What is grey-area drinking? And why do we need to talk about it?

grey area drinking: the murky area between (truly) social drinking and drinking that would be considered ‘severe substance use disorder’

why we need to talk about it: because our ideas around substance use disorder are flawed and outdated. And that doesn’t serve anyone (except big alcohol).

When we don’t talk openly about grey-area drinking, about the spectrum of drinking behaviours, or how they may impact our bodies, minds and spirits, we are doing a major disservice to a huge portion of the population.

When someone brings up their fears around their grey-area consumption, they are often met with external (from friends and family) or internal (from their own mind) rationalizing. This can sound like: well, you don’t have a DUI. or you’re able to hold down a job. or well you’re not as bad as so-and-so.

None of these things are helpful. They are invalidating. And so what do people do? Nothing. They keep drinking.

The lack of knowledge, language + experience-sharing around grey-area drinking keeps people drinking, even if they don’t feel good about their drinking behaviours or their relationship with alcohol.

Regardless of how much you drink, drinking is a problem for you, if it’s a problem for you. Whether you drink 2 glasses a week or 2 bottles a day.

You can be functioning at societal standards and still very much take issue with the ways in which alcohol impacts your body, mind and spirit.

And this is why we need to talk about it. Because there’s a huge portion of the population who fits the ‘grey-area drinking’ definition and don’t know or feel that stopping drinking is an option.

But it is. Stopping is always an option. And if your friends or family or your own brain tell you that it’s not, I want to let you know that: it is. If you know that you have an issue with alcohol and traditional recovery methods (like AA or rehab) don’t feel right for you (they didn’t for me either and I write about it here) for any reason, know that there are other ways to receive support.

If you’re considering quitting drinking and don’t know where you start, download 7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Quit Drinking.