Alcohol Risk

A New Alcohol Risk: Moms Turning to Wine to Ease Parenting Anxiety

By April 22, 2014No Comments

Alcoholism 7No one ever said that being a mom is an easy job, but many young moms today are finding the stress of motherhood overwhelming. An alarming number of them said they soothe frayed nerves with a glass – or two or three – of wine. And the trend of drinking moms isn’t isolated to just one state; it’s a phenomenon sweeping across the nation.

The appearance of social pages like Martinis and Minivans and Moms Who Need Wine pretty much tells the story. So too does the number of new wine labels aimed at young moms. Names like Mommy Juice, Mommy’s Time Out and Mad Housewife are designed to cash in on this new market niche. Could it be a sign of a drinking epidemic? Are mommies the new alcohol risk?

Quite possibly. Treatment facilities around the country say that the number of young women (mothers) coming in for help with alcohol addiction has been on the rise. One popular morning news show conducted an online survey designed to find out what young moms had to say on the subject.

The survey showed that 40 percent of the moms who participated said they used alcohol to unwind and de-stress from parenting, sometimes while the kids were playing at the park. One-third of the moms reported having more than seven drinks per week. Do the mommies think there is an alcohol risk here? Well, 34 percent of them said that they felt some of their friends had a problem with alcohol. Only 15 percent thought they themselves had a problem.

Because these young women find that having a cocktail is a socially acceptable way to deal with anxiety, few of them view the behavior as an alcohol risk. Some say they have been behind the wheel of their car with young children in the backseat after consuming, and have friends who have engaged in the same behavior. Many times, the behavior is unknown to a spouse and continues to escalate due to the progressive nature of alcohol addiction and dependence.

There’s no reason to wait until drinking becomes a danger to others, or yourself. If you think you may be drinking too much, you can find help. Alcohol addiction wears many faces… including moms and dads. Family Guidance Center can help moms find other ways to deal with the difficult job of parenting. Don’t assume that you’re too young to need help. Don’t avoid getting help because you feel ashamed — the disease of alcohol addiction affects millions of people across all walks of life, and it can be treated for a return to quality of life. Call Family Guidance Center today.