Lisa realised very early on that a little bit of alcohol made her feel better but it was when she experienced it at a teenage party that it really hit the spot. It reduced her anxiety and Lisa no longer felt like an outsider but connected to the world. By 16 years old Lisa was a wayward teenager and drinking more frequently, she left home, left school and started to work and lived with her grandmother. Lisa’s drinking continued during her twenties as a single working mum with a young child. As her drinking increasingly affected her work she found that she just couldn’t stop and eventually sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous.

John starting drinking in his mid-teens, to address his self-consciousness and general unease with life. He continued drinking through school and university but it didn’t seem to affect his academic results. A holiday in Europe allowed John to drink more freely and he found that he was depressed when he was not drinking. He was very successful at work but became a workaholic and would often crash and burn for weeks at a time. John lost two jobs in quick succession, went to rehab, came in contact with AA and tried to stay dry but drank for another 18 months. After his marriage failed John decided to get serious about recovering in AA.

If you think that alcohol may be a problem then Alcoholics Anonymous could help you. Give them a call on 1300 222 222 or see their website aa.org.au.