Steven, I went thru that and it will pass if you let it. Make amends if you can and forgive yourself .
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Very True Bradā¦. In the big book thereās a story and it states.. I stopped maturing at the age of 15 when I started drinkingā¦. That hit me like a ton of bricks
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Me as well. I had to relearn everything as far as interacting was concerned... I never would have thought that I would have gone back to being naive again. Crappy and deceitful people still exist and prey on the vulnerable.
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There's a reason people say Rome wasn't built in a day. Don't focus on what you think you did then, but more on what you can do now. Living with regret is something we all experience, it's normal. Don't let it make you stumble, let it make you stronger.
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Itās never to late to become the person you want to be.
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I didn't even think about that part of socializing.
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Realize that your struggles also give you humility and patience that you otherwise wouldn't have. It's hard, for sure...I have to watch my other friends being a decade or so "ahead" of me in life, but realize that there are gifts from these struggles too.
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"We didn't become addicted in one day, so remember EASY DOES IT."
My addiction talks to me in my own voice and tells me all kinds of stuff. I do my best not to pay attention to it.
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I know reality you really do though weāve wasted so much time on things that we didnāt need to waste it on that now itās kind a like knowing everything that happened overnight and it doesnāt work like that and I expected it to but it didnāt but itās worth it if you keep going I promise you got it you just canāt give up. No thereās 200 steak so many good things I can have fresh apple believe in yourself wrestle phone please
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We will love you until you can love yourself
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Iād say thatās normal to feel like that. Just be kind and patient with yourself. I was an alcoholic from 22-23 to age 27 when I was diagnosed with the diabetis. I feel guilty all the time about drinking during the crucial years of my brain fully developing, the time I wasted.
Life goes on. And we go on with it.
Start from where you are, and journal.
I use an app called Daylio to journal daily, it gives me reminders.
You canāt get time back, but you can gain everything in the present.
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Weāre all in the same boat.If someone thinks there not theyāll find out they are.We move forward by having the support of our AA family.I may feel like Iām on Mount Everest but my journey is to a galaxy far far away.
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I think we all feel the same but just remember you canāt change your past but you can your future
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Drinking was your anesthesia against all your other problems. Once you stop numbing yourself with the drink is when the real work begins. The rewards of your sobriety will come in time. When I was six months sober I was still a mess!
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I can't reply to everyone, but I will say I am humbled and feel very supported by the community here. You make me excited for the journey ahead.
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It's hard for me not to think about the many years I wasted...It's what we do now that really matters tho. Hang in there Steven. We've got this 
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Iām very new to this journey and I also have been reflecting on this notion. Youāve been provided with excellent guidance above.
Appreciation for your vulnerability here and allowing others, like me, to extract some guidance on this point. 
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There's science that shows that when we fully engulf ourselves into dependency on substances, our brains and minds essentially lock into whatever era and age we're at when it happens. For most this is late teens and early 20s. I used to think this was bs until I got sober and realized that I was in my mid 30s and still doing, behaving, acting and reacting like I was an adolescent still. Sure, I knew more stuff and could pay my bills and make more money. But psychologically I was stuck in the rut of being 23. Look at any of your friends who are still indulging in the lifestyle. They may be in their late 30s or early to mid 40s still mimicking the behaviors of a 20 year old. This a cell we lock ourselves in emotionally. The good news is this... A little bit of sobriety opens you up to things you missed along the way. And you'll naturally gravitate towards those things and learn how to appreciate them as an older and wiser adult. And the regret will fade and become replaced with gratitude in the fact that you found the things that actually hold meaning and serve your peace. Be it new hobbies, interests, whatever. You'll gravitate to them and you'll be so absorbed with the new lifestyle and interests that there won't be any time for regret.
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