Things that are popular are not always good for you. Far from it. One example is the spread of the so-called wine mom culture throughout the American parts of social media.
While American alcohol consumption has reached historic lows over the past few decades, the consumption of wine has also increased precipitously, particularly among young mothers. Even though alcohol is not such an important social tool in this day and age, it is now increasingly seen as a more acceptable way for mothers to handle stress.
Below we’ll take a quick look at the so-called wine mom culture and why it has serious potential to be harmful not just for mothers, but for entire families as well. If you’re in the New England area, check out these resources for evidence-based SMART Recovery in Boston today.
What’s a Wine Mom?
Wine moms are part of an internet subculture that started to grow in prominence with the widespread use of social media in the late 2000s and early 2010s. These really started with the growth of Facebook Groups, which further democratized how people with niche interests can come together.
Groups with names that reference alcohol consumption and motherhood started growing massive followings in the English-speaking world, mostly in North America. The wine mom identifier came to reference mothers in their late 20s to late 40s who had a flippant, humorous attitude towards motherhood which often centered around alcohol consumption. In essence, so-called wine mom culture implies more than simply the culture shared by moms who enjoy alcohol.
Why Does Wine Mom Culture Exist?
The concept of poking fun at the difficulties of common lifestyles is not new by any means. Neither is the idea of using alcohol as a means of dealing with stress on the job. Specific kinds of substance misuse are partly influenced by the subcultures an individual belongs to, as people are more likely to engage in certain behaviors if they see other people doing it or having a positive attitude towards it.
Motherhood can be a lonely thing, especially when mothers do not have a support network of people who understand what they are going through. However, historically, mothers who also drank alcohol or used drugs to cope with the stresses of motherhood were less likely to find the support they wanted.
The rise of social media groups changed this situation dramatically, allowing mothers of all kinds with all habits to find the support they wanted regardless of whether or not they were doing the right thing. In the face of declining American alcohol consumption, many businesses also did their part to help normalize heavy drinking among mothers.
Dangers of Wine Mom Culture
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has already taken notice of wine moms, as this group is the fastest-growing group of alcohol consumers in America. While people of occupations and dangers face similar baseline risks from heavy alcohol consumption, mothers have a few unique risks. Some of these include:
- Women are more likely than men to develop alcohol use disorder (AUD) when drinking lower overall quantities of alcohol, due to generally lower thresholds.
- Mothers experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma are more likely to engage in substance misuse as a coping strategy, compared to other women.
- Women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related cardiovascular conditions such as heart diseases or strokes.
- These same cardiovascular risks also make women more vulnerable to brain damage from regular alcohol use.
- Women may develop liver damage sooner compared to men who drink the same amounts,
- Children who see parents with a positive attitude to alcohol are more likely to drink earlier and develop AUD, later in life.
- Mothers who drink and drive may endanger their own children.
If you suspect that you or someone you know is unable to control their alcohol consumption, please get in touch with a mental health expert for full diagnostics. Catching AUD early can dramatically improve outcomes and reduce the cost of treatment.
Find Help for Alcohol Use Disorder Today
Wine mom culture is not anything to celebrate. However, we should also be careful not to condemn ourselves or others who have bought into the idea. AUD is a serious disease that can seriously interfere with our decision-making and motivations, and having it is not a conscious choice.
Thankfully, AUD is entirely treatable, especially when found and diagnosed early. A wide range of interventions has also been developed and used successfully to treat AUD and other potential underlying conditions such as postpartum depression and anxiety. Psychotherapy, along with medication-assisted treatments are the most commonly used, usually supplemented with exercise, group therapy, and other types of complementary treatment.
Mom or not, if you believe that you have a problem with alcohol or other substances, it’s important to get treatment right away. Thankfully, the stigma against AUD is much lessened compared to previous generations, and you should be able to find discreet treatment options that meet your unique recovery needs.
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