The rise in products available to easily hide alcohol use and normalize it is creating an epidemic. At Rock Recovery, we want to help expose that these ideals are not healthy. Our staff is committed to helping our patients shift their mindset away from wine mom culture.
What is Wine Mom Culture?
Wine mom culture is the idea that drinking to cope with parenting problems is normal. Between social media, pop culture and different products being created, wine mom culture is blossoming more than ever. It’s teaching women that their “me time” should also include binge drinking.
The History of Wine Mom Culture
In recent years, social media has exploded and begun to influence individuals in both positive and negative ways. People with common interests who don’t live near each other are able to connect. Groups of women have formed and meet on a daily to weekly basis to discuss certain topics.
With this, the development of groups of women relying on wine to get them through the struggles of parenthood have formed. There are groups on Facebook with thousands of participants who share their mutual dependency on wine. Hundreds of hashtags on Instagram can be found where people are using “#winemom” and “#momswhoneedwine.”
Not only is social media influencing these ideals; popular TV shows and movies are also doing the same. Many women-centered films have come out in recent years that showcase binge drinking to get through the day. These movies portray it in a glamorous, necessary way and say that you need to drink to be a “capable mom.”
Why Do Moms Drink?
There are many moments in motherhood that are positive and rewarding. However, there are equally as many that are difficult and cause a lot of stress. These times are the reason that moms can develop drinking habits. Some of these can include:
Stress Relief
Being a mother is a full-time job. It comes with many challenges and a lot of questions that are unanswered. Although it’s something many women dream of doing their entire lives, the reality can be very different from what they were expecting. This can come with a lot of stress. Due to this, they may start to consume alcohol to “take the edge off.”
Mental Health
Not all women who have children have an easy time coping with the changes that children bring. Some can even develop a type of disorder after birth called postpartum depression. This is a type of depression that occurs due to the change in hormones within the body after giving birth. This can cause very difficult emotions to cope with. Women may turn to the effects of alcohol if this occurs.
Lack of Support
In some cases, women who have children may not have anyone to lean on. Examples of this could be women whose families are not involved. It could also include women whose children’s fathers are not in the picture. Instead of dealing with this in a healthy manner, they may use alcohol to forget their problems.
How Wine Mom Culture Has Normalized Alcoholism
Because of the influence of these platforms, wine mom culture has slowly normalized alcoholism within the household. Most women who have been captured by this culture see drinking more than the recommended amount as completely normal. They also participate in doing so with friends and family who share the same thought process.
What is Alcoholism?
When someone has alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder, they’re incapable of controlling how much they drink and usually need alcohol to function daily. Individuals who have developed alcoholism normally don’t know it has happened to them. They began slowly consuming alcohol on a daily basis to cope. After a certain amount of time, the effects they experience begin to dwindle due to their rising tolerance. This can lead to binge drinking on a daily basis.
What is Binge Drinking?
Individuals who develop a binge drinking habit often start off drinking one to two drinks a day. This slowly increases over a period of time. This can be due to the fact that the people around the individual are encouraging the behaviors. It can also be due to them needing more alcohol to feel the same effects.
Warning Signs of Alcoholism
Being wine mom culture is so prevalent, it can be difficult to spot signs of alcoholism forming. They may be ignored because they’re seen as “normal.” At Rock Recovery, we want to help loved ones spot signs of alcohol addiction. They can include both physical and behavioral signs.
Physical Signs of Alcoholism
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Significant weight loss or weight gain in a short amount of time
- Disheveled appearance
- Constant bad breath or body odor
Behavioral Signs of Alcoholism
- Not being able to control impulse drinking
- Showing different personality traits that they don’t normally have
- Talking constantly about their alcohol use
- Ignoring everyday responsibilities
- Spending a large amount of money on alcohol
- Dishonesty of where they’re going or who they’re hanging out with
How Alcoholism Affects Children of “Wine Moms”
Children of wine moms can experience significant problems in their childhood that last well into adulthood. Because it is seen as normal within their household, they can often become victims of alcoholism themselves. They may also develop mental health disorders because of their mother’s actions.
Children of binge drinkers often have to take on the responsibilities of the household. Because of their mother’s addiction, they ignore the needs of their children, especially when they get older. Children may have to take on grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning the household because of this. They also normally will have to take care of their mothers while all of this is going on.
Ways to Cope with Stress Other Than Drinking
It may seem impossible to pull yourself out of the hole of drinking. It probably has become such a normalized part of your life that without it, you wouldn’t know how to function. There are plenty of healthier ways to cope with stress than drinking alcohol.
Exercising Regularly
Because exercise releases endorphins, these endorphins help regulate your mood. Mood regulation in turn gives you a different way to look at the stressful situations parenting brings. Exercising also provides more energy during the day. This can give you the energy it needs to take care of the kids on a regular basis.
Volunteering
Volunteering in the community can provide a sense of accomplishment and understanding. By seeing what others are going through, it can help provide perspective. Your situation may be stressful, but it could be a lot worse.
Scheduling More “Me Time”
Your “me time” does not have to include drinking. Instead, the focus can be turned on learning a new skill, reading a book or having a spa night. By expanding your knowledge and exploring new passions, it can open your mind to a lot of possibilities.
Making Time for Date Night
If you are able to hire a sitter, make time to spend time with your significant other. By spending time with just the two of you, you can have meaningful conversations. This will provide you with a sense of security and understanding with one another.
What if Therapy is Needed to Overcome Binge Drinking?
Alcoholism is not something to ignore. At Rock Recovery, we want to extend the highest level of treatment available if it is needed. We are able to treat even the most severe cases of alcoholism.
Different Types of Treatment
Our staff understands that each case of alcoholism is different. Because of this, we offer different programs to accommodate all needs and schedules. These include partial hospitalization, traditional treatments, and also outpatient treatments.
Our partial hospitalization program is for the most serious cases of addiction. We offer this so our patients can stay in the facility and receive their treatment. They are able to have around the clock care to avoid relapsing. Our regular treatment program is offered after partial hospitalization is completed. This is the type of treatment that is typically thought of when rehab is concerned.
Our outpatient programs give our patients a chance to maintain somewhat of a regular schedule while attending treatment. They are able to keep going to school and work and receive their treatments after.
Let Rock Recovery Center Help You
If you are struggling with your alcoholism, look no further than Rock Recovery Center. We’re a facility that strives to meet the needs of each of our patients. No matter how intensive the addiction, we’re able to help.
Please contact us today if you’re wanting to learn more about how we can help. Even though wine mom culture has been normalized, we want to help you realize sobriety is attainable.
