Promoting Alcohol Abuse?

Alcohol is not the solution to the challenges of motherhood. Stress is part of motherhood and women have to be taught healthy ways to manage it.

Motherhood is a beautiful phenomenon. There is something special about bringing a child into the world and giving it love and care. But as much as being a mother can be emotionally fulfilling, it’s not a bed of roses. You see, motherhood entails so much more than just raising kids. It’s a tough balancing act of running a household, taking care of the family and for working moms, managing the demands of the workplace.

Motherhood is a grueling 24/7, thankless job. And for some moms,  alcohol is a welcome respite to get breathing space from parenting and to ease the stress. But is it really helping?

Mommy wine culture

Why do women drink? Good question. Unlike men, women use alcohol as a coping mechanism. The demands and pressure of motherhood can be so overwhelming that some moms had to indulge in a drink or two to soothe and relax. Others had to imbibe to ward off the loneliness and exhaustion which seems to be occasional companions of motherhood.

Now, alarm bells are going off. The past few years have seen more moms embracing the mommy wine culture. Alcohol abuse in women has also been steadily climbing the charts. 

Brewing Disaster

The numbers don’t lie:  Research from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York discovered that there is a general increase in binge drinking in both parents and non-parents. But quite notably, binge drinking among mothers increased from 17% in 2006 to 32% in 2018. Among non-mothers, it is up from 26% to 44%. COVID-19 also made things worse for women. RAND Corporation in a 2020 study showed that” Women have increased their heavy drinking days by 41% compared to before the pandemic”.  Another research from RTI International also found that mothers with children under the age of five seem to be the most vulnerable to excessive drinking with rates that skyrocketed during the pandemic. 

But this is not surprising. COVID-19 drastically changed the dynamics at home. Women were forced to become stay-at-home moms, juggling office zoom meetings, doing household chores and overseeing kid’s virtual classes. Exhaustion, isolation and anxiety may have pushed women to the edge. And alcohol, with its availability and feel-good endorphins, is just too hard to resist after a hard day’s work.

No-judgement, all-inclusive culture

But is motherhood so burdensome that some moms have to resort to drinking? Alcohol is not a cure-all nor is it the solution to the challenges of motherhood. Drinking alcohol to numb the stress gives the wrong message that moms need to drink to get through parenting. Stress is part of motherhood and women have to be taught healthy ways to manage it. 

Modern moms need support. They need a space where they can heal and recover without judgment.  

Heal@Home is a safe online platform that moms can retreat to if they find themselves struggling with alcohol abuse. Heal@Home’s exclusive app allows treatment while still fulfilling the responsibilities at home.

A dedicated team will be with you every step of the way to ensure a successful and sustainable recovery. Heal@Home’s goal is for you to have a healthy relationship with alcohol without sacrificing the relationships that really matter.