Farrah Ahmed teaches spin in Morgantown, works at a local coffee shop, and runs the Morgantown Walk Club. Credit: Facebook
About 27 million Americans live with alcohol use disorder, and health experts say binge drinking remains one of the most common and dangerous patterns of use. In West Virginia, one in five adults reports binge drinking.
Farrah Ahmed knows that struggle firsthand. Nearly three years ago, she says her life revolved around alcohol.
“I could barely eat, I was not working out at all, I was mentally so sad, and so, like, I felt so alone until I could go out and party with my friends and get a drink in me,” she said.
She says drinking became tied to her sense of identity.
“I just totally felt like I lost my sense of self or my identity; it was all just around drinking all the time,” Ahmed said.
Experts warn that binge drinking, defined as four or more drinks in a day for women, is often overlooked because it is socially accepted.
Addiction therapist Laura Lander says that normalization can make alcohol misuse more dangerous.
“It is almost more dangerous because of the acceptance of alcohol use, the legality of alcohol use, and that is really accepted in our culture to not only use alcohol but to become intoxicated,” Lander said.
For Ahmend, social pressures played a major role in her drinking habits in college. She also points to anxiety as another contributing factor.
“Learning to live inside of your head can be so uncomfortable, but learning to numb without a substance like alcohol is also so rewarding because you can feel it fully,” she said.
Now sober for two years and nine months, Ahmend says her life has changed completely.
“I feel so much closer to myself than I ever have, as I trust myself. I always know what I’m saying or doing, and I still go out and have so much more fun because I’m present,” she said.
She now focuses on staying active and maintaining her mental health. Ahmend teaches spin classes and runs the Morgantown Walk Club, building a routine centered on wellness.
“It’s such a privilege to be full of joy, full of sadness, full of both the good and the bad. It makes the good so much better, which is something I didn’t even know life could get this good,” she said.
State data shows excessive drinking contributes to roughly 660 deaths each year in West Virginia. Through her story, Ahmed hopes to encourage others to seek help and recognize that recovery is possible.
This article was adapted from a television news story using AI. All reporting, facts, and quotes from sources are original. AI was only used to assist with formatting and style for a digital platform.