My son who is 29 just celebrated his 10 years of sobriety this week.

[flying_wahini]

He was pretty bad shape back then and I haven’t ever stopped worrying.

Miracles can happen.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Congrats to your son, my dear flying_wahini!

And to you, for your tireless support!

[Karadeniz]

2. Give him our heartfelt congratulations!!!

[irisblue]

3. 👏👏👏👏👏

[Tetrachloride]

4. I have not heard of recovery at such an age before

major congratulations

( more evidence that i am out of the loop of society)

[bif]

5. I was in rehab with a kid who was still high school age

I was dumbfounded.

[Tetrachloride]

7. A friend of mine got sober around 22-27

and he voluntarily checked himself into rehabilitation in college. so he was the youngest success that i know personally.

[pnwmom]

12. A relative of mine who's 35 has been sober since he was 20.

I remember him saying that AA was an awkward fit because of the huge age gap between him and the rest of the people there -- and the emphasis on spirituality and powerlessness.

Eventually, he found a non-AA path that has been working for him.

[Iggo]

16. I was (and still am) a hard-nosed atheist when I hit the rooms.

The key for me was that there was nothing wrong with hanging out with 40 or 50 sober people every day instead of staying home and crying about their emphasis on god this and god that. Take what you can use and leave the rest. I was there to save my life and so were they and that became good enough for me.

That was my way, anyway.

[pnwmom]

17. We also know people who benefited from the AA approach, so we had been worried

when it didn't work for the 20 year old. But he found another path that worked better for him.

[Iggo]

19. That's great! Whatever works is the right way.

And I do sometimes wonder how I would have reacted as a 19 year old quitter rather than a 35 year old one who’d been going balls-out since 17. I’ve actually had this argument outside of meetings with other quitters who are willing to risk their lives rather than sit with some god-botherers. I’m a dick like that and sometimes it bleeds over into the real world and the nice people…lol. And for that I apologize.

But like I said, whatever works is the right way.

[LoisB]

6. Congratulations to him and you. I am rooting for him for the next ten.

[Ahna KneeMoose]

8. Please always continue-to-care as that-urge lingers-long (n/t)

[wendyb-NC]

9. Congratulations to your son

I know he has worked hard for his sobriety. May he with stay on that path,always. Many blessings to you both.

[Upthevibe]

10. flying_wahini........

That's awesome!

As someone in recovery, I know I wouldn't be alive today had I not quit using/drinking. There's just no way out except recovery or death.

I thank God/The Universe/My Higher Power EVERYDAY.

It truly is one day at a time.

[Stuart G]

11. Congratulations to your son and you too. K and R

[cilla4progress]

13. Beautiful.

Happy for you all!!

[Thunderbeast]

14. Thank you for a message of hope...

I hope my son finds a path to sobriety before fentenyl and meth win.

[flying_wahini]

21. I have to say that HE WANTED to be free of it all. That was most of the battle right there.

He had graduated from high school the month before. (Barely graduated)
We spent his college fund to support him in 2 different rehabs. The first place was an lockdown center out in the Hill Country, Tx and they had him for the first 30 days.
Then we sent him directly to the only place he didn’t know anybody (in Maine) and they had him under their wing for around 6 months. Then we got him an apt nearby (with other sober friends from rehab) for Almost year so he could continue to go to the meetings there.
I won’t lie; it was expensive and dark & difficult days. (For all of us)
I had to keep reminding my husband that yes the costs were high but he was still alive.

Worth every penny, too. Today he lives a couple of hours away and he is a very happy 28 year old.
Cute too!

I will NEVER not worry about it but maybe in another 10 years I can relax. ☺️

[Iggo]

15. Damn! Wish I had that figured out at 19...lol.

Took me another 16 years!

Good on yer kid.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. Congratulations

[Rhiannon12866]

20. Kudos to your son! That is extraordinarily impressive!

He truly is a miracle, you can be very proud.