Local rehab center addresses female binge drinking concerns

National Recovery Month

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — As September marks National Recovery Month, local rehabilitation centers are offering their guidance on a developing issue: female binge drinking. 

According to the CDC, this illness affects women nationwide with approximately 13% of adult women reporting binge drinking.

The Chattanooga Recovery Center hopes to spread awareness about the disease of addiction, and this developing concern for alcoholism in women.

“It becomes a thing to open a bottle of wine whenever you get home, right? Then you drink a glass, then you drink another glass, then you drink another glass. And I’ve seen this in our client base. I’ve seen middle aged women, who are mothers. This does not present as a problem in the beginning,” Director of Operations at CRC Autumn Cain said.

Binge drinking is no longer just affecting younger adults, but older generations as well. 

Cain explains that it has become more socially acceptable for women to cope with alcohol as they undertake more maternal responsibilities. 

“What is happening it, it’s coming to light that, what may appear to be socially acceptable, is actually a problem for some of these people. But it’s so widely accepted because it’s a social thing. That the people around them, may not know that while they’re going out to a bar, to have one to two drinks, they’re then going home and continuing to drink until they fall asleep or pass out,” Cain explained.

She claims that substance use disorder falls into the same categories of mental health disorders like generalized anxiety and depression. 

“There’s a lot of debate about whether addiction is a disease or a choice, and one of my things is, spreading awareness that it’s a disease. But there’s also help out there, there’s resources. You have to look at it from a standpoint of its progressive in nature. It only gets worse if it’s not treated, just like any other illness,” Cain said.

The Chattanooga Recovery Center has many resources for those who are in need of alcohol prevention and guidance. 

If you or a loved one are experiencing signs of addiction, visit CRC online for more information.