What You Need to Know about those 3-4 Glasses of Wine
Very few people turn into ‘bottle of wine a night’ drinkers overnight. For most of us, it is a very slow, discrete progression. So slow, that by the time we realize we are drinking 3-4 glasses of wine each night, our tolerance is so built up that it doesn’t feel dangerous. It doesn’t feel unsafe. It feels like we still have control.
That is the danger of addiction. The mind tricks of the drug makes our brain think we are still in charge. We are still under control. We are high functioning, we have good jobs, happy relationships, and are raising healthy kids. But we are drinking 3 to 4 drinks a night, and can’t imagine ourselves going even a whole week without alcohol.
If I was to continue fooling myself, I would have kept telling myself that I just have a high tolerance. My body can handle more alcohol than most. But the numbers don’t lie. A bottle of wine a night is not safe for anybody. A bottle of wine is what any addiction specialist would consider high risk drinking.
I was a problem drinker even though I felt like I was under control. And even though my addictive brain tried to tell me it “It’s OK, just look at everything you're doing… you deserve this.”
Not to mention, it seems like everyone around me was drinking just as much. It couldn’t be that bad if everyone else was doing it too.
And that is part of the problem. We are so surrounded in this active alcohol addiction culture, it’s hard not to look around and see other people in the high risk drinking level who also act and seem like they’ve got it under control.
Do not let the addictive brain lie to you. 3 to 4 glasses of wine a night is high risk drinking. It is a dangerous level that leads to severe health problems. At that level, it is not a matter of if, but when.
As a mom of two little kids, I had to make a choice. Did I want to continue this cycle, or did I want to live to see my kids grow up? It sounds extreme. It’s not. 88,000 people die in the US from alcohol related deaths. These deaths are PREVENTABLE.
I chose my kids, my health, my family. But I know how hard it is to turn off that voice in your head that tells you it’s OK. I know on paper it seems like an obvious choice, but in real life it’s hard as hell.
If you want to make this choice but don’t know where to start, there are many resources. Check out books by Holly Whitaker and This Naked Mind. Find a recovery group near you, or even a private group on Facebook. Do a 30 day challenge (Annie Grace has a great one). Tell someone who will hold you accountable but without judgement or shame.
Alcohol is not your friend, despite what society and the alcohol industry tries to make you think. And you are no less of a person for falling into this trap. Some of the strongest, smartest, bravest, most incredible people on this planet are standing right beside you. All that matters now is what you do next.
What will you do next?