“When it comes to addictions, none is easier than some.” – Judith Coche
This is part one of a two-part series on how to stop drinking, even if you are not yet alcoholic. Stay tuned for the second part in two weeks, which gives tips for alcohol control, and do let me know what you think!
Just how many times each month do I tell clients my own treasured secret that sometimes, “none is easier than some”?
The year is 2010. The place is my urban oasis office with tall trees, red roses, and pink begonias visible to all who enter from the panorama offered by 10-foot, plate-glass windows separating me and my clients from the garden in front of our eyes as we work together.
Nyla, a long-legged, blonde colleague who has done deep personal transformation in the office, sat on the couch, lips pursed in a concerned frown. “It starts as soon as I come home. Just walking through the door tells me it is time for a glass of chardonnay.
“My fingers wind around the long stem of our wedding wine glasses as my other hand takes the cooling bottle from the fridge. As quickly as I can turn the corkscrew, I tip the bottle to pour my first glass.
“I can’t wait to sip it. It is the start of my evening. Then Grant appears from work and I start dinner with my second glass of chardonnay. The aroma and the delicious relaxation as the wine creeps into my body keeps me company as I cook.
“And, we have dinner and Grant is off to his computer or we watch a movie together. And, nothing is nicer than Grant, Netflix and my by then fourth glass of wine.
“The evening winds down but, mine is not finished until that chardonnay is finished. The empty bottle is my cue to sleep.
“The wine helps me sleep, but it wakes me up feeling groggy. I must do my exercises to feel ready for the day. And, as I walk through the door, the entire pattern repeats itself, day after day and year after year.”
“How many years so far?” I well understood the pattern. I have heard it from many successful professionals who finish a bottle of wine before they finish a work evening.
For many, I have provided the solution to the dilemma. It is always the same. “None is easier than some.” It is easier to stop nightly drinking than to cut it down if the amount consumed is creating a slowly developing addictive pattern. And, it often does when a client is predisposed to addictions, depressed or lonely. A deep red Chianti or a gentle white Sauvignon Blanc can be dangerous for one’s health if combined with a genetic tendency to overuse alcohol or social isolation.
Drinkaware, a British government-funded agency, found that one in five adults want to cut back on their drinking while Netmums, found that 43 percent of women wanted to drink less. Most women said they drink “to wind down from a stressful day.” They summarize that 12 percent of women are developing health problems caused by alcohol.
Laura Willoughby opened Club Soda (joinclubsoda.co.uk) to offer support to anyone who wants to give up or cut back on their alcohol intake. Club Soda has conducted an online survey about people’s attitudes to reduce their drinking and found the top three reasons to reduce drinking was to improve health (52 percent of all respondents), cut calories (42 percent) and save money (21 percent).
Data indicate that younger people are rejecting the alcohol-binge behavior of their parents, while the drinking habits of older women, especially those in managerial or professional jobs, are a cause for concern. Those working in male-dominated environments have an increased risk of alcohol disorders.
Alcohol consumption contributes to breast cancer and liver disease. The number of alcohol-related admissions of women to NHS hospitals in England has continually risen over the past decade, from 200,000 in 2002 to 437,000 in 2010.
Rachel Black, author of Sober is the New Black, tells about her own journey to sobriety. “Alcohol has such a grip on us because it is an integral part of society, socially acceptable when in fact it is an addictive drug disguised as a sophisticated experience,” she says. “Those susceptible to addiction do not realize it until they are already too far into its clutches.”
To consider: So, do you or someone you love drink? To excess? Are you sure? If so, what do you want to do about that?
To explore: Rachel Black, Sober Is the New Black This is both a website and a book.
Find Dr. Judith Coche helping folks manage drinking at The Coche Center, LLC, at Rittenhouse Square and in Stone Harbor. Reach her at www.cochecenter.com to ask for your free summary of ‘Your Best Life.’
North Cape May – Another shout out to Officer Bohn, the school resource officer at LCMR. I admire his hard work and devotion to the students and staff as I see him every morning and afternoon, snow, wind , sleet or…
