What if you're not drinking every day, but alcohol is taking up far too much space in your head?
That's what I mean by grey area drinking.
In this episode, I'm sharing the story of a client who was caught in that grey area — and what happened when she finally decided to do something about it.
One of the moments I share happened at a gallery opening.
Before she arrived, she had a large glass of wine because she wanted to feel prepared.
Once she was there, she wasn't really focused on the art or the people around her. She was thinking about when she could get another drink, how she could get a refill without it being obvious, and whether anyone was noticing how much she was drinking.
Afterwards, despite already having had several glasses, she stopped to buy a bottle of wine.
She described it as a “new low.”
This is what grey area drinking can look like. Alcohol doesn't necessarily create a dramatic crisis, but it can quietly take over your thoughts, your choices and your enjoyment of life.
I've seen so many women take a break from alcohol and feel fantastic — only to return to exactly the same drinking patterns afterwards.
For me, lasting change isn't about white-knuckling your way through Sober October or Dry January.
It's about changing your beliefs about alcohol and the role you believe it plays in your life.
That's where emotional sobriety comes in.
My goal isn't simply to help women stop drinking. It's to help them reach a place where they genuinely don't want to drink.
The part of this client's story I love most is what happened a year later.
She went back to the same gallery event.
But this time she arrived with a non-alcoholic drink, and she wasn't thinking about wine.
She was looking at the art.
Talking to the artists.
Connecting with her friends.
And actually enjoying herself.
She discovered something she hadn't believed was possible:
Life without alcohol wasn't something she had to endure. It could actually be joyful.
And that's the transformation I want for the women I work with.
Not just “I don't drink anymore.”
But:
“I love my life without alcohol.”
If you're constantly thinking about drinking, taking breaks but always returning to the same patterns, or wondering whether alcohol is taking more from your life than it's giving you, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Email me at iqwwithsarah@gmail.com with “HELP” in the subject line, or book a complimentary call at iquitwine.com
https://tidycal.com/sarahleather/iqwconnect
A genuinely joyful alcohol-free life is possible.
