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What is Gray Area Drinking?
…and why is it such a problem?
Gray area drinking as “the space between the extremes of rock bottom and every-now-and-again drinking.” (as defined by my teacher, Jolene Park in her TEDx talk on the topic).
The reality is, most drinkers drink in this “gray area”…not quite crossing the line into addiction, yet still drinking heavily or regularly.
A few years ago, I found myself fumbling through the gray area, not quite sure why I was doing all-the-things, yet unable to get the results I wanted in my life. From the outside, it looked like I had it all together. I was an intelligent, successful, attractive, fit, high-achieving woman. I had a good job, car, house…you know the story. But, on the inside, I was feeling incredibly lost and secretly questioning my relationship with alcohol. Maybe you’ve found yourself in the gray area too…do any of these sound familiar?:
- You’ve tried moderation and are sometimes successful, but more often than not, “just a few” turns into “a few too many.”
- You’ve asked yourself if you have a problem, but you don’t resonate with the language around addiction.
- You’ve stopped drinking for extended periods of time, but you’re lured back in with the plan to moderate, only to find yourself back on the same hamster wheel.
