Am I Drinking Too Much? The 7 Signs of Grey Area Drinking Every Woman Over 40 Should Know - Sarah Rusbatch
Most women who recognise themselves in this episode do not identify as alcoholics, and that is exactly why the term grey area drinking exists.
Grey area drinking is the space between the every now and then drinker and physical dependency, and it is where a whole generation of midlife women are quietly living. In this solo episode I explain what grey area drinking actually is and walk you through the seven signs that you are sitting in it. I was a grey area drinker for twenty-nine years and I now work with women aged forty to seventy, so I know how normal this looks from the outside and how loud it feels on the inside. If you have ever silently asked yourself am I drinking too much, this one is for you.
The big ideasKey Takeaways
- 01Grey area drinking sits on a one to ten scale, between the occasional drinker and physical dependency.
- 02The rules we keep breaking, and the counting, justifying and rewarding, are what keep us stuck.
- 03If alcohol-free breaks like Dry January never seem to stick, that is one of the signs.
- 04Alcohol affects midlife women differently, from 3am wake-ups to anxiety and rising tolerance.
Jump straight inEpisode Chapters
- Not An Alcoholic? You Could Be A Grey Area Drinker
- What Is Grey Area Drinking?
- The 1-10 Scale For High Functioning Drinkers
- Sign 1: Counting And Justifying Your Drinks
- Sign 2: You Keep Breaking Your Own Drinking Rules
- Sign 3: Wine Has Become Your Reward
- Sign 4: Your Dry January Never Sticks
- Sign 5: You Keep Asking Am I Drinking Too Much
- Sign 6: Alcohol Takes More Than It Gives
- How Alcohol Hits Women Harder In Perimenopause
- Sign 7: Rising Tolerance And Getting Defensive
- The First Step To Changing How You Drink
Tap a chapter to watch from that moment on YouTube
Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia’s leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle.
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