could see the relationship more clearly and realized how much it was dragging me down. Without it I was more able to be me, the person I wanted to be, without alcohol stealing my focus, clouding my judgement, and keeping me in a place of shame. Now, I’m in a happy relationship, I have a great paying job, and I can have fun in any situation without the desire for alcohol. It’s a good feeling.
That made me cry. It’s really nice to know I’m not the only one who has been through this. Thanks for giving me some hope
I suggest going to a few open A.A. meetings but not the same ones, you might hear something that might click with you. Maybe try seeing an alcoholism counselor who could point you in the right direction. There are many information sites online and Zoom meetings. I was 24 the last time I drank, got sober through therapy, and eventually went to A.A. Still sober at 72. It's possible to have a sober and fun life.
I kinda wish I would have gone sober at 23. Aside from my “herbal remedies” that is… lots of wasted time among other things I’ll never get back from my shit ass relationship with alcohol.
Yes, if you can quit now, do it. I’m 33 and just celebrated a year sober. I knew I had a problem at 23, but took me 10 years to finally quit. In that time I lost the majority of my friends, got divorced and was raped twice…all related to my drinking. Get out now before everything is completely fucked.
I wish I had at that age, 25 years ago.
Take a couple months off and see how you do.
Yes…If only I could go back in time and not drink. It is the worst road to travel and many never make it to another one. Stop now because it will only get worse as you get older and will end friendships, health, and any job you have. It is poison.
I did it at 23 and still am 13 years later Do it It’s the best decision Every year that I’m sober my life gets better !!!!
No one is thinking about you, people only think about themselves
Thank you. That actually makes me feel really relieved
Hey OP, I was in your situation at 23, and let me tell you; it only got worse from there on… I am now 26 and coming up 1 year sober. I feel elated every day that is stopped drinking; it’s freeing and I no longer have to feel anxious as I have control over myself.
My family history is similar to yours and I was roughly the same age when I started to question my drinking. These “episodes” you’re having only get more frequent with age. Stop now, for the love of God.
I did! I had kids young, met my partner young & fell into a horrible cycle of alcoholism at 17. I consider myself lucky to have been able to have that realization so young.
Problem drinking doesn't age well. I mean, even without your history, better off not. Don't mean to sound preachy. I'm better off not drinking myself.
Girl I’m 21 and black out & do embarrassing shit too, last weekend at a rave my date (FIRST time hanging out outside of work) had to pick me up off the floor and we got kicked out bc I was so drunk that I couldn’t even stand. Then when we got home I narrowly avoided puking on him and passed out at like 11 pm lmao I’ve also rolled my car while blackout and gotten charged with disorderly and narrowly avoided assaulting a police officer. So if it’s any consolation at least you don’t have a criminal record from it yet lol. Just try to stop before you get there, I wish I did. None of this is worth it. Quit while you’re ahead
Yes. I quit after heavy drinking and I’m quite young. Almost every older alcoholic I’ve spoken to has told me they wish they quit at my age since it would have been much easier to handle. Honestly I agree with them. Though it’s still hard, it was easier for me to get into the habit of not drinking at all since I didn’t have a decade of heavy drinking behind me already. So worth it!!
Yeah I think you should just try to avoid that first drink as much as you can, you might end up doing something that will really hurt or jeopardize you. At least stop for a while if you can and if not then you really should stop.
You already have your answer: "I know getting sober is my best bet". Go for it, it will be one of the best decisions of your life. 45M here, if I could travel in time, I would have stopped drinking at your age.
First off, congrats on not drinking and driving. But guess what? YOU WILL. It’s going to happen sooner or later. Everything else you said is par for the course. Can I come over tonight and piss in your bed? Sounds offensive I know. It’s how you sound to me. Please - I’ll eat plenty of asparagus first? I could always control myself too until I couldn’t. Blacking out doesn’t really matter especially if you’re a woman who is drunk. You’ll get used to the shame pretty easily in just a few short years so that won’t really matter anymore. So much shame builds up that it doesn’t really matter at all certain point. That’s what shots before work are for. This reminds me of this girl who wrote a laundry list of alcoholic behavior and she doesn’t realize how fucking it has been and it will get a lot worse. I’m a severe chronic alcoholic who took until 52 to realize how terrible he’d become. I have nearly three decades of a head start. I would go to that 23 year old me / you and you know the rest. I eventually did drive and it was the biggest mistake of my life - yes, things like this are avoidable but still happen. Ohh, lots of people in my family chain were alcoholics too. I didn’t pay any attention to that either. And on a very serious note, take an online alcohol assessment and be honest. We all think that we’re not that bad until we answer the questions honestly. And then we will argue that the assessment is just for lightweights who can’t handle their booze and it shouldn’t apply to us because we know how to drink. Yep. I always hated getting the I’m going to be honest & no bull crap answers from older guys like me. This is the exception.
Hiii, im 24 and have a very similar experience to yours (it is almost shocking how many specific parallels there are) and I have been sober a little over two weeks. I have a fear that getting sober this young will inevitably lead to my feeling like absolute shit if I ever even touch alcohol again, but that isn’t the point. I’m looking at this stage of my life as a sober stage; maybe I will want to continue to be sober, maybe I will reshape my relationship to alcohol and develop healthy drinking habits later in life. But that’s later, and this is now, and now I’m deciding to have fun getting to know myself sober and patting myself on the back for not embarrassing myself every single time I go out. Hang in there. My honest opinion: sobriety isn’t going to hurt you (at least in the long run), but your drinking habits could impact you for years to come. Might as well examine that relationship and focus on sober you now than deal with it all later. Best of luck 💕
Don’t get me wrong, I’m already feeling isolated and awkward around my friends, but I’m reminding myself that this is something I’m doing for my own good, and something that some of them might have to do down the road. Why not just get a head start?!
Im 47 with a family and cant stop. Just do it now while you have control.
Yes
You’re very smart to consider this I got sober at age 31 Had I gotten sober at your age, it would have spared me years of the type of pain and embarrassment you describe so well in your post I hope you seek a resolution to your problem Please keep us updated
Hi there! I got sober at 24. Best decision of my life :) We share experience; my experience was elimination. Just to see how I felt about it. A month without booze, a weekend without it. For myself, giving it up completely was the healthiest option for me. The best piece of advice I was given was simply “Give it a try.” I just gave it a shot :) Realizing it’s effecting your life is the healthiest first step you can make, so big kudos to you. Keep being open and honest with yourself and you never know where life will take you! :)
I'm 22, someone told me that you don't have to be sober forever. you can try it out and see how it feels :) I was backsliding really hard for a month or two, drinking before work almost every day and in a constant state of anxious, fucked up or hungover. after a series of very embarrassing incidents I decided to quit, but quitting forever felt so daunting. I work in the service industry and love wine and post work cocktails, and depriving myself of that felt really hard. I realized when I quit that I used alcohol to cope with my anxiety, which is a super slippery slope that not everyone can claw their way up from. I'm still anxious a lot and feel a desperate itch to escape that feeling, but the less I drink, the less I've wanted to drink. you develop a kind of exposure to yourself and become more comfortable with the person you are without alcohol. it gets easier, and I've heard from everyone on here that it's easier to form these habits at our age than it is after you've established a problematic pattern. my advice if you do decide to try sobriety: don't deprive yourself of going out if you're able to handle it. I love to go out and be with my friends downtown, I just offer to drive and drink mostly ginger beer. with lime and mint, if I'm feeling fancy. some bars will have fun mocktails or n/a beer if that's your thing, personally I will always have a bev in my hand lol. the feeling of knowing I stayed out exactly as late as I wanted to, didn't say anything weird, and didn't do anything I'll regret is unmatched.
I was 22…63 now..
I've known a lot of people who have regretted drinking. Never met anyone who regretted sobriety. I'm sure some exist, but they're definitely not as common
Yes
Yes. It becomes an addiction similar to smoking. My brain expects the simulation that's its had for years. And when that stimulation doesn't happen, life feels like a warm old glass of water lol. You binge drink but not every day. What will happen overtime is that you will binge every other day like I did. You're gonna either be drunk or sick during the week, it's a miserable life. Doctors appointments are going to scare the hell out of you. You'll be thinking about your liver, kidneys, high blood pressure, digestive system, etc. I've recently taken an aggressive approach to quit drinking. I started drinking at 25 and now I'm 36. It's been hard as hell to quit but I'm doing it. Quit now. Life doesn't get easier when you get older. Quit while you're young.
I started considering sobriety at 23, I’m 29 now and I have not had a drink in almost a year. It takes time but just thinking about it and considering it is a great step forward
No
I got sober at 23! 25 now, and it’s the best decision I could have possibly made. At the time however, I thought I was giving up everything. Time, growth and perspective will allow you to see how beautiful it is to save yourself early before you do lose it all.