Many moms I know (including myself) have looked forward to a glass of wine at the end of a long day spent with whining preschoolers and fussy toddlers. But there’s a difference between an occasional glass of wine and an addiction–just ask Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, well-known mommy blogger and author of a new book, “I’m Kind of a Big Deal: And Other Delusions of Adequacy.” In the April 2011 issue of my Parenting Early Years magazine subscription, Wilder-Taylor tells an honest, first-person account about when she realized she needed help with her alcohol addiction.

“I’d always been an alcohol enthusiast, using the sweet buzzy veil of booze to get me through countless rites of passage,” she writes. “Fast-forward through my 30s to the birth of my first child and her nerve-racking infancy. During that first year, my drinking ratcheted up to an evening ritual, the thing I looked forward to as a reward for getting me through a long day of diaper duty, dishes, and Elmo.”

Reading Wilder-Taylor’s account, she seemed like someone I’d be friends with more than someone you’d expect to see at an AA meeting. But her story is more common than you might realize. Drinking among women is on the rise. The article points to an FBI report that cites DUI arrests among women rose 28.8 percent between 1998 and 2007. And Working Mother magazine found that the number of women ages 30 to 40 who abuse alcohol has doubled in the past decade.

Addiction expert Jennifer Ginsberg says that modern motherhood contributes to the rise in alcohol abuse. Women today often have kids after attending college and working in successful careers. Leaving the business world for motherhood can be tough, as moms struggle to feel relevant and recognized.

The writer was smart–she sought help before losing her marriage and her children. And she shared her story publicly on her blog and through her new book. Perhaps her openness will help other moms struggling with the same issues.