Author Archives: shippolyte1

Is “Sober Curious” the new trend for the upcoming new decade?

Posted on by
Reply

“We don’t have to drink. There’s nothing that says, as an adult being, you have to consume alcohol,” says British writer and founder of the movement Sober Curious, Ruby Warrington. In December 2018, Warrington released the book Sober Curious, which offers an eye-opening new way to think about our relationship with alcohol.  Sober Curious reveals the enormous benefits that come from unlearning the mindless habit of drinking.

Think of sober curiosity as a “wellness” approach to (not) drinking alcohol.  The idea isn’t a hard stop to drinking or a 12-step process to sobriety, Warrington said. It’s not a recovery method for alcoholics, either. It’s about recognizing drinking habits and acting on that understanding. Maybe it means cutting out all alcohol, or just not drinking on weekdays. Warrington added that it’s the idea that alcohol determines our fun, intimacy, friendships, and experiences to the point that some Americans have tapped out of the present and aren’t fully living.

But how effective is this sober curious movement? Are women really  going to put down their cocktails and “mommy juice” for mocktails and lemonade?

My immediate thought was drinking has become way  too accessible for drinkers to stop now. We are drinking at work, in the early mornings, and on  Sundays, the day that was once considered a holy day. People are even drinking alone and getting alcohol delivered directly to their homes. The means of getting drunk has become limitless, so why stop?

There are many reasons to cease or  limit your alcohol intake. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention excessive drinking can cause chronic disease such as liver cirrhosis, unintentional motor vehicle traffic injures and violence.  However, many drinkers are unaware of the harm alcohol can cause. Drinkers feel since they are “drinking responsible” they are safe from consequences. Unfortunately, for some, just because you are binge drinking at home or taking an Uber  instead of driving doesn’t mean you don’t have a drinking problem. 

So really how did we get to the point where we feel like drinking is inevitably? If you decline a drink, you are scolded and peer pressured to just take a sip. I blame social media.  Social media networks have wired our brains to believe that there is nothing wrong with drinking in excess. There are so many memes that encourage to drink when you are sad, when you want to have fun, or relax. We are inclined to post a picture of us drinking to show fun is happening or to prove that we are taking time out for ourselves by having a drink.

In order to combat drinking as a negative reinforcement, we  have to replace memes that encourage drinking whenever there is a slight inconvenience or memes that justify drinking for every occasion. These  new memes can motivate drinkers to feel stimulated without drinking and enjoy activities such as working out, reading, or cooking

.Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym  Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym

Society has made us believe that binge drinking is euphoric. If I drink this bottle of wine, I will be having the time of my life. The sober curious movement challenges that social norm and forces drinkers to be more mindful about consuming alcohol. It’s a movement that brings awareness of drinking dependence. Even if people start going to the bars and having 1 drink instead 1o that is proof the movement is working.

  The new decade is now less than six months away,  will the sober curious movement be the new wave? 

Changing Cultural Norms on Women and Alcohol

Posted on by
Reply

“Wanna get drinks” “I had a bad day, I need a drink” “What restaurant has the best drink specials” “I need a drink so I can relax” WOW, realizing how I have used drinking as a gateway brings up the concern, where did these habits originate?  Now, I would never say that I have, or had, a drinking problem. Instead, I would classify it as being conditioned to think that drinking equates to happiness or bliss. Once I have a drink, all my worries will disappear for the moment, I will start to have fun, or I will begin to loosen up a little. I, along with many other women have started to not only drink for pleasure but also as a quick solution to everyday life challenges.  

Women drinking alcohol was once a cultural taboo. Now, it is almost expected for women to drink until intoxication. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention,excessive drinking by women includes binge drinking (four or more drinks within a two-hour period), heavy drinking (more than one drink per day), any drinking by pregnant women, and drinking by women under 21 years. As women become more progressive and independent, their responsibilities of handling career pressures, raising kids, and financial obligations can become overwhelming. Since alcohol is a depressant, studies show women are using alcohol to relax and alleviate their anxiety.

Alcohol companies have caught up with this trend of women drinking to cope with stress whereas men drink for pleasure. These companies have started using marketing strategies to encourage women to keep drinking in excess. For example, the wine company, Skinny girl cocktail, whose target  audience is women, promises great tasting wine with less calories. They have several taglines including “Drink like a Lady” and “Every girl needs a great date night wine — even if that date night is with herself.” These taglines urge women to drink as much wine as possible even if it means drinking alone.

Not only has women drinking more alcohol changed the culturally dynamic but it has also raised awareness of the negative effects alcohol causes the body in comparison to men. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism  states that women face higher risks of disease than men because women usually weigh less than men and women typically start to have alcohol-related problems at lower drinking levels than men. Excessive drinking by women causes a greater risk for breast cancer, liver cirrhosis and memory loss when compared to men. In addition, women who drink alcohol while pregnant are more likely to have a baby die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

It was not until recently that drinking dependence amongst women have become so normalized. Social media, entertainers and performers are used to promote alcohol products targeting women. Alcohol companies are making us believe that there is no problem with drinking excessively, and this is why so many women are unaware of their addiction or or alcohol harm. Society has replaced the view of “drinking in excess” with “mommy time”, “having fun” or “self care” There’s is still more research to be done to understand how alcohol use can impact women in the future.