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Sinéad Gibney tells of how cousin Des Bishop ‘helped me to reflect on my own drinking'
Sinéad Gibney tells of how cousin Des Bishop ‘helped me to reflect on my own drinking'

Irish Times

time21-06-2025

  • Health
  • Irish Times

Sinéad Gibney tells of how cousin Des Bishop ‘helped me to reflect on my own drinking'

It was a routine slot in the Dáil early on Thursday morning. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke was taking oral questions from TDs. Somebody asked him about mandatory health labelling on alcohol products. He replied the Government might defer its introduction because of the threat of US tariffs. Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney intervened to say she opposed putting the labels on the long finger. It was then that she disclosed to the chamber, and by extension to the public, her own relationship with alcohol. 'I haven't had a drink of alcohol in 13½ years. Alcohol and its negative impacts have played a huge part in my life,' she told the Dáil. Gibney had thought through what she would say and the fact she would be making this very public revelation to support her opposition to this rollback of policy. She had spoken publicly about her drinking in the past but knew that saying it in the Dáil would draw a different level of attention to her personally. READ MORE [ TD says she hasn't drunk alcohol in over 13 years during impassioned plea to not delay health-warning labels Opens in new window ] The Social Democrats TD for Dublin-Rathdown has been perceived as a high achiever throughout her career, having been head of social action with Google Ireland and the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission . However, from her mid-teens to her mid-30s, she had a problematic relationship with alcohol. 'My drinking had always been too heavy. I had my first drink at 14. I was regularly drinking by the time I was 16. I'm not good at stopping. 'I was good craic, but I would always be the last person standing, and that's not good for your health ... That pattern was always there, absolutely.' Things came to a head in her mid-30s. She was a single mother, working in Google and studying for a master's degree. 'I had a busy social life and, like a lot of Irish people, I drank too much. 'It wasn't detrimental to my friendships. I was a life-and-soul type of person but it was detrimental to me in terms of my own mental health. I had a lot of bad hangovers.' There was no epiphany moment, no intervention. She decided to see if she could live her life without alcohol. She also wanted to be more present for her daughter, Bella, who was 11 at the time. 'I knew that I just wasn't there for Bella in a way that I wanted to be. That was definitely part of my motivation.' The comedian Des Bishop is her cousin and he had a destructive relationship with alcohol as a younger man. She talked to him frequently around this time. 'He helped me to reflect on my own drinking and what it was like in my life. That prompted self-reflection in me. And so I decided to test my life without alcohol.' 18/12/2024 - NEWS - Image as the Dail return's. Sinead Gibney SD. Photograph Nick Bradshaw / The Irish Times At the time, she did not describe it to herself as an addiction. 'I saw myself as somebody who worked hard and played hard. I did not necessarily think I had a problem with alcohol.' Nonetheless the drinking patterns were not healthy. 'I might have a bottle of wine in the fridge that I would have over a few nights, and then sometimes I wouldn't put the bottle away. On a weeknight, drinking a full bottle of wine is not good. The thing is it did not interfere with my work. It was much more impactful on my relationship with my daughter and, indeed, with myself.' She had picked a date of mid-January 2012 to stop. But a 'hard night' out just after Christmas, and a horrendous hangover, brought the date forward to New Year's Eve. She has not taken alcohol since. 'I just bare-knuckled it. The thing about addiction is that when you take away the painkiller you feel the pain. I went into therapy a few months later and I had a brilliant therapist. I've been in therapy multiple times in my life. I'm a big fan of it and very open about it. 'I was dealing with stuff that arose because I gave up alcohol and that was why I needed that therapy journey.' She said that people advised her she would probably not get a whole lot out of Alcoholics Anonymous at that time. 'So I chose not to go. I did go to AA years later for a period and really found it very helpful. But at the time for me, therapy was a really good support in navigating through life without alcohol.' She says she doesn't tend to use the word alcoholic a lot mainly because of the reaction it provokes and because addiction is a complex topic. 'A lot of us have forms of addiction in our lives that we don't really own up to. I think it was probably years later that I probably started to say the word alcoholic, but I did talk about addiction and recovery from quite soon after. My sobriety now is something I really treasure.' The personal benefits were immeasurable. 'It transformed my relationship with my daughter. I became so much more present, and the quality of time that we had together just shot up.' The change was not without big challenges, though: 'I now had to navigate social anxiety and how to be around people in a social setting without the crutch of alcohol. 'I spend a lot of time in my life working on my self-awareness. I do not feel that I would be here where I am today if I hadn't made that choice around alcohol. 'I think there is a large amount of potential in this country that is untapped because of alcohol. People will hear my story, and hopefully some people will hear something similar to what they experience. Every single human should examine their relationship with alcohol.'

I thought I was a ‘moderate' drinker until I started tracking my alcohol
I thought I was a ‘moderate' drinker until I started tracking my alcohol

Telegraph

time17-06-2025

  • Health
  • Telegraph

I thought I was a ‘moderate' drinker until I started tracking my alcohol

I'm a social drinker. Warmer, friendlier, after a few glasses. I never drink at home but when I'm out with friends (I work alone during the day), it's a joy to split a bottle of wine at supper, then put the world to rights over another glass. I'd class myself as a 'moderate drinker'. But am I really? The NHS defines 'moderate' as 14 units of alcohol a week and urges both men and women to make this their upper limit. The problem is I tend to assume a large glass of wine is a unit, but in my heart I know this is wishful thinking. A small glass (ie a 125ml thimble of wine) is actually 1.5 units. While a large glass of wine is 3.1 units. In the back of my mind I knew this but have been turning a blind eye. Research shows most of us are prone to this glass half-full mentality when it comes to wine. We can't do the maths. So challenged by the health editor of this paper, I download an app and keep track for a week. Logging my daily units The MyDrinkaware app is a free online calendar that aims to help people understand what impact their drinking might be having on their health. When I fill out the initial questionnaire I feel slightly smug. No, I haven't blacked out, injured myself or another person, forgotten the events of the night before. Three times a week I might have four drinks – but that's moderate, isn't it? Big mistake. The app tells me bluntly that I'm at 'increasing risk' of being dependent on alcohol. 'Your drinking is dangerous to your health, increasing your risk of serious health problems, including seven types of cancer, liver and heart disease and high blood pressure. Unless you cut down, you are at risk of damaging your health.' Gulp. When I consult professor David Nutt, director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London (and co-creator of non-alcoholic drink Sentia), he warns that if we discovered ethanol (alcohol) today, and it was put through the food safety testing requirements, the maximum recommended limit would be a single glass of wine per year. 'Even drinking below the 14 unit per week threshold does increase the risk of breast cancer,' he says. 'If you have a family history of this or have the genes that predispose, then the risk is greater, so you might decide not to drink at all. However, whatever risk category you are in, the less you drink the lower your risk.' I'm shaken. The new moderate me rarely goes over 14 units, surely? So each day for a week I log my drinking on the app. It's a slightly unusual week – including a 60th birthday, the 40th anniversary of a friend's beauty brand at Claridge's, the party for The National Gallery's reopening of The Sainsbury Wing, and a book prize. So there will be a bit more celebrating than usual. But I'm hopeful I can hold the line. Then – bad news – a dear friend reveals she's having a trial marriage separation, and inevitably our cinema evenings involve a bottle or two. ' I'm made of wine at the moment,' she says bravely. Oh dear, my audit isn't looking good. Doing the drink maths Saturday Girls lunch – four small glasses of white (six units) Supper – four small glasses of red (six units) The first shock is how many empty calories I'm putting away. On Saturday, I have a girls' lunch (four small glasses of white wine), then supper and a film with my friend (four small glasses red). Those eight drinks constitute a whopping 728 calories. And, the app tells me, I've used up 13 units. So I've nearly bust my total already. I try not do lunch and supper on the same day (it's too easy to forget the lunchtime units), but this is scary. Monday Picnic – two large glasses of white (6.5 units) On Monday I have a money-saving picnic by the river (my friend decants two large glasses of white wine from her flask) before Sondheim at the theatre. I'm feeling quite proud of myself but the app meanly informs me that's 6.5 units (364 calories). Tuesday Cocktail with a friend at The Groucho Club (two units) The Book Awards – champagne (9.13 units) I meet a friend for a martini before The Book Awards on Tuesday. She's an actress, so the wine waiters are particularly attentive at the awards (did I mention my house rule is never to turn down champagne?). But it's an own goal. The app informs me I've consumed 10.5 units (588 calories). Wednesday Champagne at Claridge's, plus a nightcap (9.13 units) On Wednesday at Claridge's, there's free-flowing champagne again. By my conservative estimate, I had five glasses, then a nightcap at my friend's house – and the app registers 9.13 units (511 calories). Oh God, it was probably more than that. The next day I feel hungover. I've been very proud of myself for giving up free sugar (for this paper). I've stuck to it for three months and lost several inches. But heavens I'm tempted to have biscuits. Only pride helps me not to succumb. Booze does lead to poor food impulse control. Thursday National Gallery party – champagne – again! (9.75 units) 60th birthday – double G&T, plus a small glass of wine (5.25 units) Normally I'd go into purdah for a few days to atone. But unfortunately it's The Sainsbury Wing party the next night. I am deeply grateful to their champagne sponsor (these days parties in the arts are pretty dry), but I rack up 9.75 units (546 calories). I'm actually the plus one this evening – there to support my friend, carry her bag. All fine, but I'm beginning to realise that being the bridesmaid (not the bride) makes you drink more. No one is terribly interested in you, so you hit the drinks tray more often. At the 60th birthday supper I manage to stick to a double G&T and small glass of wine, but that's still 5.25 units (294 calories), way over my daily allowance. The units have racked up dangerously Nervously, I consult the MyDrinkaware dashboard. 'In the last seven days you have had 36 drinks – that's 62.26 units,' it informs me. I'm horrified. I knew it was going to be a bit over the 'safe' 14 units. But the health implications are clear. Apart from the cancer risk, ONS figures show alcohol-related deaths from liver disease are rising substantially (the highest is women in their 50s). 'When you drink a unit of alcohol, your liver has to pause the 500 vital functions in the body, encompassing tasks like filtering the blood, producing bile, and metabolising nutrients, just to get alcohol out of the system as quickly as possible,' Dr Curran of London's Reborne Clinic tells me. 'These functions are crucial for digestion, detoxification, and overall health.' He doesn't drink himself. 'I don't want to come across as judgy, but 14 units may still be too much in women who are struggling with hormone imbalance, excessively high oestrogen in particular. Alcohol can exacerbate a propensity for oestrogen access, which in turn can fuel uncontrolled proliferation in oestrogen-sensitive tissues or tumours such as breast, ovarian and endometrial (lining of womb). Alcohol metabolism also depletes nutrients required for the effective processing and elimination of oestrogen from the body.' I naively believed I was cutting back on booze. And yes, last week was a perfect storm (like Christmas in May). Life chez Hoggard is normally far less exciting. But the truth is even a 'modest' night is over my daily allowance. 'If it's a strong wine, 250ml can be three units,' warns Richard Piper of Alcohol Change UK (who also have a Try Dry app). He agrees the 14 unit recordation is fairly arbitrary. 'There's 200 medical conditions caused by alcohol. For every single medical condition, there is a different risk chart. So how do you alight on a single number above which things are higher risk?' He'd prefer us to adopt the Canadian system where we talk about zero risk (not drinking), very low risk, low risk, moderate risk and high risk. Very low risk would be two to three units a week. He doesn't think consumers should take all the blame, however. It's an addictive substance. 'Let's keep the pressure on government and on the industry,' says Dr Curran. 'It's one of the wealthiest profit-making industries on the globe. Most of the drinks we consume are actually produced by multi-global companies not based in the UK. So it's UK consumers paying the price for other countries' profits. 'Alcohol is more addictive than cocaine, more harmful than tobacco, but we're not told that story, and it's so normalised in our society that we reject that message. But the science behind the cancer risk has really developed over the last 20 years. The challenge for us as an organisation is how to tell that story, without being alarmist, and how to support people to just put alcohol back where it needs to be, as a dangerous product that's also pleasurable. In a democratic society, we're not for banning stuff. Our position is it's up to you to choose.' I'm determined to cut back and have started ordering alcohol-free beers when out with friends (they're so good now I can barely tell the difference). On a seaside jaunt, I don't drink and the drive-back at 5am is surprisingly bearable with a clear head. I won't deny it's been a shaming wake-up call. Just typing the figures into an app makes it harder to ignore the truth. 'Cut one unit, two units out a week, and your chances of living a longer, healthier life increase,' says Richard Piper. Top tips Check the alcohol volume Not all wines are equal. You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles, sometimes written as 'vol' or 'alcohol volume', or ask bar staff about particular drinks. For example, wine that says '12% ABV' or 'alcohol volume 12%', means 12 per cent of the volume of that drink is pure alcohol. A large glass of ABV 12 per cent such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, is three units. Build in more alcohol-free days It's recommended to have two to three alcohol-free days each week, ideally consecutively. Abstaining from alcohol for two to three weeks can significantly reduce liver inflammation and improve overall health, especially for those with fatty liver. 'Even in your 50s and 60s you can have a huge impact by reducing the amount of alcohol you drink,' says Debbie Shawcross, professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King's College London. Don't drink on an empty stomach 'The worst thing you can do is drink without food,' says Prof Shawcross. 'You very quickly get drunk and the liver becomes overloaded because it can only break down alcohol at roughly one unit of alcohol an hour. But if you have a meal that keeps alcohol in the stomach for longer, it slows absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.' Measure your drinks Home spirit measures are notoriously difficult to judge, so use a measure (25cl of standard 40 % spirits is one unit). Most people think they are having a double, but it is more like a triple, says Salim Khakoo, professor of hepatology at the University of Southampton. Know your triggers Is it being in a bar? At home watching TV? When you socialise with certain friends? Identify any potential weak spots and find an alternative. Have something fun planned for the morning after a night out If you know you have something to look forward to the next morning, then you're more likely to want to avoid a hungover, and drink less as a result. Downsize your glass sizes (especially when at home) Studies show it helps you drink less, says DrinkAware. Put ice in wine This will dilute the strength, but still gives the taste. Or add a mixer, like soda, to make it a spritzer. Follow the 20-minute rule Take a 20-minute break after you've finished one drink before buying or pouring your next. Your craving will often go away or soften. Go dry at events associated with alcohol Identify one thing you would normally do with alcohol – picnic, festival, restaurant – and do it without alcohol, advises Richard Piper. 'What people find is it's just as fun, sometimes more so, particularly with gigs, where you find yourself queuing to get the beer, and then queuing for the toilet. Say to yourself: 'I did pay quite a lot of money. I want to be fully present'.'

Nutritionists Are Sharing Alcohol 'Rules' You Should Really Be Following, Including Women Having No More Than One Drink Per Day
Nutritionists Are Sharing Alcohol 'Rules' You Should Really Be Following, Including Women Having No More Than One Drink Per Day

Yahoo

time16-06-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Nutritionists Are Sharing Alcohol 'Rules' You Should Really Be Following, Including Women Having No More Than One Drink Per Day

Alcohol is known to be a health risk. Research shows that it's linked to certain cancers, can damage your liver, is tied to dementia risk and can just make you feel lousy. So, with all of these findings, it's only natural to think more about your relationship with alcohol. As the sobriety awareness of Dry January comes to a close, you may feel a pull to go back to your old drinking habits. But it could be worth thinking about your use of alcohol and making a change that lasts beyond January. (And, no, this does not have to mean cutting it out altogether.) Terms like 'mindful drinking' and 'sober curious' are showing up in the news and on social media, indicating that folks are taking these research findings seriously. What mindful drinking means for one person might not be the same as for another, but in essence it's bringing awareness to your alcohol consumption and choosing to drink when you actually want to, not just as a reflex while watching the game or as a crutch to deal with stress. Although some people who follow this lifestyle do still drink, others don't, making the definition fluid and customizable to what's right for you. In the end, your decision to drink or not to drink is up to you. But for those who decide to imbibe, nutritionists say there are some things to keep in mind. Below, they share the alcohol guidelines you should follow if you do choose to drink. 1. The CDC guidelines say women should have no more than one drink per day and men should have no more than two. Related: People Are Sharing The Telltale Signs In Someone's Kitchen That Make Them Scared To Eat There The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines define moderate drinking as no more than one drink for women and two drinks for men each day, said Christine Byrne, a registered dietitian and the owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition in Raleigh, North Carolina. 'I think that is a pretty good guideline,' she added. 'Those specific guidelines also point out that it doesn't mean seven drinks in a week for women, it means one drink a day — so not drinking for five days and then drinking six drinks on the sixth day is not the same thing.' 'Alcohol is a lot for your body to process,' which is why you can't just bank all of those drinks for day six, Byrne said. 'Overloading [your body] with alcohol on one day and not drinking for seven days or more can be more harmful than just drinking one drink for women or two drinks for men on a single day ... our bodies are able to process that amount of alcohol.' Not be a buzzkill, but one alcoholic drink does not mean a Long Island iced tea (a cocktail that combines gin, vodka, rum, tequila and triple sec). Instead, the CDC says one drink is equivalent to a 12-ounce beer that is 5% alcohol by volume (ABV), 5 ounces of wine that's 12% ABV, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor or 8 ounces of malt liquor that is 7% ABV. But know that alcohol is not beneficial to your health. ″[It's] really important to know that recently, I think as of last year, the World Health Organization actually came out and said that no amount of alcohol is safe,' said Sumner Brooks, a registered dietitian and author of 'How to Raise an Intuitive Eater.' 'We know that alcohol is associated with cancer, it's a Group 1 carcinogen, which puts it in the same group level as tobacco,' Brooks said. Beyond being a carcinogen, alcohol is a toxin, according to Byrne, who added that 'our body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol because it's a toxin, so it wants to get rid of it.' The WHO guidelines say that even one drink per day for women and two per day for men is still associated with these health risks, Brooks noted. So for people who do choose to drink, 'it's just important [to know] that we've moved past the point of that general consensus that drinking offers health benefits,' she added. Suffice to say that just because the guidelines say you can have a certain amount of alcohol each day doesn't mean you should. 2. If you do imbibe, drink water after each alcoholic beverage. Related: 19 Very, Very Unfortunate Food Fails That Belong In A Museum Of Culinary Crimes It's not an official guideline, but the notion of following up an alcoholic drink with a glass of water is a good practice to follow, Byrne said. 'Not only does it hydrate you, it also slows you down, and that can be helpful,' she added. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more often and can dehydrate you. If you decide to drink more than what the CDC guidelines consider 'moderate drinking,' following each drink with water is helpful, noted Byrne. 3. Don't drink on an empty stomach. You probably have at least one memory (albeit, a fuzzy one) of drinking on an empty stomach. For more reasons than one, Byrne said, drinking on an empty stomach is not a good idea. 'I do not recommend drinking on an empty stomach. The alcohol can hit you faster that way, and that can be a problem,' she said. Specifically, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, your body absorbs alcohol faster when you don't have food in your stomach. 'Drinking while eating can help you not get so drunk, which is a good thing,' Byrne said. 'It also could help you drink less because you're not just drinking, you're also eating — there's something else to do. And drinking less is a good thing.' So if you end up at a happy hour with friends, order a few bites to eat, too. 4. Don't replace meals with alcohol. According to Brooks, while alcohol does provide your body with calories, it does not provide it with necessary nutrition, like protein, fiber or fat. 'People tend to equate dietary quality with calories, which is really harmful, especially when it comes to alcohol. Because if they're just thinking about how many calories they're taking in, then they will replace food calories with alcohol calories and think that's enough or that's a healthy replacement,' Brooks said. 'But really, nutrition is about getting what we need: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals and water, and when we're cutting those things out to maintain calorie balance, then there's a nutrition risk,' she said. Your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs if you're replacing a meal with a filling beer. 5. Be aware of what constitutes binge drinking. Byrne said it's important to know the official definition of binge drinking. The CDC says having five drinks or more on an occasion for men and four drinks or more for women is considered binge drinking. 'I think it's less than a lot of people think,' Byrne noted. Think about it: If you've ever been to a wedding where there's cocktail hour, dinner, dancing and often an after-party, you know how easy it is to have four or five drinks during the celebration. 'What you do with alcohol is completely up to you, and just because you drink more than what's considered binge drinking on a single occasion doesn't necessarily mean you have an alcohol addiction or an alcohol problem,' Byrne said. 'I want to make that clear, too, but technically speaking, that is the definition of binge drinking.' 6. Pay close attention to you're drinking. For those who do choose to drink, Brooks said it's important to pay attention to three things: The frequency and quantity of your drinking: Use the CDC's guidelines to assess how much and how often you're drinking. Why you're drinking: 'Ask yourself, what is it that I think this drink will do for me?' Brooks said, adding that if you're using alcohol to de-stress, let loose or be more social, know that you can do this without drinking. Is there something else you can do or drink instead of alcohol? 'Because there are actually so many ways that we can achieve those benefits that people think they're getting from drinking, we can get all of those things without drinking,' Brooks said. 'If you are saying, 'Well, I just need this drink because I just need to relax' ... that alcohol itself isn't actually what helps you relax. [What can give you that effect can] be the sitting, taking a break from what you're doing or going to happy hour and talking to people, connecting to people, getting a change of scenery,' Brooks explained. You can still relax without a glass of wine. You could take up coloring or take a bath with a seltzer by your side instead of a glass of wine, or you could go out for a walk for an after-work change of scenery, she added. 'If somebody believes that having that drink at the end of the day is their way to relax, then just by default they're not thinking about other ways that they actually could decompress,' Brooks said. Beyond thinking about your intention with alcohol, it's important to look at any red flags, too. 'If you think your drinking might be problematic, ask yourself why you're doing it,' Byrne said, 'and if you're doing it to avoid certain feelings or numb certain feelings, then that's something to question and probably a reason to reassess your relationship with alcohol.' In this case, it's also a good idea to reach out to a therapist who's trained in substance use treatment who can support you, Byrne added. The Psychology Today website can help you find a local mental health provider. Additionally, Brooks noted that changing your drinking habits is not an easy feat. If you are trying to do this, it's a good idea to lean on loved ones who have a similar article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in Food: 25 Peculiar Family Food Traditions People Thought Were Totally Normal Growing Up That Range From "Weird" To "Disgusting" To Actually Really Cute Also in Food: "They Kept Looking At Us Like We Were Sugar-Addicted Americans": 22 Comfort Foods From All Around The US That Probably Seem A Little Weird If You Didn't Grow Up Here Also in Food: Only True Culinary Geniuses Can Identify These 15 Recipes From Emojis Alone

Getting sober while my kids are teenagers is the best parenting decision I've made. I get to be fully present for them.
Getting sober while my kids are teenagers is the best parenting decision I've made. I get to be fully present for them.

Yahoo

time01-06-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Getting sober while my kids are teenagers is the best parenting decision I've made. I get to be fully present for them.

I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago. It's been a game changer in my relationship with my two teenagers. Being a sober parent shows my kids that we can do hard things without turning to alcohol to cope. I've done a lot of things right while parenting my kids, but I've also made plenty of mistakes. My "babies" are 17 and 15 now, and my greatest parenting achievement just might be that I've always been open with them about my mess-ups. Yelling when I shouldn't have, looking at my phone too much, taking their dad (my husband) for granted — these things all make the list. No parent is perfect, and over the years, I've apologized when necessary and made lots of changes to my parenting style. Still, if there's one regret I still have and one thing I'm glad I course-corrected in my parenting journey, it's my relationship with alcohol. I started drinking in high school and maintained a pretty run-of-the-mill relationship with alcohol throughout college and my 20s. At 28 (and again at 30), I had a baby, and, like so many moms, I turned to my nightly glass (or bottle) of wine to cope with the stress of having two little ones. Surrounded by messages like "rosé all day" and "mommy needs wine," I felt like I was part of a special club that knew the secret to relaxing after a long day of parenting. By the time my kids neared middle school, every part of parenthood felt tied to alcohol, from making sure there was a cooler of beers for the parents at my kids' birthday parties to taking ride shares to "moms' night out" activities because we knew we'd all be drinking. I was sober-curious long before I stopped drinking completely. I knew alcohol was creating problems in my life, like strained friendships, increased anxiety, and spending too much on tipsy, late-night, online shopping splurges. After years of reading quit-lit, listening to sobriety podcasts, and analyzing my relationships with alcohol with friends, I woke up one morning (with a hangover) and decided to stop drinking completely. It's been nearly 600 days since I've had a drink, and I've never looked back. Alcohol disgusts me now, and thoughts of my drinking days fill me with shame. There are plenty of reasons I'll never drink again — one of the biggest being my kids. Since I quit drinking, my daughter went through a tough break-up, and my son was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. There were thousands of smaller moments where my kids needed me to be of sound mind to offer them advice: whether to quit a part-time job, how to handle a disappointing theater audition, and what to say to a close friend during an argument. I'm so glad I was fully present without a wine buzz, so they could trust and confide in me. There have been happy moments, too, that I'll always be grateful I was sober to experience. We've traveled, celebrated holidays, and made beautiful memories together that I'll remember so much more clearly. Like all of my parenting mess-ups, I've spoken candidly with my teens about my choice to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, sharing everything from cautionary, embarrassing drinking stories to insights from my therapy sessions, and how much more manageable things like anxiety and depression feel. [Photo: 4 diet coke] An unexpected perk? My teenagers are incredibly proud of me — I know, because they tell me. Often. And it's something I never tire of hearing. Not only are they proud, but they've told me they're also taking notes on how sobriety has led to my improving my physical and mental health and forging deeper, more intentional friendships. My sobriety is allowing me to model to my teenagers that alcohol isn't a necessity to have fun, be social, or make friends. They're seeing in me an example of what it's like to do hard things and not only succeed, but thrive. Most of all, my kids are seeing that mommy doesn't need to drink just because they exist, a message the media sends kids that sends shivers up and down my spine. Because I choose not to drink, my kids see that stress and tough times are normal parts of life, and that the best way to handle them is to be present and work through them, not numb out with a drink. Read the original article on Business Insider

Breaking the Silence: Europe Unites Against Alcohol Harm
Breaking the Silence: Europe Unites Against Alcohol Harm

Medscape

time08-05-2025

  • Health
  • Medscape

Breaking the Silence: Europe Unites Against Alcohol Harm

AMSTERDAM — Today, the EU launched a new coalition of health organizations and experts to advocate for the reduction of alcohol-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths here at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025. The European Health Alliance on Alcohol aims to reduce alcohol's impact on health, raise public awareness, and advocate for the implementation of effective policies that save lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) European Region has the heaviest alcohol consumption of all regions in the world, causing a significant reduction in life expectancy, especially among men. Approximately 800,000 lives are lost each year to alcohol. It is also a leading risk factor for disability, a major cause of more than 200 chronic diseases, and a factor in many injuries and mental health disorders. Despite this, cultural and societal narratives around alcohol use are at odds with the clinical evidence, fueling alcohol-related harm. A roundtable event organized yesterday at the congress convened clinicians, policymakers, and a patient with alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) to challenge some of society's most pervasive narratives about alcohol use and reveal the deeply entrenched ways it shapes health and society. 'This isn't about judgement,' said David Barrett, internal communications and multimedia manager at the WHO, Copenhagen, Denmark, who chaired the event. 'It's about cutting past all of the noise; all of the myths.' Margarida Santos, MD Carina Ferreira-Borges, PhD The discussion featured a cross-sectoral panel including Margarida Santos, MD, general practitioner, Portugal; Hazel Martin, patient with ARLD and BBC journalist, Glasgow, Scotland; Aleksander Krag , MD, PhD, professor and department chair, department of gastroenterology and hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark and secretary general of EASL; Riina Sikkut, member of the Estonian Parliament; and Carina Ferreira-Borges, PhD, regional advisor on alcohol, illicit drugs, and prison health at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. 'I Was the Story' Sharing her experience, Martin reflected on her dual role as reporter and subject of the BBC Panorama episode Binge Drinking and Me . Hazel Martin, BBC journalist 'It's never the goal of a journalist to be the story,' said Martin, speaking candidly about her diagnosis of ARLD at the age of 31 and reflecting on how deeply alcohol is embedded in everyday life. 'I didn't feel like I was drinking any differently than the people around me. And yet I received a diagnosis of fibrosis; alcohol-related liver damage. That was a huge shock.' Martin described the dissonance between what is perceived as normal drinking habits and the clinical reality, with her diagnosis surprising her but also prompting questions about societal understanding of drinking behavior. 'Why are so many people unaware they are at risk? There's this public health message of 'Spread your drinking across the week. Know your units.' But no one really knows what that means,' she said. 'Binge drinking is defined as six drinks in one session [for a female]. That's about two large glasses of wine. Yet so few people recognize when they're doing it,' she explained, adding that so many people she spoke with after making the show were shocked. Santos, who works in the Portuguese primary care system, said that common misperceptions of alcohol use present one of the biggest barriers to reducing harm, and that people often harbor a narrow stereotype of who alcohol harms. 'People think alcohol disorder is only about someone from a low socioeconomic background who drinks daily and visibly gets drunk. But often it's more subtle—and just as harmful.' She admits it can be difficult to discuss alcohol consumption with patients. 'They may say 'a glass with meals' or 'a beer here and there,' without recognizing it may already cross risky thresholds.' More worrying, she stressed, was the communication gap. 'We [health professionals] talk in terms of units and liver damage, but what the public wants to know is if it 'increases my breast cancer probability' and 'how does this impact me?' They don't realize that it makes your work harder or impacts fertility.' Stigma remains a major issue too, she pointed out. 'There's 'sober shaming' at weddings and parties that pressures people into drinking. People ask, 'Why aren't you drinking? Are you pregnant?' That's a cultural issue and it needs to change.' Industry Promotion and Societal Disconnect Santos also sounded the alarm over industry influence in policymaking, pointing out that, in Portugal, major alcohol companies have had direct contact with the health ministry. 'We need to stop normalizing this,' she said. Podcasts and influencers on social media, largely used by teenagers, are also sponsored by the alcohol industry, but no action is taken against this. Santos has her own podcast. 'I find this so upsetting because it would be unthinkable for a person or a podcast to be sponsored by a tobacco company. No one does anything about it. I think it's very cultural.' WHO public health expert, Carina Ferreira-Borges, reflected that people's choices are not made in a vacuum but are shaped by environments saturated with marketing and a culture that infiltrates to the point where clear societal principles become lost. 'It's absurd that profit-driven industries go to schools to teach children how to drink and there is an acceptance that this is okay. How do all of these systems encourage harm while claiming to promote so-called choice?' Santos concurred and called for a reframing of public health communication and investment in health communication strategies that match the scale and savvy of the alcohol industry's campaigns. Debunking the Alcohol Myths: Red Wine Is (Not) Healthy! Turning to systems propagating misinformation that fuel alcohol-related harm as opposed to individual blame, Karg reflected on the persistent myth that moderate alcohol consumption, especially red wine, offers cardiovascular benefits. 'I think it has been a myth that's been around a lot and it's also one that the alcohol industry loves to say. If you look at hundreds of diseases in large datasets, there might be some [outliers] popping up that support this, but the reality is that the more you drink, the higher your risk is, and we need to be careful, because they [the industry] are twisting it,' said Karg, emphasizing the clear dose-response relationship between alcohol use and mortality. The experts called for sharper, more relatable health communication together with robust policies that prioritize public wellbeing over profit. The newly launched European Health Alliance on Alcohol will be highlighting the often-overlooked impacts of alcohol on heart disease, suicide, sleep, and mental health. It aims to strengthen the influence of healthcare professionals on alcohol policy at local, national, and European levels.

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