(The following story is fictional. It does not describe any real person, student, or coaching conversation. It is a composite drawn from common experiences among young adults who are beginning to question their relationship with alcohol.)
Lena is eighteen years old and finishing her first year of college. During her freshman year, she began noticing that alcohol was playing a larger role in her social life than she wanted. Not constantly, and not disastrously, but often enough to raise concern. A few blackouts. More anxiety afterward than relief. A sense that drinking was becoming her default way to manage social stress.
Rather than panic or label herself, Lena decided to run a simple experiment. She stopped drinking for sixty days. The goal was not to quit forever, but to see what happened to her anxiety, her confidence, and her sense of control without alcohol in the picture.
She finished the sixty days feeling clearer and more grounded, but uncertain about what it all meant. A week later, she scheduled a consultation with Tim.
Lena:
Thanks for meeting with me. I wasn’t sure if this was… necessary.
Tim:
That uncertainty usually means the timing is about right. What made you reach out?
Lena:
I finished the sixty days. No drinking. I feel different. Clearer. But now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that.
(pause)
Do you think I need to join A.A. or go into rehab or something?
Tim:
Before I answer that, let me ask you a few things.
First, what led you to do the sixty days in the first place?
Lena:
I just noticed I was using alcohol to get through social stuff. Parties, meeting people, feeling awkward. I didn’t like how dependent that felt, even if it wasn’t out of control.
Tim:
And during the sixty days, how was it?
Lena:
The first couple weeks were uncomfortable. I was more anxious. Social stuff felt harder. But it wasn’t unbearable. After that, it got easier.
Tim:
Any moments where you felt desperate to drink or afraid you couldn’t stop yourself?
Lena:
No. I wanted to sometimes, but I didn’t feel out of control.
Tim:
Did you keep it secret?
Lena:
No. My roommates knew. A couple friends did too.
Tim:
And did your life feel more chaotic or more manageable?
Lena:
More manageable. I slept better. My anxiety didn’t disappear, but it felt workable.
Tim:
That helps me understand where you are.
You mentioned A.A. Have you ever actually been to a meeting?
Lena:
No. I haven’t.
Tim:
Then I’ll say this. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to check one out. Not because you neccesarily need to join, and not because you have to decide anything. Just to listen.
Lena:
Listen for what?
Tim:
For recognition. See if you hear yourself in the stories. Some people know very quickly that they belong there. Others don’t. Either answer gives you useful information.
Lena:
That feels less scary than I imagined.
Tim:
It’s just data. Not a commitment.
Lena:
What about rehab?
Tim:
Rehab is designed for people whose lives are actively destabilizing. Loss of control. Escalating consequences. Repeated failed attempts to stop. That doesn’t describe you right now.
Lena:
I was worried you’d say I was minimizing.
Tim:
I’m not here to label you. I’m here to match the response to the reality.
From what you’re describing, you were able to stop. You learned something about your anxiety. You didn’t spiral. That tells me you still have meaningful self-regulation capacity.
Lena:
So what do I actually need?
Tim:
You’re in what I’d call an integration phase. You ran a clean experiment. Now the question is how you relate to alcohol going forward without turning it into an obsession or a blind spot.
Support for you should be light, chosen, and flexible.
Lena:
Like what?
Tim:
Periodic check-ins with a friend, mentor, or someone else you trust. Clear personal guardrails. Staying honest about your anxiety instead of numbing it. And being willing to adjust if things change.
Lena:
What would make you concerned?
Tim:
If alcohol starts regulating your emotions again. If your sleep or mood erodes. If secrecy creeps in.
And one other thing that matters at your age.
Lena:
What’s that?
Tim:
If you find yourself experimenting with hard drugs. That’s often a signal that something is shifting underneath, and that more support may be needed.
Lena:
Okay. That makes sense.
Tim:
Recovery isn’t about picking the most intense option as proof of seriousness. It’s about alignment.
You don’t need to make big commitments right now. Just stay observant, stay honest, and don’t isolate if things start to change.
Lena:
That feels… reasonable.
Tim:
Reasonable is a good place to start.
Stories like this are not meant to tell you what you should do, or to push you toward any particular identity or program. They are meant to help clarify what early awareness can look like. If parts of this feel familiar, it does not mean something is wrong with you. It means you are paying attention, and that attention can be used wisely.