Alcoholism in Young Adults is Very Real
When I first admitted to someone that I might be an alcoholic, I was in my twenties. I wasn’t in a treatment center or sitting in a therapy group; I was on my couch, nervously telling my then-girlfriend something that had been quietly growing inside me for a while.
“I think I might be an alcoholic,” I said.
She looked at me, paused for a moment, and asked, “aren’t you too young to be an alcoholic?”
That question stuck with me. I didn’t know how to answer it. I didn’t feel like an alcoholic. I still had a job. I had friends. I wasn’t drinking out of a paper bag in the street or waking up in jail. I thought I was just a guy who liked to party, someone who maybe drank a little too much but would grow out of it.
But deep down, I was scared.
When people picture alcoholism, they often think of an older person whose life has visibly unraveled. That was the image in my head too. Someone much older, with decades of drinking under their belt, someone who had lost everything. I didn’t fit that stereotype, so I figured I couldn’t possibly be one.
What I didn’t realize then is that alcoholism in young adults is not only real but it’s common. And it doesn’t always look like the movies or the worst-case scenarios. It can show up in quieter, more socially acceptable ways. It can hide in brunches, bar crawls, house parties, and college nights out. It hides in people who still seem like they have their lives together, even when they’re falling apart inside.
Denial Can Look Like “I’m Too Young”
I told myself I wasn’t like “those people.” I didn’t drink in the morning. I hadn’t lost my job. I could still make people laugh. I was still getting invited places. But over time, I started to realize something: I was always the one who took things too far. I was the one who stayed until last call, who kept drinking when others stopped, who made excuses for blackouts and hangovers.
I started drinking more with strangers than with friends. And those strangers became my new normal. I’d meet people at bars, strike up conversations, and call them friends simply because we shared a few hours over drinks. My old friendships faded. My world slowly shrank to the size of a bar stool.
I told myself it was just a phase. That I’d grow out of it like everyone else.
But the truth is, I wasn’t outgrowing it. I was sinking deeper.
Getting Sober at 31
It wasn’t until I was 31 that I finally got sober. That moment didn’t come with flashing lights or a dramatic intervention. It came after years of trying to control my drinking and failing. Years of waking up feeling sick, ashamed, and swearing that today would be different. Years of trying to prove to myself that I wasn’t an alcoholic.
Getting sober was the hardest and best decision I’ve ever made.
And looking back, I wish someone had told me that you don’t have to be old to have a drinking problem. You don’t need to hit some mythical rock bottom. You don’t need to lose everything before you decide you want more from life.
Alcoholism doesn’t care how old you are. If alcohol is negatively affecting your life – your relationships, your sense of self, your ability to grow – that’s enough. That’s always been enough.
What I’ve Learned About Alcoholism in Young Adults
Now that I’m sober, I see it so clearly. I wasn’t too young. I was just too stuck in the belief that alcoholism had a certain look, a certain age, a certain dramatic storyline. I didn’t realize that alcoholism in young adults often wears a smile and goes to work on Monday morning. It shows up in “just one more” and in drinking to cope with anxiety, loneliness, or stress. It hides in plain sight.
And I know I’m not the only one who felt that way.
If you’re reading this and wondering if your drinking is a problem, I want you to know you’re not alone. You don’t need to “prove” you’re an alcoholic to seek help. You don’t need to be older, sicker, or more broken than you are right now.
You just have to be honest with yourself. Is alcohol making your life better? Or worse? Is it helping you feel more like yourself, or less?
If you’re starting to ask those questions, that’s a sign in itself. And it’s okay to listen to that voice, even if it feels scary. Even if people around you don’t understand. Even if you look “too young” to have a problem.
Sobriety Isn’t the End of Fun - It’s the Start of Freedom
I used to think that getting sober meant giving up all the fun in life. That I’d become boring. That I’d lose my edge. That I’d have to grow up before I was ready.
But the truth? Sobriety didn’t make me old, it made me new.
I feel things now. I remember everything. I have deeper conversations and real friendships. I have clarity. I have peace. I have joy that doesn’t come with a hangover or a side of guilt. And I have the freedom to build a life I actually want to be present for.
If you’re a young adult and struggling with alcohol, please know that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to question whether drinking is serving you or slowly destroying you. And it’s more than okay to step away from it, even if people around you don’t get it.
You’re not too young to have a problem. And you’re definitely not too young to change your life. Alcoholism in young adults is more common than we may realize, and the sooner you start addressing it the better off you will be in the long run.
There's Hope in Healing
Alcoholism in young adults is often overlooked or dismissed. But it’s real, and it’s valid. If you see yourself in any of this, I hope you know that sobriety is possible. And it’s absolutely worth it. You don’t have to wait for your life to fall apart. You can choose to start healing now.
I did. And I’ve never looked back. You deserve a better life too. You deserve to let yourself live!