Coaching for Gray Area Drinking

Do you think you might be a gray area drinker?

Do you find yourself:

• Drinking almost every night, and drinking more than you want to?

• Secretly worried about your drinking?

• Quitting for a while but eventually starting up again?

• Using alcohol to relax, destress, reward, or numb yourself at the end of the day?

• Dealing with physical symptoms from drinking, like sleep disruption, mental fatigue and anxiety?

• Frustrated that you can’t just ‘figure this out’?

What is gray area drinking, anyway?

The term ‘gray area drinking’ refers to alcohol use that falls somewhere between social drinking and severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). If you are a gray area drinker, you may not be dependent on alcohol, but you probably drink more than you want to, and you may find it difficult to stop.

According to the American Addictions Center, gray area drinking affects more than 75 million Americans and is on the rise among women, who have seen a 41% increase in heavy drinking.

If you’re a gray area drinker, you may try to quit but struggle to remain abstinent. Perhaps you intuitively know that you have a problem…even though those around you don’t see it. Gray area drinkers often alternate between worrying about their drinking and rationalizing it away.

Gray area drinkers are typically high achievers who have a history of ‘getting stuff done’. But when it comes to drinking, they may suffer in silence and are reluctant to seek help.

For all of these reasons, gray area drinking can have harmful impacts on one’s relationships, work, and physical, emotional and mental health.

Who is most at risk?

If you’re under stress, especially for long periods of time, you might be at risk for gray area drinking. During the pandemic, many Americans drank more as a way to cope with stress, uncertainty and loneliness. Being at home, often alone, made it easy to go from drinking a glass of wine in the evening to finishing a whole bottle.

You may find yourself doing everything for everyone else - kids, partner, and coworkers - and experience depletion as a result. You may feel too guilty to make time for yourself, and drinking is a way to cope and self-soothe.

In addition, studies show that women in perimenopause or menopause, people with a history of disordered eating, people with anxiety, or people who have suffered major life changes or losses may be especially susceptible to gray area drinking.

The neurotransmitters for well-being

The truth is, gray area drinking is a coping mechanism for dealing with a dysregulated nervous system. There are three critical neurotransmitters (GABA, serotonin, and dopamine) that help your nervous system stay regulated. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) helps you relax, while serotonin regulates your mood. Dopamine increases your level of enjoyment.

While drinking alcohol initially increases levels of all three neurotransmitters in your brain, there is a price to pay. When the buzz wears off, you’re left feeling depleted and anxious. The resulting ‘hangxiety’, when coupled with other physical symptoms like nausea, headache and fatigue, can result in a serious loss of productivity and decreased feelings of well-being.

 Help is on the way

But here’s the good news: gray area drinking doesn’t have to lead to severe alcohol use disorder. It’s possible to ditch the alcohol for daily practices that truly nourish your body and nervous system.

At Living Color Healing, we believe that what you were looking for in a bottle is - in fact - in YOU. Our practitioners will help you:

• Develop a daily practice of self-care

• Manage the stress you currently have more effectively

• Create some down time/’me’ time

• Make time for things that are important to you…for things that actually matter

• Rediscover what brings you joy

• Rediscover energy to invest in new or abandoned pursuits such as a new career, new education or training, hobbies, circle of friends, and partnerships

If you find yourself identifying as a gray area drinker, please know that you are not alone. Although it may seem painful, this can actually be a precious time for change - an opportunity to reclaim your life and reconnect to what truly matters. 

Let us help you find your true colors again.