Having a drinking problem, if you under the legal age limit to drink, is not uncommon. There are thousands of stories of teenagers and even younger who develop alcoholism. While there may be consequences when you actually get caught drinking, you can still get help.
Alcoholism shows no demographic, ethnic or gender prejudice. It also doesn’t discriminate based on your age. Once you realize you may have a drinking problem, how you got there isn’t the important question to answer. The question is, what are you going to do?
There is help available no matter how old you are. Just like the absence of boundaries that alcoholism uses, so too is the ability to get help. Here are some helpful suggestions on how you can get help for alcoholism if you aren’t 21, including possible medications.
If You Need Help
For any type of help to happen, you need to admit there might at the very least be a problem. Many young alcoholics forego addressing the obvious because they feel it is something that will just pass. That happens for some.
Nevertheless, there are far too many young adults who begin drinking at an early age who spiral out of control with their drinking. Most say they tried to muster up the noblest of efforts to stop or reduce their alcohol consumption, but they failed repeatedly.
The reasons are everything from peer pressure to life’s pressures. Come up with a reason or excuse for why someone becomes an alcoholic isn’t imperative. Seeking help is what is important. Now, maybe you’ve decided you need help, but you’re afraid of the consequences.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
It’s not at all surprising that someone may develop alcoholism long before they’re legally of age to drink. The average age of a first drink is somewhere around 14. You pack five or six years of alcoholic-type drinking in before you turn 21 and you have a problem.
There are estimates mentioned in different venues that feel people under the legal drinking age consume more than 10 percent of the alcohol drank in the US. So, if you’ve struggled with a drinking problem, you’re not alone.
As we mentioned, if you are caught consuming alcohol before you’re 21, you could put yourself in legal hot water. The problem is that many young adults under the legal drinking age develop alcoholism.
At the core of being an alcoholic is an ability to stop. Alcoholics battle a disease that insists they either don’t have a problem, or the problem is because of someone else. If the cunning and baffling nature of alcoholism isn’t enough, you could be afraid to ask if you’re underage.
Worrying about legal consequences from underage drinking is probably unrealistic. It would be astonishing to hear that a legal system would punish an admitted underage drinker who asked for help. There are people who want to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Because Help is Available
Once you overcome the fear of asking for help, you find it is there in many forms. Even if someone is suffering from alcohol abuse, yet they are underage, you can still be prescribed particular medications to help with the initial cravings.
However, the help goes far beyond medicating your alcoholism. Once you’ve asked for help, a wonderful adventure can start, one that can change your life forever. Even if you’re under 21, you can utilize various recovery services.
There are no age restrictions on attending recovery fellowships. Many treatment facilities have accommodations for young adults, and even individuals who haven’t even turned 18 yet.
You can receive helpful counseling, plus be advised on ways to stop drinking successfully, but most importantly stay stopped. If you even think you may have a drinking problem, you should ask for help. Never be afraid to ask for help, but it’s there.
Being a teenager or young adult can be scary enough. You have to deal with changes in your body and an avalanche of information in your brain. The years from adolescence through early adulthood can be challenging.
Growing up can be even more challenging, if you realize that you have a substance abuse problem. When you’re entangled in a web of addiction, it can be emotionally agonizing. However, once you ask for help, you’ll quickly find a wealth of compassion and understanding that will wash away your worst fears.
If you do discover you are an alcoholic even before you turn 21, you’ll join a select group. There are wonderful stories of young people who have avoided the terrible consequences of living for years with the disease of alcoholism. Even if you’re underage, reach out for help today at 302-842-2390. Don’t wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow could be too late.
