If you’re worried that your nightly glass or two (or more) of wine may be becoming a problem, you are not alone.
A study published this week highlights some of the reasons midlife women like to drink and why those reasons were often barriers to gaining back control of their drinking.
Some of the reasons were:
- ‘numbing out’ from the stresses of life
- reducing loneliness and isolation
- celebrating and socialising
I know that for me all of those reasons applied. I would drink:
- to ease the stress when I felt overwhelmed trying to do get everything done
- to take the edge off when socialising
- to numb out negative and uncomfortable feelings
- and simply to slow everything down and just not think.
Why is it so hard to cut back?
Many women do have a complex relationship with alcohol, which is why the women I coach often can’t understand why they’re finding it so difficult to cut back on their drinking.
They are worried that the ‘cure’ to their problems (alcohol) is now becoming a problem itself.
If you’re feeling that way, you’re not alone.
The researchers found that when women got to the stage of wanting to ‘break up’ with alcohol, they often found it difficult.
“All women have complex reasons for drinking, which can make it hard to ‘break up’ with alcohol.”
Finding freedom
That’s why it’s so important that when I coach women who want to cut back or stop drinking that we examine the reasons they drink.
Exploring why they like to drink and why they want to gain back control is the key to helping them find freedom from their unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
If you are feeling frustrated because you can’t seem to get a handle on your drinking, I encourage you to book in for a free 30-minute discussion call to see what support I can provide you.
Photo courtesy of Photo by Karolina Grabowska (Pexels)