But as the pressures and ordinariness of being stuck at home, changing nappies and trying to be a good mum got to me, I started going out on Saturday nights, getting drunk and waking up hungover the next morning to a crying baby that depended on my care. It was socially acceptable, even celebrated.ĭuring both my pregnancies, in 20, I realised I was responsible for the lives growing inside me and I remained sober. I continued binge-drinking throughout my 20s and 30s, and no one ever pointed out that my party-girl behaviour was problematic. In the end, this led to experimenting with recreational drugs, promiscuity, and making lots of bad choices. But most of all, it made me confident with boys, so I was into it.įrom that first sip I got a reputation as the girl you came to for a guaranteed good night out, a reliable drinking buddy, the life and soul of every party.
When I had my first taste of alcohol at age 13, I realised that my constant worrying was replaced by feelings of euphoria and how it made me more sociable and accepted by my peer group. I realised that I am enough without alcohol and that I have the confidence to be the life of the party without it. This program changed my relationship with alcohol and the importance of it in my life. Riddled with mum guilt and tired of my intoxicated self, I decided to try a 30-day online program called The Alcohol Experiment.
My husband couldn’t influence my behaviour no matter how hard he tried, and he even threatened to remove my daughter from being with me if I chose to drink. I started mixing my antidepressants with alcohol, which caused rapid blackout episodes, and I became angry and frustrated. Then, during lockdown, I began drinking during the day and by myself to cope with anxiety and isolation. But as I never believed I had a problem, I never succeeded. I went to drug and alcohol counselling twice: after the birth of my child in 2014, when I broke my arm running up a hill while drunk, and then in 2017. The stressors of motherhood and marriage challenges meant kids’ parties were just another excuse to have a drink. If anything, my drinking behaviour intensified, and I became increasingly out of control. While the drugs stopped in my 30s, the drinking didn’t, even after I became a mother. Here, three former “party girls” reveal how alcohol actually took more from them than it gave, and how sobriety led them to self-rediscovery and a true sense of fun. “This can include talking to a health professional, and ensuring young people are aware of the health risks associated with binge-drinking.” Phan says we should be finding healthier ways to manage stress and be comfortable in social situations. The way female hormones respond to and metabolise alcohol makes women more susceptible to long-term health effects such as heart and liver disease and breast cancer.”
“Heavy drinking under the age of 25 has a negative impact on mental health because our brains are still developing, and this can affect our memory, attention span, and how we make decisions. “Drinking heavy amounts of alcohol socially is quite risky and can be the cause of health-related problems into adulthood,” says Phan. Often they use alcohol to lower inhibitions or to self-medicate and mask low self-esteem.Īustralian research published in the medical journal BMJ found 34 per cent of females surveyed reported drinking five or more standard drinks in a session during adolescence, and that 70 per cent binge-drink during adulthood. Dr Vicky Phan, a psychiatrist at addiction research and education centre Turning Point, says for some teenage girls, drinking is perceived as a way to project themselves as grown up and independent. For many young women, the idea of partying is often associated with having a drink in hand.
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