How much do you really drink?

I had a Baileys to see the new year in and before that it was a cocktail on holiday in October. Before that a cocktail in may on holiday. I don't really like the way alcohol makes me feel and I am of an age where I value waking up and feeling good!

I've recently given up (beginning of December) just decided it wasn't for me anymore. Don't have a problem but didn't like how it made me feel.

I only drink socially. Happy with a cuppa on a week night. I go out a lot and socialise regularly but these last two years I’ve only had one or two drinks or non at all so I can drive. I never want to spoil the following day. Time is so precious. I’m 47 and still enjoy going to gigs and only last month I went to see a dj play until 3:30am - completely sober. Felt smug the next day. My friend is a teacher and drinks wine every evening. She can’t believe I don’t drink.

I rarely drink alcohol.

Maybe a few Baileys across December / Christmas period, and the odd pimms and lemonade in the summer.

DH's former partner drank herself to death. Hearing the story has REALLY put me off - I know she was an extreme case, but it sounds truly horrible.

I was only ever a social drinker but my mental health is better since rarely drinking at all.

It varies - very rarely during the week and if so it would only be one glass of wine. I might have a couple of glasses of wine on a Friday or Saturday night and sometimes a beer or cider on Sunday afternoon after rugby or if we got for a walk that ends at a pub. More than that when socialising though.

I drink more in the summer and around Christmas, but since Christmas I've had 2 g&ts on a night out with a friend, and a pint of cider last Sunday. I think that's it.

Oh get a grip. It's not competitive, some people just don't drink much, why does that have to be competitive?

I'm early 30s and don't drink at all when it's just me and DP at home. I drink as pint max when having dinner with friends, perhaps twice a month. On the rare occasion that I go out in the evening (once a month perhaps) I can drink a lot more, depends on the type of night. Out with best friend for a night at the pub, perhaps 6 gin and tonics and a couple of pints. Rare, though! More likely 3 drinks.

I find it hard to quantify.
Over Christmas I drank every day bar one from the day the kids broke up from school until the day before they went back. Some days I had just one drink, most days two or three, and a few days of significantly more. Since then I’ve had one drink, and before that I’d not drunk since I had a weekend away at the end of November.

On a normal week I’d probably have 0-2 drinks but holidays and Christmas etc I drink more

What's your definition of binge? Is it the government definition or do you go overboard?

I drink on a Sat night but it's rarely more than the equivalent of half a bottle of wine and a short. Mainly because it knocks me sideways for the day(s) after. That apparently is binge but ??

It's a good job really as I love the mouthfeel of hard alcohol 😳

I drink about once a month and get a bit tipsy. DH is teetotal.

I don’t drink anymore (nearly 2 years sober now). I would say I think you drink less than most in middle age, if that’s an accurate reflection of your drinking habits.

Most people drink far more than they will admit to. Lots of people only count the ‘social drinks’. The glasses of wine with dinner at the weekend. Or out with friends after work. They will skim over the bottle they finished Sunday evening or the couple glasses of wine on the train home.

I’d say most people in my social circle drink Friday, Saturday, Sunday and quite often have a glass of wine or two or a bottle making dinner most nights. It’s how my drinking was too before it got a lot more dark. I think there is a real resistance to calling this sort of ‘few glasses of wine’ while making dinner problematic, but of course, it is. It’s a huge amount of alcohol in a week. I can definitely count several people just in my group of mum friends who drink this way and I’d say have a considerable issue with alcohol that they aren’t addressing. It certainly takes one to know one. But I don’t think this is unusual in our age group 30/40/50s.

I drink about a billion cups of tea a day. Alcohol wise though - I reckon I had around 5 cocktails in the whole of 2024. So I'm not tee total at all, but I do only drink one, maybe two drinks during a social evening do.
Dh last had a pint last March I think.

I barely drink these days, and it’s been like that since I had my son four years ago. He was an abominable sleeper, up multiple times per night all through the first 18 months. The thought of dealing with a hangover on top of my severe sleep deprivation killed any desire to drink and I just vehemently didn’t want to do it.

Once his sleep improved I just found I was out of the habit and didn’t miss it. Every couple of months if I’m out for dinner or at a party I’ll have a glass or two of wine but that’s it. I don’t ever drink at home any more. My husband was never a big drinker and now he’s the same as me - will have a couple of drinks when he’s out but doesn’t drink at home.

I’m now breastfeeding my second baby so not going out or drinking at all. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to being a regular drinker now. I don’t miss it at all and I’m not sure what it would bring to my life.

Two children, in my 30s. I drink two glasses of wine most Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Try to stay within 14 units, regularly go just over, but also have the occasional weekend with no alcohol. Have binge drank once in the last few years (immense regret).

I do think we drink more than others who were a friends with, but we both come from drinking families and drink less than both our sets of parents so I guess that’s some progress?!

I’m doing dry January ( first time ever ).
usually I’d have 3 or 4 glasses of wine on Friday and Saturday night then maybe a glass or two on 1 or 2 mid week.
I might have 5-6 nights in the year where I go overboard, like birthdays/ weddings etc and spend a few days recovering!

I’m 51 now and find I can’t sleep properly if I have even one drink ( never had this problem) and I also find I’m sluggish and headachy the next day. That’s why I’m trying dry January and so far, so good.
I’m going to try cut back to take away once a month and I’ll have glass or two with that and then have a few drinks on a ( rare ) night out.
i know i need to cut back cos it’s not worth the morning after, even though I love my wine!

Can't stand any alcohol these days. It makes me feel awful. I don't miss it.

its not typical for myself and my DH. i think between us, we had about 3 cans of cider over the whole christmas period, with perhaps a glass of wine.

since then.. nothing!

I love alcohol. I drank too much during my 20s and most of my 30s.
I'm now in my 40s and don't drink during the week at home. Will happily drink with friends at the weekend. Love a cocktail. Love a G&T. The only difference is now I don't drink that much as I can't handle hangovers.

Nothing for many years.

Before AA I was a four bottles of wine a day drinker.

On a normal week a bottle of wine a week spread over maybe thurs/fri/sat or Fri/sat/sun. Don’t go out much but would drink a couple of glasses on top of that if I went out for a drink.

DH barely drinks anything anymore - the occasional beer or glass of wine.

Very, very rarely. I have a health issue that doesn't bother me as long as I don't drink.

At Christmas I did have a Baileys coffee...hardcore 😂

used to drink on average a bottle of wine a night

sober 3.5 years

Barely drink now maybe a glass of wine, if I fancy, very rare though I’m happy to drink coke if I go out.
i used to be a big drinker, started at the age of 14, used to get served in local pubs, early 80’s!
Continued to drink for years, I’ve been so drunk I’ve not remembered what I’ve done on more than 1 occasion!
never have I ever suffered the next day 🤣
Over the years I’ve just drank less when going out, it doesn’t bother me now if I don’t drink.

Maybe I view it a bit differently as I don’t drink in isolation. I love a good steak and glass of Brouilly, or a vongole and Albariño. Feta and watermelon salad with a Provence rose in the sun. Dry gin martini with a twist and some oysters. A spritz and a plate of cichetti. G&T and some nuts and crisps at 5pm after a day at the beach. It’s a compliment to a meal or compliment to a situation. I rarely have pudding, I don’t have a glass of wine in front of the tv on a Friday. I don’t think of ‘alcohol’ as a homogenous drink, in the same way I don’t think I need a can of fizzy drink for the sake of it. It’s all about the time and place.

I’m teetotal. DH will occasionally have a drink when out with friends but doesn’t get drunk. We both drank a lot when we were younger.