One of the most common questions (and fears) we get to address with young people getting sober is the question of whether or not one can be “too young” to get sober. It’s common for young people and parents to wonder this as they ponder their next steps, but in this article, we’ll specifically address the concerns of young people.

You're never too young to get sober. If drugs or alcohol are causing problems in your life, it’s okay to seek help—no matter your age. Sobriety can open the door to a healthier, more meaningful future, starting right now.

Getting sober young comes with some specific challenges, but it has some very unique benefits as well. Regardless, the truth is that getting sober is valid at any age.

You probably won’t feel ready – and that’s OK

First, we’d like to address is the question of feeling “ready.”

Though there may be exceptions to this general rule, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever feel ready to get sober. This is true among older folks as well, and doubly true among young people, who often cite the fact that they aren’t an “alcoholic under a bridge” as the reason they can’t possibly quit using substances at this moment in time.

Most of us never feel ready to quit using substances. While it’s easy to use this fact as an excuse, what makes more sense is to realize that this feeling is normal – after all, we use alcohol and drugs for a reason: we like it!

Drugs are our source of fun, fellowship, relaxation, and coping with life. It’s understandable that when the rubber hits the road, we aren’t exactly jumping at the thought of quitting.

However, for reasons we’ll discuss below, it’s often the best decision we’ll ever make.

Do I need to admit than I’m an “addict” (or “alcoholic”)?

There seems to be a perception that in order to get sober, we need to admit that we’re “real” addicts or alcoholics. We don’t believe this is important in order to get sober as a young person.

For those of us who are getting sober young, this question often bothers us. And why shouldn’t it? It’s a perfectly logical question for a young person looking at the rest of their life.

One thing we often say when this question comes up is that it doesn’t truly matter. What really matters is what’s going on with you right here, right now.

A better question to ask is – do I have a problem in my life that’s related to drug use?

What it really means to have a “drug problem”

Consider reframing the question: do you have a drug or alcohol problem?

Many of us aren’t so sure until we perform a little thought experiment: do you, at this moment, have a problem in your life that is occurring as a result of drug or alcohol use?

It really can be as simple as that. If you’ve got a problem related to drug use, then you’ve got a “drug problem.”

In other words, we don’t think it’s critical for young people to be able to say conclusively that they are “addicts.” We certainly don’t think that it’s critical for young people to admit that they can never drink or use again. At this phase of life, it may be impossible to tell.

While some young people in recovery may, in fact, be addicts, others may not, and that’s totally fine. Regardless, the important part is that they are able to go to work solving their drug problem.

The hidden advantages of getting sober young

1. Young people bounce back more quickly

One general principle in recovery is that the older we get, the longer it takes us to get back to baseline – mentally, physically, financially, etc.

If you’re young, you’re in a unique position because you haven’t yet damaged your body to the point that it will take you years to recover physically. As we discussed in our article on the benefits of getting 6 months sober, we’re generally back to baseline, health-wise, after 3-6 months of sobriety.

Contrast this with an older adult who may be dealing with liver problems, cognitive problems, etc. and we start to see the difference.

In other words, getting sober at a young age provides us with the opportunity to bounce back much more quickly than if we had waited.

2. Young people have less baggage

Getting sober young means you’re hauling less wreckage into recovery. Teens and young adults haven’t piled up decades of burned bridges, lost jobs, or legal messes that older folks often face. If we’ve only been using for a couple years, you don’t have to sort out a lifetime of chaos in order to recover.

That lighter load makes steps easier to work; you’re not untangling years of shame or debt. Less baggage also means fewer triggers baked into your daily life—no ex-spouses or angry children to mend relationships with, no resentful debtors to dodge.

The fellowship gets to meet you closer to square one, where rebuilding feels less like climbing a mountain and more like a fresh start.

3. Young people end up with unique reasons to be grateful

While this can be hard to see in the beginning, young people end up grateful that they got sober young. We get an experience that can’t quite be replicated by folks who get sober when they’re older.

As we go through our lives, we’re able to resume normal living and accomplish great things – we resume our education, get jobs, get married, have children who never see us use, and end up with the opportunity to live a relatively normal life.

While we certainly wouldn’t disparage anyone for whom this isn’t the case, there is a unique gratitude we get to have as people who got sober young.

You can always back out

Getting sober is scary, and it’s easy to downplay this point right up until the moment of truth comes – are we really going to attend that first meeting?

Here’s an important bit of information to know: you aren’t marrying your sobriety! You can always change your mind later, if you find out that sobriety isn’t for you. This is as true with 30 days of sobriety as it is with a year or more of sobriety.

Give it 30 days

So, where should we start? In our programs, we often work with young people on making a “30 day commitment.” Though someone with 30 days sober is still new in recovery, this will at least give you enough time for the fog to clear so you can make a more informed decision – you’ll get a taste of recovery, make some friends, have some fun, and be able to decide if recovery is for you.

One note: we don’t recommend trying to do this on your own. If you’ve tried to sober up in the past and struggled, why would it be any different now? We are firm believers that, at least as a baseline, getting involved in some kind of recovery-centered support group is a good idea.

We’ve written an entire article on the benefits of getting involved in a substance use support group, so we won’t repeat it all here. But in short, we do think it’s impossible to truly “try” recovery without this crucial element.

Here are some suggestions to get started on your journey:

• Go to a support group meeting with an open mind
• Start developing positive peer relationships
• Get a sponsor early in the process
• Identify people, places, and things that cause unmanageability
• Be easy on yourself
• Make it a priority to have fun without drugs!

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug or alcohol use or other destructive behaviors, reach out to a FullCircle Program in your area for more information.

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