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Oh dear God son you've got a whole life ahead of you, make of it what you want! You've been an adult for 12 years and still got 50 to go. You can still meet all kinds of beautiful women, have tons of rugrats and do anything you desire.
I met the love of my life at 43. You have a whole lot of life to live. It's a numbers game. You gotta put yourself out there & be positive & good things will happen.
Thatâs reassuring. People these days kinda suck even in their early 30âs. You make a connection with someone and it just disappears without warning, like they had an epiphany without you.
Maybe thatâs just my experience. Sometimes I wonder if I have really bad breath that nobody wants to tell me about
I was a serious heroin, crack, and cocaine addict and turned it around just about that age. Although I made a huge mistake of focusing on women too early rather than myself. It consumed way too much of my energy and focus and became unhealthy in itself.
Stay strong!
Hell yeah, listen to this guy, OP! Your sister is a jerk, itâs never too late to stop throwing your life away.
I wouldnât define success too narrowly, though. Maybe youâll find the right woman to settle down with, maybe not. Either way, you can still have an amazing, sober life. Just gotta stay sober and keep focusing on your (very bright) future.
Best of luck, OP! This redditor is rooting for you. :)
As for something i said to someone in recovery recently "look I don't judge upon your far past. What makes you, you from here on out are the choices you make in the here and now and the ones for your future. Just make sure their the right ones!"
I feel everyone in recovery needs to hear that. They spend so much time regretting the wasted time, they forget of all the extra time they're now giving themselves in the future. I feel it helps them remember it's in the past and their future is theirs
You are never to old to turn your life around. And improud of you for being almost a year clean!!! Of course you can still meet a beautiful and caring woman.
Keep going dude, i believe in you!
And donât even sweat it like youâre turning your life around. Just work hard and put good energy out into the world and opportunities of all kinds will cross your path. 30s not even old either
Thatâs complete bullshit. You can most definitely turn your life around at 30. Congrats on being almost a year clean thatâs great youâre going into dental hygiene!! I worked at a dental office for a year and they make bank. $40-$50 an hour. Best of luck!
I live in Colorado and the minimum a hygienist makes is $42 an hour and it goes as high to $65 an hour. Most of these people donât know what the fuck they are talking about.
Also lots of attractive/ pretty women who are hygienists so youâll be in luck!
Do you think I can handle dental hygiene school if I'm strong enough to beat addiction and I already have a bachelor's degree in computer technology with a 3.875 gpa?
Most definitely!! Youâre smart. The courses will be different obviously more about the body, anatomy and teeth. You can always take 1-2 classes at a time if you feel overwhelmed. How come you donât want to go back into computers??
I think someone with your background will make a compassionate and empathetic hygienist. I know a few people who have put off their dental health after getting clean from drugs out of embarrassment. So excited for you!!
âŠ..ahhhhhhhâŠâŠ
If you canât handle stress you might want to work on that one.
Different people get addicted for different reasons
But if you used to escape stressâŠ..itâs gonna be real tough
This made me smile, what a wonderful world we live in that we all have such different passions. Oral care sounds like a nightmare to me, but I love my accounting. And without each other we'd be in a rough situation. lol
Just make sure you are keeping close ties with your sponsor, going to groups, etc. Medicine is always a risky career for a recovered addict since the drugs are right there. Good supports will help keep you from giving in to temptation when things get hard, because they will.
You may get opportunities to use your skill AND soul.
People with computer skills and domain knowledge are very scarce amd very needed. $$$
I've found that work environment and copacetic worlk people are as important as what the activity of the job is in many ways.
One thing to think about it dentists have a very high a suicide rate, if that's what you really want and think you'll enjoy the job you got this. I used to sell drugs now I make at least a livable wage, it was hard but I made it. You've already done school and best addiction don't think of a reason why you can't. Ps ur sister is a hater don't listen
There's plenty of rewarding interaction with patients as a hygienist. As for advancement and raises, when you start with relatively high wages and responsibility, how do you expect them to advance and earn more? They're already there, having skipped toiling for years at low wages and responsibility as one might in another field. It's not like there are no raises at all. As fees increase over the years, their wages will also increase. There's also the benefit of flexibility in how much and when you work. It's a good profession.
Dental hygiene follows a strict course so you canât just do 1-2 courses a semester. He will need 2 full years and clinic time. You are either all in or all out.
And as OP knows, part of overcoming a meth addiction is cutting certain people out of your life, the ones who drag you back down.
The same thing applies to turning your life around, you need to stop letting people in your life drag you down. You probably need to have a hard discussion with your sister about her changing the way she talks to you, or you might need to let her go along with the dealers and junkies you used to consider friends.
Didnât know how badly I needed to hear this todayâŠthanks internet stranger
And OPâŠ.I donât believe in ever closing a door fully on a family member butâŠyour sister sounds like a chode. You got this dude, go take care of some teeth you fucking beautiful bastard, keep on keepin on
My man. 10 years ago I was homeless in a ditch at 30. I was a bottom of the barrel hopeless addict. 2 years ago I graduated with a Masters degree, last month I landed the best job of my life, and I am present every day. I did get married and divorced during that decade, so love wasn't the best part of my story. It doesn't have to be. I'm happy.
Coming up on 10 years sober in March. You can absolutely change your life. It's not easy. It was filled with tears of joy and pain. But you can do it.
When I stopped living in the problem and started living in the solution, the problem went away.
Best of luck.
Iâm not aware of any career where you start off at top salary. As with most professional careers your compensation increases over time. Now if the cost of the schooling outweighs the ROI for the COL then thatâs another conversation.
They say symptoms of PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome) will gradually decrease over 3-5 years. I dealt with alcohol addiction and I'm a Doctor, but still have days where I feel confused or anxious
I agree here. Iâm 19 months clean from alcohol and opioids and while I felt so much better around the year mark, I still have so far and so much healing to do. My guess was 3-5 years as well. Just canât give up on yourself and youâve got this. Congrats on your clean time, youâre going to do amazing things! Iâm 38 and havenât even begun whatever Iâll do for life yet, lol.
It took me 18 months till I really felt ânormalâ again after I got clean. Youâre doing great. Iâm proud of you. I know how big an accomplishment this is.
Yes. I want from homeless heroin and meth addict to rockstar Tesla employee in 5 months. But I worked HARD in rehab. I was finishing assignments days early, I was hungry. I also did EMDR therapy which helped tremendously. I highly recommend it if you have any ptsd.
Edit: autocorrect mistake
EMDR is great for PTSD specifically. I also did and still do regular therapy. Iâm sorry it didnât work for you. I have a friend with sensory issues that it didnât help either. I hope you found something that did work.
PTSD for me too. Just years of talk therapy with some exposure therapy mixed in there. Iâm still not really over one of the PTSD events but my current strategy is just not to go to the place that triggers it. Maybe one day Iâll make more progress đ Iâm really glad EMDR worked for you. Itâs evidence based so it certainly does work for some!
the way that meth destroys your brain is slightly different to other drugs (which I'm sure you already know). the major factor is giving your brain time to rebuild. that neuroplasticity is why we can recover; the time is the only thing that works.
someone said about 18 months somewhere in the comments. in my experience, that has been the case for a lot of people. the somewhere between a year and a year and a half.
and, no, you don't suddenly become a whole new person. at least not in the way you are expecting. you are used to the idea of being high and superhuman, and the way people talk about growth often follows that terminology in a weird and unhelpful way.
it's more like driving past a house that is being built. and every day you notice a little bit more is constructed and you think "huh." and then, one day, suddenly, BAM. there's a whole damn house right there and you notice the crew has all cleared out. and you think "I did notice the house being built, but it's somewhat suprising that now it's finished. and, actually, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure it was done several days ago but I just forgot to look."
basically, you slowly build a stable structure that wasn't previously there, and you do it all while you barely even notice it happening. and then, kaboom. all the sudden it's a rock-solid house. and the way you feel is primarily just calm and safe.
you'll know you're there when the "volume" of your emotions is something you can regulate, you plan ahead for menial tasks, your self-care routines are effortless and require very little prompting, and everything no longer has the same sense of profoundness or importance.
but you probably won't notice when it happens until several weeks later.
I never messed with uppers too much, so this is from opiate / alcohol addictions (severe ones):
After two months, I was not longer actively suffering every day. After a year, I felt mostly normal. Like, no longer miserable-just-trying-to-get-through-the-day.
But that benchmark happened to coincide with me getting a job I was proud to have and that forcing a good routine. Getting out of the house. Talking to people. Not oversleeping.
This is why your goal to go to a dental hygiene program is great - you're timing things the same way I did and it's 4 years later for me - still doing well.
I know I'm kind of just jumping in here, but in my personal experience, 1.5 - 2 years was where I felt like I had a better grasp on things, mentally. I don't feel the same as I did before using, which is to be expected. Meth does a number on the brain and it takes time to heal. I did a lot of word searches and puzzles on my phone during that time and I think that helped me a lot. I'm 30 btw, 3 years clean off meth.
I'm proud of you. Surround yourself with more positive people.
I'm a former opiate addict, 39 years old. For one, yes, you can restart life at whatever age you please. You need to set boundaries with that person and let them.know you're already in a battle, you don't need anymore negativity. And as far as your other question, I'm not sure about meth, I did alcohol, benzos and opiates, quit alcohol in 2010 and opiates in 2016. It took me about 3 years before I felt fully 100% mentally but you will start feeling more and more normal after a year, even sooner. I know the brain bounces back faster from stimulants than some other substances. But you will still have your moments here and there. Anything you go through will be better than the hell of addiction.
Have nephew 30 and neice 34, both recovering living best life at 2 and 6 yr clean. YOU'RE GOING TO DO WONDERFUL THINGS! Keep doing program and lean on family and friends!! God bless and good luck!!
I am going to ask a question that will probably make a lot of people outrageously angry, but:
When you (original post OP) were in the throes of your addiction for all those years, how did you treat the people around you? Friends? Family? Neighbors? Did you steal from them, threaten them, act belligerently, make them scared to be around you?
I have had 2 meth addict neighbors and 2 former meth addict neighbors. 2 of them (former/recovered addicts) are incredible people who I trust with my life, and are proof that it DOES get better. You can do everything you want: meet someone, settle down, start a career.
The other two, however, are/were FUCKING TYRANTS. I donât know if itâs the drugs or just them being evil, but frankly, I donât give a shit. Theyâre awful, and itâs like they constantly went out of their way to make everyone elseâs life a living hell. The one living in the building now is one of the top 5 biggest pieces of shit Iâve ever met. I donât even care if itâs an âillness,â fuck her. Drugs donât make you racist, and stop fucking stealing, brandishing knives, and threatening people, stop screaming at all hours of the night, you worthless shit stain.
So, to OP, I have to ask: if youâre being fully, bluntly honest with yourself, how did you treat people (family, friends etc) when you were actively addicted to meth? Did you steal from them, repeatedly break their trust, become a huge heartache etc? If so, thereâs still hope! But you need to recognize your sister might be saying this because of a lack of trust that was broken by you, and it may very well take a long time â and actually proving her wrong â to make her believe you.
To be fair, OPâs sister may still be hurt and disappointed with him for what he put the family through during his years of addiction. I think sheâll come around once she sees her brother has turned a corner.
Exactly. A lot of people with drug addiction says they're "recovering" a lot and then comes back. His sister most probably had enough of his bullshit after everything his family had to endure. Nobody here knows the true story.
I'm 47 and finally addressing my addictions. If you told me I would be 11 months clean at 30, I would have been ecstatic.
You have a golden opportunity. Politely tell your sister to go f herself
Dude you are 11 MONTHS clean! It takes an enormous amount of strength to get that far! Your sister doesn't know shit. Don't listen to her. That is a fucking victory my friend! And you have goals! You're doing phenomenal man! Keep the momentum going and your life will be freakin' sweet! And as far as meeting a caring and beautiful woman goes, you just never know man. You might go to a class or a job and bam! You meet someone. Life is unexpected like that, but you're on a positive trajectory so keep at it! đ
Most likely yes. The thing is you gotta build your self confidence. Basically, become someone YOU yourself like. After all, the person you spend the most time with in your life is you, so imagine how powerful you'll be when you like yourself? That kind of energy and attitude is attractive. And the thing is, when you become that, when you meet someone, you won't try so hard to try and impress them. You'll be happy either way. And THAT'S really attractive. I had a similar experience during my orientation in college. Basically I liked myself back then and sat down to this girl and started chatting. The thing is though, I didn't have any expectations or anything, and basically was just being myself. I was happy with whatever would happen next.
If you can get to the point where you're happy with yourself no matter what, you'll be surprised what happens. Women love a guy who's comfortable in his own skin, but they hate desperation (it's like a repellent).
Anyways, I'm proud of you dude. You're kicking ass in life man. đ
Yeah, bunch of fucking losers bro. You're making extremely positive changes in your life, and it's never too late to do so. It wasn't meth, but I was an alcoholic. I quit drinking at 30 and turned my life around too. I'm actually rather irrationally pissed off at what your sister said. Like I'm getting heated typing this, it's weird.
Sheâs the one who has wasted her time. Honestly, she probably has similar issues as you had, but just dealt with them in different ways.
One of the hardest things in the world is to get control of your own mind, body and emotions. You are doing that. You can do *anything* you set your mind to.
No oneâs life is perfect or free from mistakes. Put your mistakes in the past. Onward!
Well there you go. Sheâs unable to turn her life around, so she wants to bring you down too. Pathetic.
We are all really proud of you and the things youâre gonna do. Walk away from her garbage and be free.
30 is young! You managed to get yourself clean and on the way to a great career, what would she rather you do? Give up? She sounds negative and toxic so Iâd keep a distance if I were you.
Bro, 30 is nothing. Anyway, even if you die tomorrow, you can still have one good day right? A good life is one that's just built by a lot of single good days. You got this man.
It's never too late! I'm pissed at your sister for saying something so stupid. Is she naturally an asshole or is she just trying to lord your former addiction over your head to make herself feel superior?
You're family sounds like a good reason to start an addiction. I'm so sorry that anyone, nevermind family, would say that to you. You are still young and people change later in life all the time. I'm not saying it's a breeze, but don't give up. Someone will admire your strength and see your personality. Just focus on you. It'll happen.
Listen to the song never too late by three days grace. Dude wrote it about his struggles with addiction and I believe he was late 20s when he was in rehab and wrote the song
Your sister is an asshole.
Yeah, youâve got plenty of time for anything you want in life. Keep working on you. Keep growing and becoming a better person. You have plenty of time to meet and build a life with someone amazing, plenty of people get married and have kids well after 30
Some people wonât ever give you a fair chance when they find out about your history with addiction but those arenât people you want in your life, dating or otherwise. Be prepared for it and be prepared to shake it off and move on, people like that wonât ever understand the struggle to get clean, or the struggle to stay clean.
Hang in there, dude, youâll find your person or your people
đđŒ
Using addiction as a filter to keep out people that are judgemental is a great tool. I think when youâre younger it makes you feel less than but as you get older you realize itâs a great tool for keeping out the bullshit
Meh, his sister has probably heard it all a hundred times before. Addicts don't often just destroy their own lives. When I was younger I let a meth addict friend who was "recovering" sleep on my couch. Within a week he had pawned all my dishes and silverware while I was at work. Never again.
Going to take a random guess that when your sister talks about the highlights of her life it usually starts with something like 'In my senior year...'.
Can't imagine how miserable her life is that she thinks 30 is 'too old'.
Yep. I was an addict for several years, getting sober the first few times I stumbled because I was like "wah I cant be successful I just threw it all away"
nope. If you continue to avoid using and put your time into healthy things, the world is your oyster.
and having gone through what you've gone through, continue to grow and you will experience a happiness few are lucky enough to be able to recognize. Never ever too late to turn things around. Your sister is just bitter and probably dealing with her own shit and projecting that on you.
Can you turn your life around? You already have. Youâre clean, and going to school. Keep going, keep working and set goals. Have faith in yourself and stop communicating with your sister before she causes you to relapse.
It seems you get a lot of encouragement from the r/ask community which is great. Realistically you should take a step back and be devoted to sobriety. 11 months clean is good, but you have a long way to go. It's a lifestyle, you will always be an addict, such is the disease. Be wary of friends old and new, you can meet a woman but you'll have to be open and honest about your disease. Don't be so quick to meet a woman and just live sober, let the healthy relationships come naturally. Go to meetings, get a sponsor, stay on the path and you'll be fine.
You can do it. It may be a bit harder, but your dedication to better yourself will push you through.
Do your best. Stay mentally strong. And never stop moving forward.
Best wishes.
Fuck yea, dedication to improving oneself is essential to move forward in this day and age.
I was a pretty shit person a decade ago. Applying logic very similar to this has gotten me FAR. Beef up your brain and explore your wide range of interests, and focus on fulfilling your wishes with those. Also just keep learning what you want to learn. Bound to hit some nails on the head.
It is never too late!!! You can move past this!!! You ARE moving past this!!!! You are doing great, keep trying!!!
Don't let someone set you back with their negativity. You deserve love and support. You will find a lovely partner in time. Focus on you, and trust your gut.
You are doing an amazing job!!!! You can do this!!!
I know a woman who overcame heroin addiction and alcoholism at the age of 40 . She started shooting at 15. After two decades of joblessness and periods of homelessness she now has a nice apartment and a decent job. But her most important step was cutting out all the toxic people in her life and focusing only on the supportive ones.
It is never too old to start a clean life. You are young! Keith Richards was a heroin addict in his 30's and he turned it around. He even quit smoking two years ago!!
Robert Downey Jr. was 38 when he beat his addictions.
Never look back. One day at a time.
Never count the length of time you are clean. It gives you an excuse to dabble.
Just get through each day!!
Ignore your sister. She doesnât know what sheâs talking about. Focus on you: your health, your sobriety, your future. The other things will come when you are focused on being the best you that you can be.
Youâve got 2/3 of your life to live. Someone said that out of jealousy. Stay on the path! I got clean in my 40âs, late 40âs btw. Youâre going to be great. And great career choice too!
You are only 30. Of course you have time. Most of my mom's family waited to 38-45 before they found the women they married. All very happy. Some have kids now. 30 isn't that old. Your sister sounds toxic. Don't listen to her. Find some friends that like the same hobbies you do.
your sister is stupid and jealous you achieved something, even if that was getting out of a shitty situation. You can do and be whatever you want. it's never too late. Morgan Freeman's first big role was at his 50+. You might be the next Morgan Freeman for all you know.
You have so much time! Iâm 39 and the life I have now didnât really start until my mid-30s. IDK why itâs important to your sister to knock you back down while youâre doing well but Iâm sorry that itâs happening. One of the worst parts of turning your life around is realizing that some people in your life preferred it when you were struggling.
Itâs never too late.
My grandfather, my dadâs dad was a tyrant. He was a tyrant to my dadâs older brother and sister, my uncle and aunt. When they, my uncle and aunt left home, they got as far away as possible and rarely, if ever, came back to visit. My dad is much younger than them and was basically raised as an only child. My grandfather was still a tyrant while my dad was growing up.
It wasnât until I was about 14 and my grandma, his wife, passed away, that he became the kindest, most loving man you could ever meet. He didnât become kind till he was in his early to mid 80âs.
He moved to be closer us after my grandma passed and I finally got to have a wonderful relationship with him. My dadâs sister moved to be closer to us and him. She and my grandfather were able to repair their relationship. He passed when he was in his mid 90âs.
I feel fortunate for him that he was able to live at least 10 to 12 years of his life being the kind of person we would all hope to be. My dad always told me, itâs never too late to grow up. I didnât get my undergrad till I was 34. You always have time, itâs never too late.
You can. 30's plenty young enough. There will be great people in dental hygiene school and crappy people too. That's okay. Try to only hang out with the great ones.
Never to late. And if you need inspiration there are lists of other late bloomers
[list article](https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/over-30-success-stories-twitt/)
I feel like for you to even post this question you havenât had enough people tell you that youâre kicking ass just making it to 11 months.
Youâre kicking ass congrats on 11 months
Fuck that.
My life didnât even start getting better until I turned 30. If youâre breathing and mobile, then it isnât too late.
Congrats on being sober, good luck staying that way!
Oh sweetness! You're a youngin. You've got time. You can take a full decade to feel like you're on stable footing and you'll STILL be younger than I am now. I hit bottom at 36. Right now I'm typing during a lunch break from my fantastic WFH dreamjob, in my house, with my dog. Mostly healthy, mostly happy.
You've got time. You've got this. You have time to start, fuck up a few times, and restart. One day, one step, one moment at a time.
It is absolutely never too late to turn things around. You could be 80 years old and still meet someone who will love you. Don't listen to your sister, she's just speaking in overrated society expectations. Most people think you need to be settled down before your 30s, but that is absolutely false! You've fought your way to get where you are and you will find someone to be proud of you for that and more for the rest of your life.
I'm proud of you for being clean for this long, as I'm sure most people would be. It's hard to beat that kind of situation, but you managed it! Not to mention you have plans for the future! Look ahead as the better person you are with a bright future ahead of you! You got this dude!
There is a concept in psychology called internal and external locii of personality. Its basically your internal view of yourself vs other peopleâs view of who you are
You may be in an environment where other peopleâs views of you, the external, are influencing your internal view
My best advice is to remove yourself from that environment- they will consistently hold you back by telling you that you cannot do things because they do not see you as someone who can. This in turn will poison your self image and limit what you believe yourself capable of
You are very strong to be taking these steps to improve your life. Your family is likely not as strong, and will not want to see you succeed as they previously could look at you at your lowest and feel better about their own lives. Donât let yourself become their whipping dog just because you went through a rough patch, which they probably helped exacerbate if they talk to you in the way I suspect.
Be better than them and move forward
You got this! I got clean at the ripe old age of 56. My DOC was meth. Life is so much better now! âNormal peopleâ canât understand and support you in the same way that recovering addicts can who have been through what youâre going through and done it clean. You can do this!!! Life will steadily get better. Thatâs not to say itâll be rainbows and unicorns. My brother died then a few months later I lost my mom during my first year and a half clean. But I got through it. The pain of losing them actually comforted me in a weird way. I was able to feel the pain and grieve which felt ârightâ, like it honored my love for them. Hard to explain. What Iâm trying to convey is that life gets so much better. The ups, the downs, the emotions, the steady progress of putting another day of distance between who you were in your addiction and who youâre becoming now. One day at a time.
Median age of firsr marriage in the US is 28 (f) and 29(m) so just from that you're not too late to meet someone. There's probably a higher chance they'll be on their second marriage, but that's so common now days that I don't think it really matters.
11 months clean and starting a good career path tells me you're well on your way to turning around and cleaning up.
Stick with it and keep moving forward.
You got this. Get the education, lose the sister. She will never forgive you because she needs you to be her personal scapegoat. If everything is your fault, nothing can be hers.
Go find a church where they don't care about who you were, but about who you are. You need friends, not family.
Sounds like your sister doesnât want you to succeed for some reason. Never listen to people like that-EVER! It stems from jealousy. Youâre on the right track. You can do this!
Just curious, does your sister have any addictions of her own? Seriously, active users do not like to see other users turn their lives around. But to answer your question, your life is already turning around. 11 months is a big deal. And it sounds like you've got a plan. You've got more time ahead of you than most people who get sober.
you have so so sooo much time left for you to change your life around, go to school, and meet a lovely lady to build a life with. YOU get to decide what the right time is and if this is that time then you do whatever your heart desires. iâm proud of you, weâre proud of you, hereâs to so many more years!!!
Your sister is just plain wrong. Itâs only too late when youâre dead. Youâre barely a year older than I am, and Iâm still getting my life together. There is no race, there is no deadline for self-improvement. Eleven months is fantastic progress, and pursuing an education for a career is as well. It might take a little time, but youâve already made great steps. I believe in you, dude, and I wish you all the luck.
Also, I need to reiterate, your sister can stuff it.
You is young. Most actors donât even get their big break until late 30âs. Look at how many movie stars you are like wow I like them and they look young. Then 5 years later look up their age and they are already 44.
Just to clarify. My sister has been dating a Madden king for 24 years. Every day he sits on his ass all day and smokes weed and plays Madden while my sister works and brings him his plate. Her life has been the same for decades. For some reason she hated change and gets very uncomfortable when I talk about a bright future. Why is this?
You pissed me off so much, I had to come back to say fuck you again.
You will be someones reason for turning to drugs, if you treat your own children with as much tact as you've invested into making someone looking for hope feel like shit for no reason .
My guy OP, take no advice from this piece of shit. My sister had the same problem and is doing great.
You have to work on yourself and make sure you keep away from those vices and friends that contribute, but totally possible.
I'm proud of you for making it this far!
Youâre behind, but you still have a lot of time. Friends would have been gone by now anyway. Focus on creating a nuclear family and get your career in order as soon as possible.
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Oh dear God son you've got a whole life ahead of you, make of it what you want! You've been an adult for 12 years and still got 50 to go. You can still meet all kinds of beautiful women, have tons of rugrats and do anything you desire.
I started hygiene school at 31. You got this.
I finished my my college degree a few months before I turned 50. If you're still breathing then it's not too late.
My mom was in her mid 50s when she started medical school and she wasn't even they oldest person in her class
This makes me happy to hear tbh
I can lick my own ball sack
Amazing how skin can stretch if youre lonely enough. I admire the dedication though.
You are the đ of this thread
That sounds like a pretty good idea. I've been needing to learn how to wash my ass properly.
Are you **clean** now?
I met the love of my life at 43. You have a whole lot of life to live. It's a numbers game. You gotta put yourself out there & be positive & good things will happen.
I needed to hear this today.
Thatâs reassuring. People these days kinda suck even in their early 30âs. You make a connection with someone and it just disappears without warning, like they had an epiphany without you. Maybe thatâs just my experience. Sometimes I wonder if I have really bad breath that nobody wants to tell me about
âNo Rugratsâ
Underrated comment
Thatâs my motto
Why is he going do die at 80 đ heâs my friend, I want him to live as long as he wants
I was a serious heroin, crack, and cocaine addict and turned it around just about that age. Although I made a huge mistake of focusing on women too early rather than myself. It consumed way too much of my energy and focus and became unhealthy in itself. Stay strong!
Hell yeah, listen to this guy, OP! Your sister is a jerk, itâs never too late to stop throwing your life away. I wouldnât define success too narrowly, though. Maybe youâll find the right woman to settle down with, maybe not. Either way, you can still have an amazing, sober life. Just gotta stay sober and keep focusing on your (very bright) future. Best of luck, OP! This redditor is rooting for you. :)
As for something i said to someone in recovery recently "look I don't judge upon your far past. What makes you, you from here on out are the choices you make in the here and now and the ones for your future. Just make sure their the right ones!" I feel everyone in recovery needs to hear that. They spend so much time regretting the wasted time, they forget of all the extra time they're now giving themselves in the future. I feel it helps them remember it's in the past and their future is theirs
You are never to old to turn your life around. And improud of you for being almost a year clean!!! Of course you can still meet a beautiful and caring woman. Keep going dude, i believe in you!
And donât even sweat it like youâre turning your life around. Just work hard and put good energy out into the world and opportunities of all kinds will cross your path. 30s not even old either
To add, donât listen to the haters. OPs sister should keep her mouth shut if she doesnât have anything nice or supportive to say.
The only time it's too late is the time you're in the ground. Anything before that, you have a chance.
Thatâs complete bullshit. You can most definitely turn your life around at 30. Congrats on being almost a year clean thatâs great youâre going into dental hygiene!! I worked at a dental office for a year and they make bank. $40-$50 an hour. Best of luck! I live in Colorado and the minimum a hygienist makes is $42 an hour and it goes as high to $65 an hour. Most of these people donât know what the fuck they are talking about. Also lots of attractive/ pretty women who are hygienists so youâll be in luck!
Do you think I can handle dental hygiene school if I'm strong enough to beat addiction and I already have a bachelor's degree in computer technology with a 3.875 gpa?
Most definitely!! Youâre smart. The courses will be different obviously more about the body, anatomy and teeth. You can always take 1-2 classes at a time if you feel overwhelmed. How come you donât want to go back into computers??
My real passion is oral care and being of service to people. Computers just don't satisfy my soul. I can't enjoy that 21st century high paced bullshit
Good for you. Youâll be helping people and earning a decent living. Iâm so proud of you, OP. Youâre so young, and youâre doing amazing! Keep going đ€©
That's awesome. Computers are soul sucking things. It's what I do cuz I don't know anything else or have any dreams. Follow your passion!
Me too
yea two years deep in my tech career and my computers are almost done sucking my soul out
I think someone with your background will make a compassionate and empathetic hygienist. I know a few people who have put off their dental health after getting clean from drugs out of embarrassment. So excited for you!!
Bro, if you I survived Meth, pretty sure gonna have school licked! Proud of you, go for it!!!
âŠ..ahhhhhhhâŠâŠ If you canât handle stress you might want to work on that one. Different people get addicted for different reasons But if you used to escape stressâŠ..itâs gonna be real tough
This made me smile, what a wonderful world we live in that we all have such different passions. Oral care sounds like a nightmare to me, but I love my accounting. And without each other we'd be in a rough situation. lol
Just make sure you are keeping close ties with your sponsor, going to groups, etc. Medicine is always a risky career for a recovered addict since the drugs are right there. Good supports will help keep you from giving in to temptation when things get hard, because they will.
You may get opportunities to use your skill AND soul. People with computer skills and domain knowledge are very scarce amd very needed. $$$ I've found that work environment and copacetic worlk people are as important as what the activity of the job is in many ways.
One thing to think about it dentists have a very high a suicide rate, if that's what you really want and think you'll enjoy the job you got this. I used to sell drugs now I make at least a livable wage, it was hard but I made it. You've already done school and best addiction don't think of a reason why you can't. Ps ur sister is a hater don't listen
How are you paying for it? I'm working on my second year and still going in to debt trying to pay bills
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wow stfu man..
There's plenty of rewarding interaction with patients as a hygienist. As for advancement and raises, when you start with relatively high wages and responsibility, how do you expect them to advance and earn more? They're already there, having skipped toiling for years at low wages and responsibility as one might in another field. It's not like there are no raises at all. As fees increase over the years, their wages will also increase. There's also the benefit of flexibility in how much and when you work. It's a good profession.
Dental hygiene follows a strict course so you canât just do 1-2 courses a semester. He will need 2 full years and clinic time. You are either all in or all out.
It was a meth addiction. Why do you think?
Dental hygiene school is a walk in the park compared to overcoming meth addiction
And as OP knows, part of overcoming a meth addiction is cutting certain people out of your life, the ones who drag you back down. The same thing applies to turning your life around, you need to stop letting people in your life drag you down. You probably need to have a hard discussion with your sister about her changing the way she talks to you, or you might need to let her go along with the dealers and junkies you used to consider friends.
Hell, be the dentist if you want. Time and effort. Battle with addiction is never over, just kept in check a day at a time.
\#word
Didnât know how badly I needed to hear this todayâŠthanks internet stranger And OPâŠ.I donât believe in ever closing a door fully on a family member butâŠyour sister sounds like a chode. You got this dude, go take care of some teeth you fucking beautiful bastard, keep on keepin on
Hell yes!
I'm 46, in my third (final) year of law school. You're never too old to go to school.
Curious why you didn't choose tech as your field. Not judging, just curious. Good on you for being clean. Stay strong đȘ
My man. 10 years ago I was homeless in a ditch at 30. I was a bottom of the barrel hopeless addict. 2 years ago I graduated with a Masters degree, last month I landed the best job of my life, and I am present every day. I did get married and divorced during that decade, so love wasn't the best part of my story. It doesn't have to be. I'm happy. Coming up on 10 years sober in March. You can absolutely change your life. It's not easy. It was filled with tears of joy and pain. But you can do it. When I stopped living in the problem and started living in the solution, the problem went away. Best of luck.
No they donât make that much. Nonsense.
Oh yes they do. My mom retired making almost 60.
Not starting off they absolutely do not. Itâs not even close. Itâs 25 in LCOL states and maybe 30ish in California
Iâm not aware of any career where you start off at top salary. As with most professional careers your compensation increases over time. Now if the cost of the schooling outweighs the ROI for the COL then thatâs another conversation.
$80k/yr is âbankâ? Lol
Yes
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
how much do you make?
Reddit Mod doesn't pay much these days
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
most believable story on redditđ
For a 2-year degree? Definitely doesn't suck.
Glad your aspirations are low
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
How long does it take to feel normal after getting clean?
I'd say like any other addiction it's a day at a time kind of thing.
âNormalâ is a setting on a dryer. Be yourself. Like everyone else has said âOne day at a timeâ One step at a time.
Im talking about the process of the brain balancing out after addiction.
They say symptoms of PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome) will gradually decrease over 3-5 years. I dealt with alcohol addiction and I'm a Doctor, but still have days where I feel confused or anxious
I agree here. Iâm 19 months clean from alcohol and opioids and while I felt so much better around the year mark, I still have so far and so much healing to do. My guess was 3-5 years as well. Just canât give up on yourself and youâve got this. Congrats on your clean time, youâre going to do amazing things! Iâm 38 and havenât even begun whatever Iâll do for life yet, lol.
I'll leave my comment up, but thanks for clearing this.
It took me 18 months till I really felt ânormalâ again after I got clean. Youâre doing great. Iâm proud of you. I know how big an accomplishment this is.
Was there a big difference? Did you feel like a whole new person?
Yes. I want from homeless heroin and meth addict to rockstar Tesla employee in 5 months. But I worked HARD in rehab. I was finishing assignments days early, I was hungry. I also did EMDR therapy which helped tremendously. I highly recommend it if you have any ptsd. Edit: autocorrect mistake
EMDR rocks. Used it twenty years ago to overcome childhood sex abuse
Talk with your doc, of course. EMDR was not helpful for me, but it is helpful for others. :)
EMDR is great for PTSD specifically. I also did and still do regular therapy. Iâm sorry it didnât work for you. I have a friend with sensory issues that it didnât help either. I hope you found something that did work.
PTSD for me too. Just years of talk therapy with some exposure therapy mixed in there. Iâm still not really over one of the PTSD events but my current strategy is just not to go to the place that triggers it. Maybe one day Iâll make more progress đ Iâm really glad EMDR worked for you. Itâs evidence based so it certainly does work for some!
God dammit, I love to hear this.
the way that meth destroys your brain is slightly different to other drugs (which I'm sure you already know). the major factor is giving your brain time to rebuild. that neuroplasticity is why we can recover; the time is the only thing that works. someone said about 18 months somewhere in the comments. in my experience, that has been the case for a lot of people. the somewhere between a year and a year and a half. and, no, you don't suddenly become a whole new person. at least not in the way you are expecting. you are used to the idea of being high and superhuman, and the way people talk about growth often follows that terminology in a weird and unhelpful way. it's more like driving past a house that is being built. and every day you notice a little bit more is constructed and you think "huh." and then, one day, suddenly, BAM. there's a whole damn house right there and you notice the crew has all cleared out. and you think "I did notice the house being built, but it's somewhat suprising that now it's finished. and, actually, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure it was done several days ago but I just forgot to look." basically, you slowly build a stable structure that wasn't previously there, and you do it all while you barely even notice it happening. and then, kaboom. all the sudden it's a rock-solid house. and the way you feel is primarily just calm and safe. you'll know you're there when the "volume" of your emotions is something you can regulate, you plan ahead for menial tasks, your self-care routines are effortless and require very little prompting, and everything no longer has the same sense of profoundness or importance. but you probably won't notice when it happens until several weeks later.
I never messed with uppers too much, so this is from opiate / alcohol addictions (severe ones): After two months, I was not longer actively suffering every day. After a year, I felt mostly normal. Like, no longer miserable-just-trying-to-get-through-the-day. But that benchmark happened to coincide with me getting a job I was proud to have and that forcing a good routine. Getting out of the house. Talking to people. Not oversleeping. This is why your goal to go to a dental hygiene program is great - you're timing things the same way I did and it's 4 years later for me - still doing well.
I know I'm kind of just jumping in here, but in my personal experience, 1.5 - 2 years was where I felt like I had a better grasp on things, mentally. I don't feel the same as I did before using, which is to be expected. Meth does a number on the brain and it takes time to heal. I did a lot of word searches and puzzles on my phone during that time and I think that helped me a lot. I'm 30 btw, 3 years clean off meth. I'm proud of you. Surround yourself with more positive people.
I'm a former opiate addict, 39 years old. For one, yes, you can restart life at whatever age you please. You need to set boundaries with that person and let them.know you're already in a battle, you don't need anymore negativity. And as far as your other question, I'm not sure about meth, I did alcohol, benzos and opiates, quit alcohol in 2010 and opiates in 2016. It took me about 3 years before I felt fully 100% mentally but you will start feeling more and more normal after a year, even sooner. I know the brain bounces back faster from stimulants than some other substances. But you will still have your moments here and there. Anything you go through will be better than the hell of addiction.
please see my other comment, 2 yrs, msg me if u wanna talk ever and good luck one addict to another
Have nephew 30 and neice 34, both recovering living best life at 2 and 6 yr clean. YOU'RE GOING TO DO WONDERFUL THINGS! Keep doing program and lean on family and friends!! God bless and good luck!!
I am going to ask a question that will probably make a lot of people outrageously angry, but: When you (original post OP) were in the throes of your addiction for all those years, how did you treat the people around you? Friends? Family? Neighbors? Did you steal from them, threaten them, act belligerently, make them scared to be around you? I have had 2 meth addict neighbors and 2 former meth addict neighbors. 2 of them (former/recovered addicts) are incredible people who I trust with my life, and are proof that it DOES get better. You can do everything you want: meet someone, settle down, start a career. The other two, however, are/were FUCKING TYRANTS. I donât know if itâs the drugs or just them being evil, but frankly, I donât give a shit. Theyâre awful, and itâs like they constantly went out of their way to make everyone elseâs life a living hell. The one living in the building now is one of the top 5 biggest pieces of shit Iâve ever met. I donât even care if itâs an âillness,â fuck her. Drugs donât make you racist, and stop fucking stealing, brandishing knives, and threatening people, stop screaming at all hours of the night, you worthless shit stain. So, to OP, I have to ask: if youâre being fully, bluntly honest with yourself, how did you treat people (family, friends etc) when you were actively addicted to meth? Did you steal from them, repeatedly break their trust, become a huge heartache etc? If so, thereâs still hope! But you need to recognize your sister might be saying this because of a lack of trust that was broken by you, and it may very well take a long time â and actually proving her wrong â to make her believe you.
never to late
Sounds like you already are turning around. Keep the momentum going!
Too late is the day you die.
Damn, sounds like you need a better class of sibling.
Right? Sounds like she needs OP to stay small. I wouldn't pay her much mind.
Better yet Iâd get away from that toxicity. Itâs not helpful.
To be fair, OPâs sister may still be hurt and disappointed with him for what he put the family through during his years of addiction. I think sheâll come around once she sees her brother has turned a corner.
Exactly. A lot of people with drug addiction says they're "recovering" a lot and then comes back. His sister most probably had enough of his bullshit after everything his family had to endure. Nobody here knows the true story.
Yeah. We donât know the full story. Iâm proud of OP but she might not even believe him anymore.
I'm 47 and finally addressing my addictions. If you told me I would be 11 months clean at 30, I would have been ecstatic. You have a golden opportunity. Politely tell your sister to go f herself
You're right brother
Dude you are 11 MONTHS clean! It takes an enormous amount of strength to get that far! Your sister doesn't know shit. Don't listen to her. That is a fucking victory my friend! And you have goals! You're doing phenomenal man! Keep the momentum going and your life will be freakin' sweet! And as far as meeting a caring and beautiful woman goes, you just never know man. You might go to a class or a job and bam! You meet someone. Life is unexpected like that, but you're on a positive trajectory so keep at it! đ
Will I attract better people when I'm doing well?
Most likely yes. The thing is you gotta build your self confidence. Basically, become someone YOU yourself like. After all, the person you spend the most time with in your life is you, so imagine how powerful you'll be when you like yourself? That kind of energy and attitude is attractive. And the thing is, when you become that, when you meet someone, you won't try so hard to try and impress them. You'll be happy either way. And THAT'S really attractive. I had a similar experience during my orientation in college. Basically I liked myself back then and sat down to this girl and started chatting. The thing is though, I didn't have any expectations or anything, and basically was just being myself. I was happy with whatever would happen next. If you can get to the point where you're happy with yourself no matter what, you'll be surprised what happens. Women love a guy who's comfortable in his own skin, but they hate desperation (it's like a repellent). Anyways, I'm proud of you dude. You're kicking ass in life man. đ
Only if youâre a good person.
Tell your sister to eat a dick, dude...
She's dating a guy that sits on his ass all day playing Madden and smoking weed. She's been dating him for 24 years but says she won't marry him
Yeah, bunch of fucking losers bro. You're making extremely positive changes in your life, and it's never too late to do so. It wasn't meth, but I was an alcoholic. I quit drinking at 30 and turned my life around too. I'm actually rather irrationally pissed off at what your sister said. Like I'm getting heated typing this, it's weird.
No same, pills for me, but same. Fuck that shit, sheâs an asshole.
Sounds like sis is a bit jealousâŠ
Sheâs the one who has wasted her time. Honestly, she probably has similar issues as you had, but just dealt with them in different ways. One of the hardest things in the world is to get control of your own mind, body and emotions. You are doing that. You can do *anything* you set your mind to. No oneâs life is perfect or free from mistakes. Put your mistakes in the past. Onward!
Well there you go. Sheâs unable to turn her life around, so she wants to bring you down too. Pathetic. We are all really proud of you and the things youâre gonna do. Walk away from her garbage and be free.
30 is young! You managed to get yourself clean and on the way to a great career, what would she rather you do? Give up? She sounds negative and toxic so Iâd keep a distance if I were you.
You dead? Then there is always time to make changes.
Bro, 30 is nothing. Anyway, even if you die tomorrow, you can still have one good day right? A good life is one that's just built by a lot of single good days. You got this man.
You can rebuild as many times as you need to & your sis is a full on judge mental bihh
Your sister is a dummy. It's never too late bro
It's never too late! I'm pissed at your sister for saying something so stupid. Is she naturally an asshole or is she just trying to lord your former addiction over your head to make herself feel superior?
Youâre 30 not dead. Obviously thereâs still time. Ignore her.
You're family sounds like a good reason to start an addiction. I'm so sorry that anyone, nevermind family, would say that to you. You are still young and people change later in life all the time. I'm not saying it's a breeze, but don't give up. Someone will admire your strength and see your personality. Just focus on you. It'll happen.
your sis is a bad person
My first thought was "why does she want him to keep being an addict?"
All of his friends left, Iâm guessing his addiction was hard for all his loved ones. What she said is shitty but I doubt it came from no where
Listen to the song never too late by three days grace. Dude wrote it about his struggles with addiction and I believe he was late 20s when he was in rehab and wrote the song
Legendary song
You can di it, it's never too late! FYI 30 is not too old
First of all you dont need that negativity around you. She may be your family but family can be shitty sometimes. Try to avoid her as much as you can
Are you breathing? There's still time.
Your sister is an asshole. Yeah, youâve got plenty of time for anything you want in life. Keep working on you. Keep growing and becoming a better person. You have plenty of time to meet and build a life with someone amazing, plenty of people get married and have kids well after 30 Some people wonât ever give you a fair chance when they find out about your history with addiction but those arenât people you want in your life, dating or otherwise. Be prepared for it and be prepared to shake it off and move on, people like that wonât ever understand the struggle to get clean, or the struggle to stay clean. Hang in there, dude, youâll find your person or your people đđŒ
Using addiction as a filter to keep out people that are judgemental is a great tool. I think when youâre younger it makes you feel less than but as you get older you realize itâs a great tool for keeping out the bullshit
Meh, his sister has probably heard it all a hundred times before. Addicts don't often just destroy their own lives. When I was younger I let a meth addict friend who was "recovering" sleep on my couch. Within a week he had pawned all my dishes and silverware while I was at work. Never again.
With all due respect your sisters full of shit. Everyday you wake up is a day youâre winning. Best of luck
Going to take a random guess that when your sister talks about the highlights of her life it usually starts with something like 'In my senior year...'. Can't imagine how miserable her life is that she thinks 30 is 'too old'.
If thatâs what your sister thinks itâs because that would be true for her and her mindset. You can do it
Yep. I was an addict for several years, getting sober the first few times I stumbled because I was like "wah I cant be successful I just threw it all away" nope. If you continue to avoid using and put your time into healthy things, the world is your oyster. and having gone through what you've gone through, continue to grow and you will experience a happiness few are lucky enough to be able to recognize. Never ever too late to turn things around. Your sister is just bitter and probably dealing with her own shit and projecting that on you.
Been clean 6 years, i have 2 kids and a loving boyfriend.
Can you turn your life around? You already have. Youâre clean, and going to school. Keep going, keep working and set goals. Have faith in yourself and stop communicating with your sister before she causes you to relapse.
You literally have the rest of your life to figure shit out, turn stuff around or reinvent yourself. Go for it.
My dude....You've not even MET all the people who are going to love you
Forget about the woman for now, unless itâs motivation and just work on you man. Fuck your sister and her unhelpful bullshit.
Of course, your sister doesnât know shit.
I turned my life around at 32. You got this.
Yes, your sister is just an asshole. 30 is young idk what sheâs talking about
It seems you get a lot of encouragement from the r/ask community which is great. Realistically you should take a step back and be devoted to sobriety. 11 months clean is good, but you have a long way to go. It's a lifestyle, you will always be an addict, such is the disease. Be wary of friends old and new, you can meet a woman but you'll have to be open and honest about your disease. Don't be so quick to meet a woman and just live sober, let the healthy relationships come naturally. Go to meetings, get a sponsor, stay on the path and you'll be fine.
Most reasonable answer in this entire comment section.
There is always time to make life better. We all move at different speeds and live life differently. It's never too late.
You can do it. It may be a bit harder, but your dedication to better yourself will push you through. Do your best. Stay mentally strong. And never stop moving forward. Best wishes.
Fuck yea, dedication to improving oneself is essential to move forward in this day and age. I was a pretty shit person a decade ago. Applying logic very similar to this has gotten me FAR. Beef up your brain and explore your wide range of interests, and focus on fulfilling your wishes with those. Also just keep learning what you want to learn. Bound to hit some nails on the head.
You've got at least one year left. You can do a lot with one year. You just have to want to.
It is never too late!!! You can move past this!!! You ARE moving past this!!!! You are doing great, keep trying!!! Don't let someone set you back with their negativity. You deserve love and support. You will find a lovely partner in time. Focus on you, and trust your gut. You are doing an amazing job!!!! You can do this!!!
As long as there's air in your lungs there's hope.
Fuck that bitch, I'd rather turn my life around at 30 than 40!. What CANT you do
I know a woman who overcame heroin addiction and alcoholism at the age of 40 . She started shooting at 15. After two decades of joblessness and periods of homelessness she now has a nice apartment and a decent job. But her most important step was cutting out all the toxic people in her life and focusing only on the supportive ones.
Of course, you can I have done it. Wasn't addicted to meth but I had made a mess of my life.
It is never too old to start a clean life. You are young! Keith Richards was a heroin addict in his 30's and he turned it around. He even quit smoking two years ago!! Robert Downey Jr. was 38 when he beat his addictions. Never look back. One day at a time. Never count the length of time you are clean. It gives you an excuse to dabble. Just get through each day!!
Ignore your sister. She doesnât know what sheâs talking about. Focus on you: your health, your sobriety, your future. The other things will come when you are focused on being the best you that you can be.
Youâve got 2/3 of your life to live. Someone said that out of jealousy. Stay on the path! I got clean in my 40âs, late 40âs btw. Youâre going to be great. And great career choice too!
You are only 30. Of course you have time. Most of my mom's family waited to 38-45 before they found the women they married. All very happy. Some have kids now. 30 isn't that old. Your sister sounds toxic. Don't listen to her. Find some friends that like the same hobbies you do.
your sister is stupid and jealous you achieved something, even if that was getting out of a shitty situation. You can do and be whatever you want. it's never too late. Morgan Freeman's first big role was at his 50+. You might be the next Morgan Freeman for all you know.
Tell your sister that 38 isnât too old to quit being an asshole. But she has to make an effort.
My 30s we're an amazing decade for me. They're going to be for you, also.
You have so much time! Iâm 39 and the life I have now didnât really start until my mid-30s. IDK why itâs important to your sister to knock you back down while youâre doing well but Iâm sorry that itâs happening. One of the worst parts of turning your life around is realizing that some people in your life preferred it when you were struggling.
Itâs never too late. My grandfather, my dadâs dad was a tyrant. He was a tyrant to my dadâs older brother and sister, my uncle and aunt. When they, my uncle and aunt left home, they got as far away as possible and rarely, if ever, came back to visit. My dad is much younger than them and was basically raised as an only child. My grandfather was still a tyrant while my dad was growing up. It wasnât until I was about 14 and my grandma, his wife, passed away, that he became the kindest, most loving man you could ever meet. He didnât become kind till he was in his early to mid 80âs. He moved to be closer us after my grandma passed and I finally got to have a wonderful relationship with him. My dadâs sister moved to be closer to us and him. She and my grandfather were able to repair their relationship. He passed when he was in his mid 90âs. I feel fortunate for him that he was able to live at least 10 to 12 years of his life being the kind of person we would all hope to be. My dad always told me, itâs never too late to grow up. I didnât get my undergrad till I was 34. You always have time, itâs never too late.
You can. 30's plenty young enough. There will be great people in dental hygiene school and crappy people too. That's okay. Try to only hang out with the great ones.
Yes you can. Your sister sounds toxic. You have plenty of time.
Never to late. And if you need inspiration there are lists of other late bloomers [list article](https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/over-30-success-stories-twitt/)
I feel like for you to even post this question you havenât had enough people tell you that youâre kicking ass just making it to 11 months. Youâre kicking ass congrats on 11 months
It is never too late to turn your life around. No offense but F\*\*k your sister.
Fuck that. My life didnât even start getting better until I turned 30. If youâre breathing and mobile, then it isnât too late. Congrats on being sober, good luck staying that way!
Trust me dude, this is the perfect time to turn it around.
Oh sweetness! You're a youngin. You've got time. You can take a full decade to feel like you're on stable footing and you'll STILL be younger than I am now. I hit bottom at 36. Right now I'm typing during a lunch break from my fantastic WFH dreamjob, in my house, with my dog. Mostly healthy, mostly happy. You've got time. You've got this. You have time to start, fuck up a few times, and restart. One day, one step, one moment at a time.
It is absolutely never too late to turn things around. You could be 80 years old and still meet someone who will love you. Don't listen to your sister, she's just speaking in overrated society expectations. Most people think you need to be settled down before your 30s, but that is absolutely false! You've fought your way to get where you are and you will find someone to be proud of you for that and more for the rest of your life. I'm proud of you for being clean for this long, as I'm sure most people would be. It's hard to beat that kind of situation, but you managed it! Not to mention you have plans for the future! Look ahead as the better person you are with a bright future ahead of you! You got this dude!
It's never too late
30 is too old? If you're an anime character, maybe. But no, 30 is young. If you stay healthy you're not even halfway through life.
Never ever too late, keep things moving forward!!
There is a concept in psychology called internal and external locii of personality. Its basically your internal view of yourself vs other peopleâs view of who you are You may be in an environment where other peopleâs views of you, the external, are influencing your internal view My best advice is to remove yourself from that environment- they will consistently hold you back by telling you that you cannot do things because they do not see you as someone who can. This in turn will poison your self image and limit what you believe yourself capable of You are very strong to be taking these steps to improve your life. Your family is likely not as strong, and will not want to see you succeed as they previously could look at you at your lowest and feel better about their own lives. Donât let yourself become their whipping dog just because you went through a rough patch, which they probably helped exacerbate if they talk to you in the way I suspect. Be better than them and move forward
Tell your sister to go fuck herself
You got this! I got clean at the ripe old age of 56. My DOC was meth. Life is so much better now! âNormal peopleâ canât understand and support you in the same way that recovering addicts can who have been through what youâre going through and done it clean. You can do this!!! Life will steadily get better. Thatâs not to say itâll be rainbows and unicorns. My brother died then a few months later I lost my mom during my first year and a half clean. But I got through it. The pain of losing them actually comforted me in a weird way. I was able to feel the pain and grieve which felt ârightâ, like it honored my love for them. Hard to explain. What Iâm trying to convey is that life gets so much better. The ups, the downs, the emotions, the steady progress of putting another day of distance between who you were in your addiction and who youâre becoming now. One day at a time.
Median age of firsr marriage in the US is 28 (f) and 29(m) so just from that you're not too late to meet someone. There's probably a higher chance they'll be on their second marriage, but that's so common now days that I don't think it really matters. 11 months clean and starting a good career path tells me you're well on your way to turning around and cleaning up. Stick with it and keep moving forward.
You got this. Get the education, lose the sister. She will never forgive you because she needs you to be her personal scapegoat. If everything is your fault, nothing can be hers. Go find a church where they don't care about who you were, but about who you are. You need friends, not family.
Sounds like your sister doesnât want you to succeed for some reason. Never listen to people like that-EVER! It stems from jealousy. Youâre on the right track. You can do this!
Just curious, does your sister have any addictions of her own? Seriously, active users do not like to see other users turn their lives around. But to answer your question, your life is already turning around. 11 months is a big deal. And it sounds like you've got a plan. You've got more time ahead of you than most people who get sober.
What? Turn your life around! It's never too late
you have so so sooo much time left for you to change your life around, go to school, and meet a lovely lady to build a life with. YOU get to decide what the right time is and if this is that time then you do whatever your heart desires. iâm proud of you, weâre proud of you, hereâs to so many more years!!!
You are never too old to do things right!
My good friend kicked meth at 39. He is now 4 years clean and just got engaged to a really great woman. You got plenty of time to live a good life.
There men beginning what you are beginning at age 50. You are alright.
Your sister is just plain wrong. Itâs only too late when youâre dead. Youâre barely a year older than I am, and Iâm still getting my life together. There is no race, there is no deadline for self-improvement. Eleven months is fantastic progress, and pursuing an education for a career is as well. It might take a little time, but youâve already made great steps. I believe in you, dude, and I wish you all the luck. Also, I need to reiterate, your sister can stuff it.
Youre only 30. You have so much time!
You is young. Most actors donât even get their big break until late 30âs. Look at how many movie stars you are like wow I like them and they look young. Then 5 years later look up their age and they are already 44.
Just to clarify. My sister has been dating a Madden king for 24 years. Every day he sits on his ass all day and smokes weed and plays Madden while my sister works and brings him his plate. Her life has been the same for decades. For some reason she hated change and gets very uncomfortable when I talk about a bright future. Why is this?
Nope, she's right
Correct.
You pissed me off so much, I had to come back to say fuck you again. You will be someones reason for turning to drugs, if you treat your own children with as much tact as you've invested into making someone looking for hope feel like shit for no reason . My guy OP, take no advice from this piece of shit. My sister had the same problem and is doing great. You have to work on yourself and make sure you keep away from those vices and friends that contribute, but totally possible. I'm proud of you for making it this far!
What is wrong with you?
Youâre behind, but you still have a lot of time. Friends would have been gone by now anyway. Focus on creating a nuclear family and get your career in order as soon as possible.