Finding the Right Fun

 It’s Friday night. You don’t have to work tomorrow, the babysitter is with the kids, you’re dressed to impress, your partner is in a good mood, and the scene is set for a fun night out, which you desperately need. It’s been another long week. Your boss has been piling on the work, the kids need you to take them to a million practices each night, dinner needs to be made, the house needs to be cleaned, and your relationship has felt strained at best. You’re ready to unwind, let go, and have a few drinks. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. The trend of using alcohol to cope with the insane amount of pressure women face daily is on the rise. In fact, between 2019 and 2020, alcohol consumption among women increased by a whopping 41%!

Although most of us drink in moderation, this disturbing trend of using alcohol to cope with life’s stresses can have big impacts over time. Our bodies adjust to alcohol causing us to need more alcohol to get a buzz or to even just feel relaxed. Before you know it, casual drinking can evolve into a needed release. Now besides being a danger to yourself, your relationships, and your children, you’ve become a danger to our community. A disturbing trend is the rise in ER visits by women due to alcohol consumption.

Alcohol lowers our inhibitions and impairs our decision-making abilities. That is why drunk driving, risky behaviors (sexual or non), and accidents of many kinds happen. The rise of alcohol-related ER visits can impact our entire community. It places a significant burden on our healthcare system. Not only that, but it places a financial strain on all of us. A rise in ER visits will increase our insurance costs and our out-of-pocket costs.

So, what’s the solution? Although there isn’t a single solution to the problem of rising ER visits that are alcohol-related, there are ways we can reduce the problem before it gets out of hand. At the individual level, we as women need to start taking better care of ourselves! By taking a little time each day to prioritize ourselves, we can reduce the need for alcohol as a coping mechanism. A little time can look like taking a yoga class, meditating over the lunch hour, a quiet cup of coffee or tea alone in the morning before the household awakens, having a healthy meal with friends, or anything that promotes well-being.  Whatever that may look like for you. We can’t take care of everyone else if we’re not taking care of ourselves. At the community level, we can begin having honest and meaningful conversations about alcohol and our daily stresses with our partners, our friends, our neighbors, or our co-workers. Normalizing conversations is a big step in identifying our needs and the needs of others. Believe it or not, most women feel the same way you do, we’re just often hesitant to reach out. At the society level, we can advocate for stronger alcohol policies. Strong alcohol policies result in less drinking and fewer harms.

Let’s begin making Friday nights a night we can actually remember. Find healthier alternatives that don’t involve alcohol to decompress. Find an event that doesn’t involve alcohol, go see a movie, go roller skating, take the family to the park or set up an obstacle course in the backyard or living room, or even enjoy a date night outside of the bar. Making true connections with people will make memories that last.

Community Events Calendars

Radio Keokuk         https://www.radiokeokuk.com/the-community-calendar-3/

Fort Madison Partners https://www.fortmadison.com/events/

City of Donnellson         https://donnellsoniowa.org/calendar-of-events

Keosauqua Chamber https://keosauqua.com/calendar.html

Villages of Van Buren https://villagesofvanburen.com/calendar.html

Community Resources

The Best You & SAFE Coalitions (319) 293-2579

ADDS                 (319) 524-4397

Sieda Community Action         (641) 682-8741

Counseling Associates         (319) 524-0510

Young House Family Services (319) 524-2386

R & R Counseling Solutions         (319) 293-3635

Quitline Iowa                 (800) 784-8669

Your Life Iowa.org                 (855) 581-8111