There is a moment, as you wrap your fingers around that first glass of the night, and everything falls into place. The alcohol seeps into your bloodstream and despodency is replaced by hope, shyness by a sudden confidence, and sadness by joy.
You are not an alcoholic or a drug addict, not especially weak-willed, unhappy or insecure. You are just a young woman: drinking is what we do.
We read the articles about evidence that long term excessive drinking can contribute to everything from depression, heart and liver diseas and some form of cancers. That the number of women drinking has doubled in the past five years. But somehow it doesn't stop us. Why can't we give it up?
Media, Era of Sex and the City endless cocktail party LIE... the world of bars and pubs, last orders and hangovers.
Everything revolves around alcohol, meeting a friend over a drink is the most common thing. Few drinks after work can quickly add up, while in the short term this can mean anything from loosing consciousness or waking up with hangover to putting on weight and getting saggy skin, but the long term effects can be harder to spot until it' s too late.
To change the HABIT that's a challenge.
According to hypnotherapist and author of The Drink Less Mind, Georgia Foster drinking culture is a learned behaviour that simply needs to be unlearned. "Your mind gets used to seeing that glass of wine as a way of making you feel better, so it naturally assumes it as a correct response to any stress. Whenever you use the alcohol as a response to inner stress relief - have a nap, or a cup of tea, eat something or get a massage instead.