A Young Alcoholic?: Why I Started This Journey
Young Alcoholic stems back a few years ago when I had this brilliant idea: I was going to create a website. Not just any website, but one directed at alcoholics—and young ones at that. It was meant to be a portal through which they could connect with others in similar situations. They could read stories, engage in chats, link to help facilities, watch videos, access medical advice, and so much more.
I envisioned it as a place of safety and community. A space for someone who feels like they’re drowning in shame, fear, or confusion to land and say, “Oh wow, I’m not alone.” “Maybe I am a young alcoholic”.
It was quite the animal though, and my overly ambitious mindset had me running in circles. In the end, I spent more time trying to teach myself how to create this super website than I did actually dealing with any relevant content. Outgunned, my dream slowly slipped away and out of sight. Well, maybe not totally out of sight. I had created the name – Young Alcoholic – designed a logo, and even kept a Twitter and Facebook page going, despite the minimal posts. The fire hadn’t gone out. It just flickered.
The Spark That Lit the Fire Again
Fast forward to today and that old flame has reignited. Truth be told, it never entirely extinguished. It just fluttered quietly for a while, waiting for me to be ready.
The reality is, I’ve always wanted to share my story. Why? That’s a good question. Maybe it stems from my desire to help others who are in a situation I once knew all too well. Maybe it’s that I’ve felt the pain, the fear, and the hopelessness—and I don’t want anyone else to feel like they’re stuck in that alone.
Am I a young alcoholic?
Defining a Young Alcoholic
That is not a question with a clean, easy answer. In fact, I don’t think it’s a label anyone necessarily wants to slap on themselves. But sometimes, it’s the truth. And naming the truth, while scary, can be the first step toward healing.
So, let me ask you:
- Is alcohol having a negative impact on your life?
- Do you find yourself drinking to escape reality, stress, or emotions?
- Are you isolating yourself from friends and family?
- Is drinking turning you into a person you never thought you’d be?
- Are you facing financial, academic, or professional consequences because of your drinking?
These aren’t casual questions. They’re the questions I had to start asking myself when my life began to unravel. If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you might be a young alcoholic too. And that’s not a sentence but rather an amazing opportunity. A doorway to a better version of yourself.
The Power of Connection
One of the most healing things I ever did during my recovery was to start talking. To open up about what I was feeling—my shame, my confusion, my fear that maybe I was broken.
It wasn’t easy at first. I felt embarrassed. I thought I was different from everyone else. Like I was the only one who couldn’t control it. The only one who drank too much, too often, and felt like a ghost of the person I used to be.
But the more I shared with others who had walked the same path, the more I realized that I was far from alone. In fact, my story echoed dozens, maybe hundreds, of others. And that realization lifted a massive weight off my shoulders. I wasn’t broken. I was just sick. And like any sickness, I could get better.
Being a young alcoholic doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. And humans heal in connection with one another. That’s why I keep coming back to this idea of building a space for people like us. Somewhere real and raw and honest.
Recovery is Not Overnight - But It’s Worth It
Let me be clear: sobriety didn’t fix my life in a week. It didn’t magically make everything perfect. But it gave me solid ground to start rebuilding from.
The first months were tough. Sometimes the cravings were unbearable. Sometimes the shame would creep in and whisper lies: “You’re never going to be okay,” or “You’re not really that bad, maybe you can still drink.”
But I kept going. Day by day. Sometimes hour by hour.
And slowly, something started to change. I began to trust myself again. I began to like myself again. I began to become the person I was always meant to be—before alcohol clouded my judgment, dulled my instincts, and wrecked my peace.
31 and Sober: No Regrets
Looking back, I don’t regret a single day of sobriety. I was 31 when I had my last drink which was several years ago. I’m beyond grateful that I didn’t wait another decade to figure things out. Because the truth is, the longer you wait, the harder it can be to turn things around.
A common theme I heard in meetings and counseling sessions was: “I wish I had quit ten years earlier.” And that hit me hard. I didn’t want to be that person looking back with regret. I wanted to be the one who said, “I quit when I still had so much life ahead of me.”
And that’s why this message is for you. If you believe you might be a young alcoholic; don’t wait. Don’t let another year slip by, hoping things will magically change. Take action. Ask for help. Your future self will thank you.
You Are Not Alone
The biggest lie alcohol tells us is that we’re alone. That no one would understand. That no one would care. But I promise you, that’s just the disease talking.
There are thousands of people out there who have been in your shoes, who are in your shoes, and who want nothing more than to walk beside you as you try to figure things out. That’s what Young Alcoholic is about. That’s what I want this platform to be.
A place where you can read stories like mine. Where you can feel seen and heard. Where you might even find the courage to tell your own story one day.
It’s Time to Let Yourself Live!
Join me as I continue to share my struggles, challenges, stumbles, and victories throughout my sober journey. Whether you’re just beginning to question your drinking or you’ve already taken the first few steps into sobriety, I want you to know: you are not alone.
There is no shame in admitting you need help. There is no shame in saying, “I think I might be a young alcoholic.” That moment of honesty could be the bravest, most important decision of your life.
You deserve a better life. One with clarity. One with peace. One where you wake up in the morning without regret or confusion or pain. That life is possible. And it starts the moment you say: “I want more.”
So don’t wait. Don’t waste another year wishing. Don’t settle for being a young alcoholic. Take the leap.
It’s time to let yourself live.