Perfectionism can be a destructive force — especially in the hands of those who are willing to attain their imaginary self-image at all cost — “There’s a little bit of Anna in all of us,” says Todd, Anna Delvey’s lawyer in the Netflix series Inventing Anna, as he defends his client. “Every person has become a brand. An image fed out into the world. …

What happens to Cassie when her self-image as a caring, trustworthy person begins to crumble — *Warning: contains major spoilers* When I quit drinking, I initially banned myself from watching fictional characters get blissfully drunk on TV. I was afraid it would make me question my sobriety. But over time, I changed my stance and began to deliberately seek out TV shows and movies where problematic…

What you experience in your body pales in comparison with the toxic chaos in your mind — A couple of weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night, panicked. I had no idea where I was or how I had gotten to the bed where I was sleeping. I was staying with my in-laws, but it took me a while to register that. After…

Early sobriety can be miserable and grueling, but for many people, overcoming alcohol addiction brings intense relief — I started watching “Single Drunk Female,” a comedy series streaming on Freeform and Hulu (spoilers ahead). The story centers on Samantha “Sam” Fink (Sofia Black-D’Elia), a twenty-something who struggles to navigate the minefield that is early sobriety. After drunkenly punching her boss in the face with a phone, Sam gets…

In these pandemic times, getting boozed up at your local bar is a matter of moral duty, according to one newspaper — What do you think about when you hear the words “pure evil”? Personally, my brain conjures up a photo montage of 20th-century dictators, notorious serial killers, and scenes from American Psycho, a Bret Easton Ellis novel I wish I had never read (Side note: the movie adaptation is much more…

Supermodel Bella Hadid recently confessed that she struggled to “control” herself around alcohol — I’ve never paid a lot of attention to Bella Hadid. As a sporadic consumer of celebrity news, some famous people will spike my interest — be it for their wild talent, shameless antics, or outrageous outfits. For me, Bella has never been one of those people. …

The show got me to understand, on a deep and visceral level, that I had to end my toxic relationship with alcohol — *Major spoilers ahead* One year ago today, I woke up at 6 am with wine-stained lips and a panic attack. The night before at dinner, I had polished off two bottles of Merlot in quick succession — an enormous amount of wine on a weeknight, even for me. Curled up…

Alcohol can stop you from understanding what you truly think and feel — Self-discovery gets a bad rap nowadays. It’s believed to be a luxury, an indulgence for the lucky few who can afford round-the-world Eat Pray Love journeys, posh yoga retreats, and unlimited kale smoothies. There is some truth to that, however, self-discovery often has less to do with the experiences you…

It’s a song about the promises wine makes but doesn’t keep — When earlier this month the tracklist for Adele’s new album 30 began to circulate on social media, one song name in particular got the Twittersphere buzzing: “I Drink Wine.” “The moms are gonna be going nuts,” said one user. “I Drink Wine is already a FUCKING CLASSIC,” another wrote. Judging…