“My husband and I have been married for twenty years, and we couldn’t have children. What we missed with not being able to raise kids, we replaced with an exciting connection between us. We lived in a small apartment for years while we were starting our careers. Gradually, we improved our lives until we were able to buy a beautiful house with a wonderful swimming pool. We were grateful for all of that. We started ending our day with a drink in our backyard. This was our own happy hour, when we shared our day, what we were going to eat for dinner, our expectations for tomorrow, and any reciprocal comments or advice. But through the years, two drinks were not enough. If there was something special (good or bad), we continued with one or two more drinks. Now I want to quit, because I know this isn’t good for me in the long run. But since the happy hours and drinks are such an important part of our time to connect in our relationship, how can I deal with this with my husband? I’m afraid he’ll be upset and unsupportive of the idea of being alcohol free.” —Desiree
Lamberghini-West, A., & Karlen Triplett, P. (2025). Tipsy: A Woman’s Self-Guided Method for Managing Alcohol. US: Aysen Wellness.