Expert: Clyde - 3/20/2008

Question
i am only 15 years old and i have had a really hard life..i used to drinlk all the time but lately i have stopped and not had anything but when things go wrong i always turn to drink how can i stop this

Answer
Natalie,
      Thank you for your question and I feel your distress.  I am going to suggest that you call Alcoholics Anonymous (you can find their phone number in the yellow pages or white pages of your phone book or call any hospital for help finding it).  Find a meeting close to your home and GO!.

      Here you will have an opportunity to meet other young people such as yourself who have struggled with alcohol.  They will understand and will share their successes and failures with arresting the disease of alcoholism.  Only you can decide if you are drinking alcoholically but give yourself the gift of hearing from others who have been where you are right now.  Then you can make some decisions as to what you really want to do - treatment, therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, etc.

     This is the best advice I can give you.  I hope you look that number up and get to a meeting today.  Don't give up if you don't find many young people in the first meeting you attend - ask questions about which meetings are frequented by young people and get to those.

      Hope this helps.

Grace and Peace,
Clyde