Saw on the news about two weeks ago - CNN - Mr Gupta was interviewing someone - can't recall who - he had written a book . . .
I will find out the answer to the above . . .But, the author was an expert/researcher on alcoholism and addictions. He said somethings that were startling to me.
The major one to me was; That the chances of alcoholism increases by some enormous percentage if the person is under 15 when they start tasting alcohol.
Now that I heard that statistic, I am hearing about people who have/had an alcohol problem and they too began drinking before 15. I wonder how many of our qualifiers out here, started drinking early - before 15 years of age.
I was just at a speakers meeting -where the speaker tells his "story" about how he got into Al-Anon. This is a very warm man, a man who I believe acts and thinks with such dignity and compassion that one (I) could not help but really care and love this person. He has such calmness and serenity and his story was - well, "poetic." He told the story of his son and being 15 years old.
I would be interested in hearing from you this weekend.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Age 15?
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3 comments:
Joe, that is a bummer. What a fragile and difficult age. And a 15 year-old with drinking friends is more likely to drink.
I was such a nerd that i don't even remember being offered alcohol as a kid and didn't have a drink until I was (yes) thirty. To me, alcohol is like fondant or deviled eggs or any other food and, thankfully, I don't think I'll ever understand its allure.
I know that for my qualifier, it was adults -- relatives! -- who not only provided the first drink, but many, many more after that during his first summer job at age 15. Why would he say "no" to them? He wanted to be one of the guys. And now he is.
Sometimes I do have little spasms of bitterness (disgust, too) at the complicit family members who "polluted" my qualifier, particularly since they are both dry drunks now, but it's not my issue and I can forgive.
Is it even illegal to give alocohol to a child? Probably not. I wonder how I'll feel when that happens to my kid.
Catherine,
My qualifier also began drinking at home with uncles and his father. It's sad that ignorance is so prevalent amongst adults. I believe in my heart that if these role models were aware and awake to their own abuses of alcohlol they would never have encouraged my loved one to drink to be one of the guys. Most of them have given alcohol up out of necessity. However,my father in law still drinks his beer whenever I'm in town and I just have to accept him as he is. I've learned to forgive him as he still struggles. My husband and I have had many discussions about alcohol and how not to repeat the pattern with our own children. Fortunately, for now, my qualifier has been able to cut down on the beer drinking. We've leaned heavily on God and honesty before God. One day at a time,Amen. Best wishes and peace!
I knew plenty of people who started drinking at a young age. I didn't drink until I was nearly 18 and then it never got its hooks in me. I guess that I didn't inherit the obsession or craving. I could take it or leave it, mostly leaving it. Too much to do in life without losing it to booze.
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