Early Drinkers Less Likely to Recover
Thursday April 12, 2007
People who become alcohol dependent before they turn age 25 are less likely to seek treatment for their drinking problems and are more likely to have more relapses if they do try to get sober, according to a Youth Alcohol Prevention Center study. The researchers also believe that because heavy drinking is more common for young people, they are less likely to recognize their drinking is a problem."The odds of ever seeking help were lower among those first dependent before ages 18, 20, and 25 compared with those who first became alcohol dependent at age 30 and above, regardless of the number of dependence criteria they met. Yet individuals who were first dependent before age 25 had significantly greater odds of experiencing multiple dependence episodes, episodes exceeding one year, and more dependence symptoms, even after controlling for numerous demographic and behavioral characteristics associated with early onset of alcohol dependence," said Ralph W. Hingson, ScD, in a news release. The study appears in the September 1, 2006 issue of Pediatrics.
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Comments
I take offense to this statement as myself and many of my freinds have concurrent sobriety -and we joined AA in our early 20’s, I am 48 w/ 26 years, which means I got sober at 22 1/2
i agree with maryellen 100%. this information is not only completely false, but this column, which i have stopped reading as of 15min ago, does far more harm than good. i’m sober (12 continuous yrs), but i’m not sure i would be if i had read crap like this. i mean–i started drinking @ 18 and didn’t stop til i was 35. good ol “buddy” would have had me dead and buried a REALLY long time ago! go to a couple of open meetings and talk to a few drunks before you put out threads with “expert” advice. and if you have no facts or experience, don’t post.
Hi,
First of all, the NIH study does not say that young people never recover, it says they are less likely to seek recovery if they started drinking at an early age.
Also, they are talking about the young people of today, not the young people of 20-25 years ago. There is an entirely different culture out there now that sends a message to kids that binge drinking is “normal” and not a problem. Therefore they are less likely to recognize they have a problem and seek help.
BuddyT