Many people drink to unwind, but alcohol actually raises cortisol — your body’s primary stress hormone. Learn how alcohol disrupts your stress response and what mindful drinking strategies can help you break the cycle.
Maybe you’ve started drinking less, taking more alcohol-free days, or perhaps you have decided to stop entirely. And you’ve felt the initial effects: improved sleep, easier mornings, a more stable mood. Things feel better, like you’ve turned a corner. Then one night, it happens.
If you’ve tried to figure out what “safe” drinking really means, you’ve probably noticed something strange: the answers don’t always agree. The confusing part is that these recommendations are answering different questions, even though they’re often presented as if they’re competing.
A funny thing happens when people start paying attention to their drinking habits. The person making decisions at 7 a.m. and the person standing in the kitchen at 7 p.m. don’t always seem like the same person. In the morning, everything feels straightforward. You’re thinking about sleep, energy, maybe the workout you want to squeeze in before work. Cutting back on alcohol seems like an easy call. Later that evening, though, the calculation shifts.
For a lot of parents, concern around drinking shows up as a feeling you can’t quite name—a moment where you pause and think, Something here deserves a closer look, even if nothing is obviously wrong. That moment is familiar to therapeutic consultant Joanna Lilley. Although she spends most of her time working with young adults, it’s usually parents who reach out first. “They usually are coming to me when they have exhausted a lot of their local resources or their network,” she says. “And in addition to exhausting that network, they’re also just concerned about their child.”
For many young people, their first drink isn’t about getting drunk. It’s about feeling like they belong. When you look at early drinking through that lens, the whole conversation changes. It’s less about “bad behavior” and more about identity, pressure, and connection.
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About Sunnyside
Sunnyside is a comprehensive platform for building a healthier relationship with alcohol. We combine a behavior-change app, real human coaching, and Sunnyside Med — our Telehealth service where licensed providers can prescribe medication to help reduce alcohol cravings. Members using the Sunnyside app report an average 33% reduction in weekly alcohol consumption, and Sunnyside Med customers are reducing their drinking by nearly 50% on average — along with improved sleep, better mental clarity, and an overall improved sense of well-being.
What is Naltrexone? Naltrexone is a medication that works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, which reduces the pleasurable effects of alcohol and helps decrease cravings. Originally approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of alcohol dependence, Naltrexone has been shown in clinical studies to significantly reduce heavy drinking days and support long-term moderation. Sunnyside Med prescribes a compounded oral formulation containing Naltrexone as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes coaching, tracking, and ongoing medical support.
Sunnyside Med connects you with licensed medical providers who can prescribe compounded medication containing Naltrexone, an active ingredient that is FDA-approved to support alcohol moderation, through a private Telehealth process. Sunnyside Med is not a substitute for emergency services or inpatient treatment. If you are in crisis or experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, please contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or call 911. We are proud partners of Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.
Alcohol Moderation guides