A mom whose alcohol abuse almost caused her to lose everything spoke to Newsweek about the realities of living with alcohol use disorder, and her pride after turning her life around. Taylor Krajewski, 31, from Denver, was just 14 years old when she had her first taste of alcohol. She started partying as a teenager and developed an “unhealthy relationship” with alcohol.
While many of her friends knew when to stop, Krajewski could not draw the line. This pattern of drinking continued throughout her late teens and 20s but did not seem concerning to Krajewski. After all, she was just young and having fun.
Krajewski told Newsweek that her drinking became more of a problem in 2022 after her daughter, now 7, was diagnosed with diabetes. She went to work, took care of her daughter, paid bills and maintained a façade of normality. Yet, what was once an outlet to unwind turned into something Krajewski needed to get through the day.
"I would plan around when I could drink, make sure I had enough alcohol at home, and feel anxious if I was running low." Krajewski continued: “I knew it was hurting my relationships, my mental health and my ability to be a mom, but I couldn’t imagine getting through life without alcohol. That was probably the scariest part—knowing how much it was costing me and still feeling completely dependent on it.” According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly one in 10 people aged 12 and older exhibited alcohol use disorder in the U.S.—equating to 28 million people. The CDC highlights that binge drinking for women consists of four or more drinks on one occasion, and five drinks at any one time for men.
The long-term effects of alcohol use include an increased risk of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive problems and depression. In order to reduce the health risks, the CDC encourages people to drink less or to avoid alcohol completely. At the peak of her alcohol use disorder, Krajewski drank three or four bottles of wine a day, and would often add shooters of vodka.
At her lowest, Krajewski believed she had destroyed everything in her life and it would never get better. "I became someone I didn’t recognize. I wasn’t dependable, I was constantly anxious and ashamed, and I was just trying to survive from one day to the next.” While she knew something had to change, that moment finally came on December 27, 2025.
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