How to tell when your drinking has become a problem
Alcoholism is an illness. It can hit anyone: young, old; rich, poor; black, white. Alcoholics aren’t just those old guys sitting on park benches. Young successful people can ruin their lives with alcohol too.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been drinking, what you’ve been drinking or even how much. It’s what drinking does to you that counts.
12 questions to help you decide
To help you decide whether you might have a problem with your own drinking, we’ve prepared these 12 questions. The answers are nobody’s business but your own.
- Do you drink because you have problems? To relax?
- Do you drink when you get mad at other people, your friends or parents?
- Do you prefer to drink alone, rather than with others?
- Are your grades starting to slip? Are you making a mess of your job?
- Did you ever try to stop drinking or drink less – and fail?
- Have you begun to drink in the morning, before school or work?
- Do you gulp your drinks?
- Do you ever have loss of memory due to your drinking?
- Do you lie about your drinking?
- Do you ever get into trouble when you’re drinking?
- Do you get drunk when you drink, even when you don’t mean to?
- Do you think it’s cool to be able to hold your liquor?
If you can answer YES to any one of these questions, maybe it’s time you took a serious look at what your drinking might be doing to you. If you do need help or if you’d just like to talk to someone about your drinking, call the NH AA Hotline: 800-593-3330 or Find a Young People’s Meeting.
AA Young People’s Conventions
Young people in AA organize regular AA Conventions – for people of all ages to attend and participate – to carry the message of AA to all – and especially to newcomers.
The New Hampshire State Conference for Young People in AA (NHSCYPAA) is an annual conference held by, and for, the young-at-heart in AA, to share our experience, strength and hope with each other. This weekend event is full of recovery-based meetings as well as fun and fellowship.
The New England Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (NECYPAA) was first established by an Advisory Council that was formed in 1989 for the expressed purpose of establishing and maintaining an annual Conference for young people in recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
See if you have any similarities with the young alcoholics in these videos:
Young & Sober in A.A.: From Drinking to Recovery
Young and drinking too much? Through A.A., these young people got sober and found recovery. If you want to stop drinking, Alcoholics Anonymous can help you, too. You’re never too young to get sober.
25 and Under
Too young to be an alcoholic? Listen to stories from A.A. members who got sober before they turned 25 as they tell what happened when they drank alcohol, and how Alcoholics Anonymous has changed their lives. If you feel alcohol is causing problems in your life, A.A. can help. No one is too young to quit drinking.
At the Beach
Young and sober in A.A.: These Alcoholics Anonymous members quit drinking young and found recovery through the 12 Steps. If you’re drinking too much, A.A. can help. You’re never too young to get sober.
A Group of People Just Like Me
Young and sober in A.A.: These Alcoholics Anonymous members quit drinking young and found recovery through the 12 Steps. If you’re drinking too much, A.A. can help. You’re never too young to get sober.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Getting sober young in A.A.: a member tells how Alcoholics Anonymous helped her to quit drinking at 17 and to find a community of sober friends at young people’s meetings. If you think you’re drinking too much, A.A. can help you, too. You’re never too young to stop drinking.