One of the reasons alcohol use disorder can be so difficult to recognise is because most of us are looking for the wrong signs. We've been taught to picture someone whose drinking has become impossible to hide.
One of the biggest lies I ever believed was that moderation was the goal. For years, I thought the answer to my drinking was to somehow become better at it. Better at stopping after one glass.
Many women reach their 40s and start noticing that alcohol affects them differently… It’s not necessarily that they’re drinking more. Often, they’re drinking the same amount they always have.
Many of the women who come to work with me aren’t in crisis. They’re not drinking every day, they’re not hiding bottles, and from the outside their lives look completely functional.
There’s an idea often shared by neuroscientist Tommy Wood that explains why so many women feel permanently exhausted - yet struggle to truly rest. He talks about humans having different “gears,” not just physically, but neurologically and emotionall
Dementia is one of those words that can stop a conversation. It feels heavy and confronting, and for many people it is something they would rather not think about but avoiding the topic does not protect us. Understanding it might.
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