When we think of addiction, we often imagine the dramatic scenes from TV or movies, where a person’s life is visibly falling apart. But there’s a version of addiction that looks nothing like the sensationalized one we imagine. It’s subtle. Private. High-functioning.

For many women, it may begin in ways we don’t think twice about. A glass of wine to unwind after a long day. A sleep aid during a stretch of sleepless nights. A prescription for pain after surgery or childbirth.

It doesn’t look reckless. It looks responsible. Controlled. “Normal.”

And when the culture leans in and wraps these behaviors in humor, it only makes them harder to spot. If you spent any time scrolling during the pandemic, you probably noticed the flood of “wine o’clock” or “mommy juice” memes that framed women’s drinking as a normal, even relatable, way to celebrate making it through another day of isolation.

At first, these substances offer relief. A little sleep. A little space to breathe. But over time, the thing that helped you cope can become the thing you can’t be without.

This isn’t just anecdotal; it’s a pattern that’s well-documented in addiction research, and for the first time ever, young women are now binge drinking more than men.

Women often develop substance use disorders differently from men, with a faster progression from initial use to dependence. This pattern, known as telescoping, has been observed across substances like alcohol, opioids, and cannabis.

The term itself has drawn some criticism for focusing too narrowly on biology and oversimplifying women’s experiences. It doesn’t fully account for the broader context, including trauma,........

© Psychology Today