u/Relative-Log486

Me and a friend are on the street, we're both teens and theres a lot of crime in my city. We're okay for food but struggling to find anywhere to sleep. All shelters are 16+, and they're 15. We stayed in the forest/park near a river last night but couldn't sleep due to the bugs and humidity. Its been ridiculously hot (35°+) and muggy/high humidity. We put some wet clothes and socks out to dry overnight (6 hours) and they were damp the next morning.

I don't know where to sleep without either being kicked out or being at risk, since we're visibly young/vulnerable. We're both new to this, hes been homeless but usually in shelters as a kid and only ever on the street for like a night at the time, I haven't been on the street before.

I don't know if you consider couch surfing to be "actual homelessness", but for the next 2-3 months I'm gonna be living on my friends couch.

They're too poor to pay for me so I'll be figuring out my own thing for food and laundry and just taking cold showers which they don't pay for. Its over summer so I wont have school to worry about (I'm 17) but it'd be hard finding a job with the bus. I have a few days until I'll be there so I can prepare.

Whats best to pack here? outside of like, clothes and whatever food I can grab before I leave.

Ive spent the last 4 ish days high or drunk, ive been going yo school but i havent been sleepijg or eating nad I don't know how to stop because being sober sounds really really scary after all this and i dont know what todno. I cant go to in person meetings rb nad online ones dont do much for me i feel terribel but i can't stop

Longstory short, my phone got stolen over the weekend. It was late at night, I ended up coming home at 1am, and I'm seventeen. I also live with my grandparents, so they're not as relaxed. My friend gave me his old phone, but it no longer has a sim, so I can only be called when I have wifi. This, combined with me coming home so late and scaring them, means I'm definitely not allowed out til 7-8, which is when my usual meeting is.

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Obviously I can attend online meetings (I'm not happy about it) but I got a few phone numbers last time, and was wondering if I should text and say something or just show up again when I'm allowed back out? The people at my group have been coming up to me a lot, since I'm new to the meetings and a lot younger than everyone else, so I don't want it to come off as if I've given up completely. I was told I could text whenever, it just feels awkward. I don't want to seem egotistical in thinking that everyones super involved with whether or not I show up to meetings, but I also don't want to disappoint them since they seemed excited I'm attending them so young.

Took the wrong bus because I'm stupid as hell and now if I can get to the meeting there'll only be 30 minutes left and I'll have to get on tbe same bus I just got off which the driver will find weird. I don't know if they'll be mad I show up so late, the meeting us only an hour long

Was sober for 5 days, tried to make it 2 weeks, failed. I have my 2nd AA meeting on Monday and I'm just gonna give the chip back, I don't know if I can stay sober, but I'll keep going to meetings.

The problem was that outside of alcohol I also do drugs, and I thought since I rarely do them and mostly just drank that quitting those would be easy. But I got in the mindset of only needing to quit alcohol, and then I allowed myself weed, then harder stuff until I was just drinking like always. I just don't know what to do, it feels like everything in my life is too much and I can't even stay clean on top of that.

I don't know why I'm posting about it, I just can't really talk to anyone else in my life about this. I'm getting a therapist, but I'm pretty sure if I talk about addiction they're required to tell my family (I'm underage) which I can't risk. Same thing with school counselors or any other 'trusted adult', its not really worth the risk. I kindof wish the meeting was sooner so I could talk about it there, but I think I'll be too nervous to say anything anyways. At the very, very least, I broke my record of 4 days by reaching 5. I don't feel especially proud, though.

I'm just gonna paste my comment from the other post here:

I ended up going to a meeting yesterday, it wasn't the one my grandmothers friend goes to, but an LGBT one. It was in a church and all the religious tones threw me off a bit, I was raised atheist and haven't been around a lot of religion, but I get thats part of AAs deal.

People there were nice, mostly it was older men, they didn't have coffee or anything like I was hoping. It was a reading period and then discussion on the step they read over and 2 other topics. I didn't really talk, and felt a bit like I was being rude for not thanking people for speaking or saying hi, but it felt awkward and I kept speaking out of line with everyone else who was doing it automatically. I had a few people say they were glad I came, and one woman asked if I planned on coming to any other meetings. I kindof panicked and said I didn't know, and she seemed pretty disappointed. Whoops. I got a few handshakes and people telling me they were happy to see me there. I felt really awkward and scared going in, but it turned out okay, I guess.

I told my friends, a few were happy for me but others just told me I'd be drinking again in a few days time. Honestly I don't know how wrong they are. I got the 24 hour chip, and I've just been holding onto it the whole time, but I think maybe I shouldn't have if I'm probably not gonna end up being sober from now on for very long. This was a random decision and while I'll probably keep going to meetings I don't know if I'm actually ready to stop drinking entirely. I probably shouldn't have taken the coin but when they asked the room if anyone was a day sober everybody looked at me, and to be fair I haven't drank in 2 days. I think I'd be too embarrassed to go up and get a new 1 day coin if I end up drinking again.

It was intimidating and everything but not the worst experience in the world, even if I felt pretty out of place. Everybody there is atleast a few months into recovery and I think I'm the only person under 30. I'm kindof surprised how many older men were there, I know thats usually the demographic for AA, but I don't see many older gay men in general let alone ones that also survived alcoholism.

I wish I could show the coin cuz I have just been staring at it a lot, I mean I'm sure everybody already knows what one looks like. Even if I don't stay sober or anything I do feel weirdly attached to it. Sorry if I'm flooding the subreddit but I don't have anyone else to talk to about this other than my friends, who either don't know much about AA or anything or have only gone briefly for court/other people. Also, I wasn't really sure what to flair this

I'm a teenager, turned 17 a few months ago. I drink at most everyday (if its available) and every 3 to even 4 days if I don't have access to anything.

I want to start off by saying sorry, because I'm sure this kindof post is put up 100 times a day. I'm just using a burner account for it. This'll probably be a long post, I'm gonna ramble.

The drinking age in my country is 19, so I usually have to resort to stealing or drinking things not meant for drinking. I live with my grandparents, and I've pretty much dranken down every opened whiskey bottle in there, plus half a bottle of wine and a bottle of smirnoff. I don't know why they haven't said anything, because they surely noticed, but they don't drink the stuff in there much and probably forgot how full the bottles were.

Typically my drinking consists of a shot or two in my coffee in the morning, maybe three. Then if its available, beer later during lunch or in the evening if I can get it with my friends. Friends have stopped asking for sips of my water/coffee/soda because they know what's usually in there. Recently, because I've drained the supply in the liquor cabinet and been banned from most local supermarkets, I've turned to drinking vanilla extract. I'm somewhat embarrassed by it, but the cheap(er) stuff still has enough to get you drunk, seeing as my tolerance isn't that high yet. I will say I'm already incredibly sick of the taste. Its that or hand sanitizer.

I would just not drink, but after going about two days without, I start feeling sick. I get shaky, angry, it feels like all the bad parts of being on speed, almost. The last time I didn't drink was four days, and I nearly threw up twice on the way to get some. Its hard to describe, but it just feels painful. I know its probably withdrawal, but I've only been drinking like this maybe half a year, and I think I just want to *feel* like I have an issue where I don't. The first time it happened I was sick all day at school until my friend got me drinks.

My family don't know. I'm pretty sure I stink like liquor and smokes pretty often, but when my grandmother asked if I drink I told her rarely and she accepted it. Its easier to get away with the lie because my dad was a heavy alcoholic, and I can just tell her I don't want to end up like him. Maybe I'm too callus about this, I don't know. My friends think I have a problem, but are either junkies/addicts themselves, or are obviously not equipped to do anything but tell me to stop drinking. I don't know if they're actually worried yet or just noticing it, I have had a friend tell me that I need to learn my limits.

So, I drink nearly everyday, or atleast, every week. Usually I don't get super drunk, just nicely buzzed, but I have found if I get properly drunk I can last longer without it for the next few days. I just don't have the insatiable mental craving a lot of people describe. The first drink I had was fine, I didn't become obsessed, and I wouldn't say I'm obsessed now. I want to drink often, but I'm not going to insane measures to do it (the stealing from supermarkets thing isn't something I'm that morally opposed to, but I understand if you think im an asshole.) and I only ever feel desperate for one when the physical symptoms are bad. Its just another part of my life, I don't know.

I can't go to AA because my grandmothers close friend goes to the one in my city, so, not so anonymous. It would be revealing a lot to my family and just uncomfortable. I also can't go to NA for any drug problems because I know two of the people going there and I don't feel like interacting with them. Its not really all that anonymous when all the people you know seem to be coke heads and alcoholics. I guess I could do online sessions, but I honestly hate online meetings. I don't know, I don't think I could ever quit drinking now, because even if I had such a strong will to make it a year or two it would go down the drain the moment I turn 19 and can buy however much booze my heart desires and my wallet can fulfil.

Sorry again, I know this is definitely the 20 millionth time this question has been asked. I can answer any other questions if you have them, thank you for taking the time to read it.