Drinking in the U.S. is on the rise — as is “gray area drinking,” which is defined as consuming more alcohol than desired, but not experiencing external consequences. It doesn’t qualify as alcoholism — but health experts warn “that risk is there.” | CBS Mornings

Grey area drinking is the space most people live in, not rock bottom, but not fine either. It's the zone where you know something's off, but it's easier to rationalize than address. You tell yourself it's not "that bad" because you're comparing yourself to stereotypes of alcoholism, and you don't match them. You're functional. You have a job. You're not drinking in the morning. So it must be fine, right? Except it's not fine. You're drinking more than you planned. You're thinking about alcohol m