Ladies. Alcohol. Midlife.
What may go flawed?
At first look, nothing appears too loopy. So, you’re kicking again and enjoyable with a bit of extra alcohol than you used to. No biggie. You deserve it. The youngsters are gone. You will have some additional time in your fingers. Why not let free a bit of extra typically?
The one drawback? Letting free is killing us.
A examine led by Dr. Ibraheem Karaye highlights the narrowing gender hole relating to binge consuming and alcohol-related deaths. Not precisely the type of gender hole we’re making an attempt to shut.
Essentially the most shocking half? Midlife ladies at the moment are the fastest-growing section of binge drinkers.
Extra particularly: ladies in midlife who’re thriving on the surface. Those with excessive incomes, prestigious careers, superior levels—and a fridge stuffed with natural produce. These are the ladies doing yoga, working 10Ks, monitoring their steps, shopping for designer collagen peptides, maintaining with their mammograms… and consuming greater than ever earlier than.
So, Why Are We Consuming So A lot?
In a phrase: stress.
The stress of making an attempt to maintain all of it collectively. The transitions that hit laborious in midlife: empty nests, divorce, profession upheaval, getting old dad and mom. And all the emotions that include them—grief, boredom, loneliness, rage, existential unease.
Alcohol has been bought to us as the right treatment. Not simply acceptable—aspirational. A glass of wine is self-care. A weekend bender is “Mommy’s reward.” It’s develop into the socially sanctioned option to soothe, have a good time, and survive.
However right here’s the issue: you’re making an attempt to really feel higher, get stronger, sleep extra deeply, and eventually prioritize your self—and alcohol is quietly undoing all of that. It disrupts your sleep cycle, spikes your cortisol, slows your metabolism, and robs your physique of important vitamins.
In case you’re hitting the fitness center however nonetheless hitting the wine bottle, you’re mainly driving with the brakes on.
6 Midlife Consuming Pink Flags to Watch For
Pink Flag #1: Considering Any Quantity of Alcohol Is Protected
In case you’ve been on the fence about exploring your relationship with alcohol, begin right here. In 2023, the World Well being Group declared that no quantity of alcohol is secure for consumption.
Alcohol is classed as a Group 1 carcinogen—proper alongside asbestos and tobacco. It’s tied to at the very least seven varieties of most cancers, together with breast most cancers. In case you’re doing all the things else to remain wholesome, this reality alone deserves your consideration.
Pink Flag #2: You’re Consuming to Cope
Or to take the sting off. If alcohol has develop into one in every of your go-to coping methods, it’s time so as to add new instruments to your emotional toolbox.
Consuming to manage is a one-way ticket to dependence. It numbs your senses, stopping you from processing the stuff you really must cope with.
And alcohol doesn’t simply mute the laborious emotions—it dulls your pleasure, too. In case you’re struggling to really feel happiness or connection such as you used to, your nightly glass (or bottle) of wine could also be taking part in a task.
Pink Flag #3: Your Social Life Revolves Round Alcohol
This one creeps up slowly. And it may be laborious to see—as a result of the timber are so thick, you miss the forest solely.
Alcohol is in all places now: birthday events, e-book golf equipment, sporting occasions, charity fundraisers. Have a look at your social calendar. Is it crammed with boozy brunches, completely happy hours, dinner events, or nights in with wine on the sofa?
Strive exploring different methods to attach. Host a cocktail party with alcohol-free cocktails. Plan a dawn hike. Redefine what it means to “catch up.” Keep curious.
Pink Flag #4: “Me Time” = Wine Time
Has wine develop into your reward for time alone?
When my children had been with their dad, or I lastly had an evening off, I instinctively reached for a bottle. Throughout my divorce, I drank extra—and I drank alone. I believed I used to be soothing myself, however actually, I used to be staying caught.
Wine didn’t assist me heal. It saved me from therapeutic.
Pink Flag #5: You’re Binge Consuming With out Realizing It
I used to assume binge consuming was for faculty children. Beer pong and vodka pictures. However for girls, binge consuming is outlined as 4+ drinks in a single sitting.
That 12-ounce wine glass you fill to the brim? That’s not one drink—it’s nearly three.
In case your tolerance has crept up, it might be masking how a lot you’re consuming—and the way a lot it’s affecting your physique.
Pink Flag #6: Your Exercises Really feel More durable Than They Ought to
Alcohol impacts all the things: cardiovascular well being, motivation, restoration time. It will increase irritation, slows muscle restore, and leaves you sore longer.
In case you’re chalking up sluggish exercises or recurring accidents to “simply getting older,” it may be time to contemplate whether or not alcohol is making your physique really feel older than it really is.
So Now What?
If any of those purple flags hit a bit of near dwelling, take a breath. This isn’t about disgrace. It’s about energy.
Realizing the reality about alcohol offers you the possibility to determine what sort of life you wish to stay—and the way robust you wish to really feel in it.
In case you’re inquisitive about slicing again, experiment with a number of alcohol-free weeks. Monitor how your exercises really feel, the way you sleep, the way you present up in your relationships. You may be shocked by what comes again on-line when alcohol is off the desk. —Krysty
Interested in what life can seem like alcohol-free? I’m a sobriety coach, and I write in regards to the messy center of midlife and sober curiosity at krystykrywko.substack.com. Come hang around—or try purpledogsober.com.