In a personal opinion piece, columnist Hetty Moorehead describes a decade of drinking alcohol at a high level and how stopping leads her to reassess relationships with friends. She writes that, for years, she associated female friendship with drinking, and that her connection with her best friend was closely tied to her drinking habits. The article argues that her friendships were shaped by the routine of consuming alcohol together, and that stepping back from drinking reveals issues she had not previously recognized. The piece frames the shift as coming only after she finally gives up alcohol, when she begins to understand the “truth” about her friendships. The coverage in both outlets centers on the same narrative: a long period of regular heavy drinking, followed by reflection on what alcohol may have obscured in social bonds. No additional reporting, statistics, or outside confirmation is presented in the provided excerpts, and the content is presented as a personal account and reflection rather than a new study or investigation.