For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

[Fran15]

And... how did it progress? for me it started early... I had issues as early has high school. I was moved around a lot in schools and had medical and family issues. I seemed to find solace in the drinking and it seemed to be the socially acceptable thing to do. From that it went into college -- end up working in a bar (good choice) I think smoking pot tapered it off for awhile and then ended up in some high stress situations. I didn't really realize I had developed a problem until my early twenties but didn't have a strong support system to ever intervene. Now here I am taking responsibility for own actions. Despite all this, I've always been high functioning, successful and managed to perform quite well. Recently, my health has taken a huge toll and I want my mind back. So here I am.

[me145]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I began when I was 18.. but it was just three cores lights at a friends house.. a few days later, two coors lights .. maybe a week later a few more lght beers. it was social drinkng for awhile.. i then eventually turned 21 and would go out to bars. i remember counting calories though, and i would count one hundred cals per beer, and would allow maybe fve beers the most and eat only 1200 cals that day.. i would then go out two to three times a week to bars. eventually i remember when my problem began, i started ignoring the calories and need to lose those five pounds, and eventually began taking shots when out, and soon began my out of control thursday and frday or saturday nights at bars. i began occasionally having blackouts where i barely remembered the night.. i THINK. cant remember all that well considering it was four or five years ago. all i know is, eventually it turned into having a blackout at the end of the night almost every weekend. i would remember the whole night, but not remember walkng back to my house or the very end of the night. my bf moving by me, and having our own apartment increased my drinking problem because we had no parents around, freedom, and began drinking about five days a week. it started becoming on my mind daily at that point . it also became less fun. didnt feel as good.. needed more and more alcohol to feel the "happy high". anyway, once i realized i had to d osomething about the drinking, it ended. my bf moved back to his parents house, and i now live on my own, but dont ever buy alcohol to bring to my house. we are both consceous of our problem, and we dont go out to bars often anymore. this past weekend, for example, we went to a restaurant and had three drinks each. so far its been ok, but ive had slip ups here and there, where ive gotten to drunk and embarassed myself. but i dont know what the future holds. its a struggle still, and always will be in my life.. the disease is all over my family, and definitely all around my body waiting to come out and attack me again!!

[frogging]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

In college, 18 to 22 years. Heavy drinking on Friday and Saturdays only. If I could not drink a lot, I didn't want one drink.

After that . . . nothing . . . no interest at all until I was 48 and going through a messy nasty divorce. Alcohol allowed me to unleash anger that was bottled up. Six years later and I'm still drinking. I found a new partner that drinks a lot. We drink together. I'm wondering what will happen when I'm AF for a few weeks. Drinking is probably the only thing we have in common.

[MyHeartIsDrenchedInWine]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I started drinking when my (firstborn) son turned 13 (and I turned 40), perimenopause with adolescence is not a good combo....add manic depression to the mix and you've got a party

Lately DH is properly diagnosed and most days takes his lithium....I don't wan't to medicate my son until it's absolutely necessary. He's 18 now, so it's his choice (not mine) anyway.

I guess you could say STRESS or "life gave me more than I could handle" made me turn to drinking.

[Average Joe]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

Hi Fran,

I actually had my first drink when I was 7 or 8 (can't quite remember). But I do remember it was an ice cold 8oz. bud. Since then it has been a serious battle. My teenage/high school years were, for the most part, af. After that, when I left home, it really got out of control.
Wishing you the best.

[emily]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

was maybe about 11 and had a swig of martini rose, I think, remember the taste was vile but i liked the feeling. Downhill from there, although 21 days AF today and looking good.

[southernbelle47]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I got married at 17 and had my first son at 19. My dad drank but I never saw him drink as my mom wouldn't allow it in the house. My hubby was 21 and he drank beer. It never apealed to me but when we went out I would have a sweet fruity drink. Then came the "Party" years with other couples our age. That is where I learned to hold my nose and down the hard stuff. BTW...I threw up alot.. Allergic to alcohol...do you think?Yep!
This all stopped around 29 years old when we moved away from the "party" people and had our last son and shifted to a more mature healthy group of friends. Hubby still drank beer but as I said..I was not tempted.
Then around 50 years old I had some "issues" that were treated with anitdepressants. Paxil first and then zoloft. I have very bad withdrawals from both of these. My doc said the other day when I asked him about coming off zoloft...."maybe you NEED" it and that is why you have such a hard time coming off".. Duh...I think he is on the drug co payrole!
We now live on a farm and hubby makes blackberry and red wine. Lots of it. (
Nan

[Justin Time]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I think it was at my mothers breast :H

[Lotus]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I had my first drink when I was 18 with my ex-boyfriend. It was only occasionally when we'd go out and even then it wasn't to the point of drunkeness. I had to get back home and God forbid if my dad realised I had had a drink he would have shipped me off to India!!!

However, after I got married to my husband it become more of a regular thing. Weekends out were a good opportunity to drink but over the years it become drinking everyday at home...and whereas before my hubby and I would sit together and drink, we were arguing so much that we started to drink seperately.

I was brought up in a strict family and I think I found the freedom my husband gave me to difficult to deal with. All of a sudden there was no fear of going home drunk.

I also think my drinking esculated even more when a few years back after a dispute with my family they disowned me. I felt really alone. Drinking everynight then was not enough - so I increased how much I was drinking to the point of not knowing what happened that evening or what was said to self harming.

[Guest]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

Hi Fran, I was older 25 when I started. It happened when I started dating my ex fiancee. He was 15 years old and me and I thought so wordly. I drank to be part of his world. Even after we were done. ( it was an abusive relationship) I kept the alcohol to cope. I still struggle most days are pretty good though
smiles
Mar

[keeper]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

I think I drank quite a bit in my middle 20's, but, then I stopped for many years.

My Dad was a functioning alcoholic.... and I believe his Dad was also - don't know for sure because my granddad died at 46 years old from cirrhosis of the liver. Needless to say, I never knew my granddad he died way before I was born.

This alcohol thing just kinda hit me in my middle 30's. My then husband was ready to move on ..... literally to move to another town with his company.....and I discovered that he was moving on without me and his children. It was a huge blow. And I drank.

But, he moved on and I also received a promotion at my job. Sooo, you would think that everything was hunky dory, but apparently it was not. At that time I turned to the bottle.

It's been my dreaded friend ever since. I need to figure out how to go back to that point in my life and change my direction. Maybe that's the key?

Or maybe I just need to take hold of what is mine and own it. My family has a history of alcoholism. It's a huge cross to bare.
Lord, life it so hard. I still believe in the grace of God. I just can't believe that He would condemn certain people to this way of life. Surely not.

[dexterhead]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

Fran: had my first drinks in high school around 16 (Boone's Farm .. sweet cheap awful wine .. a memory for many of us here in the States).:H I come from a very hard-partying state, the drinkign age was 18, I could buy it at 16 as I looked older I guess. So got drunk periodically in high school, but I always thought it was kind of disgusting, as I looked at my classmates puking and acting like asses. At my high school graduation, a classmate held a huge party out in the countryside with as much beer as we could drink, I was making out with some guy I'd always hated and my friend puked all over my mom's car . We all drove drunk back then, it was not considered that big of a deal (a 1st-time DUI is STILL not a crime in my state!)
So college, quite a bit of binging.. then got married to a moderate drinker .. still an occasional binge, always loved to drink and always wanted just one more .. but did not develop a real problem or daily habit till I was going thru a hellish divorce. Now I am trying to dig out of the mess I've made to my body and health.

[hulagirl]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

Hey Fran, this is a topic we all have something to contribute to. I went to a party in 8th grade and got wasted (two beers I think). In 9th grade I got drunk for all the football games. Got vodka from parents liquor cabinet and mixed it into 7 up bottles. Also had the Boon's Farm, Annie Green Springs experiences. (Cheap fruity wines). In 10th grade I lost my virginity, while drunk of course. In 11th and 12th grade we thought we were the intellectuals by having wine tasting parties and trying international beers. Wine from parents' wine cellars or wine racks. On my 16th birthday my mother was happy to serve pizza and beer at my request. At 17 I was I permiscuous (what is the word for having sex with several different guys over the summer?)My first semester away at college had a bar. I was 18 and drinking every day from 5:00 on. Pretty much continued to "party" with booze and pot through my 20's. Quit for two pregnancies in my 30's. Quit again when daughter was a teen ager. And now here I am. 50 years old and drinking every night, all day on the week-ends. Not happy, looking back with regrets on life/career choices. 25 days AF seems so insignificant in light of what I just wrote. But it is a start for me. Tomorrow will be day 26 AF. I'm certain of it

[MouseFL]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

Hey Peeps,
Thank you Fran, for starting this thread. I have been trying to get motivated to compose & post "My Story", (for that thread). Now I can just copy & paste!
I don't know why, but I just felt funny about posting until after I'd properly introduced myself. I know I won't be unfairly judged here. I just felt it was a matter of courtesy.

I first tasted beer at the age of 7 or 8 & Loved it from the get-go. (my uncle's) Niether of my parents have ever had a drinking problem.
I was 15 the first time I got drunk. It was in a van full of friends on a roadtrip to "Grad Night 80" at King's Dominion amusement park in VA. All through high school my drinking was purely social, monthly keggers & get togethers.
The first time I started daily drinking, was at my first duty station Keflavik Iceland. I was literally drunk everyday for two years. After transferring back to the states, I returned to a way of moderation - drinking only at social get togethers & on special occassions.
Met my 2nd husband, (father of both my children), heavy drinker & we went out, threw parties & got drunk at least 4 nights a week. I abstained completely for both pregnancies, but drank socially in between. After we divorced, (1996), I was a little overwhelmed by single-parenthood & decided to abstain completely again. There was just no time, place or money for it.
Because of his sea/shore rotation schedule & his desire to equally share in thier raising; we agreed on an alternating 3yr each custody period agreement. His first 3yrs commenced in the Spring of 2000 & I have been drinking daily since.

Nice to meet y'all.

M
ps. in the pursuit of keeping this post brief, I have omitted several pertinent details that I will expound upon later in my "My Story" post.

[Guest]

For the sake of conversation... how did you start drinking?

LONELINESS.....I was older than most...in my 30's...why why why did I ever start??? I have been AF for a good while now, but I struggle still. Still have cravings. Not, daily, but it is still hard!