Is drinking a bottle of wine four nights a week a problem?

I take 4 nights to drink a bottle

is this a glass per night or a bottle of wine each night?

Just to counter some of the ‘you have a problem and definitely need help’ comments, I drank as much as you up until the start of this year and I also functioned fine, didn’t feel like it was causing any problems and didn’t mind driving of an evening out so wasn’t worried about dependency. I had some blood tests earlier this year which showed elevated GGT levels (yours v likely to be similar at 40 units a week) and gave myself a bit of a shake, cut it out completely for a month, tests returned to normal and now staying within the 14 units a week as the guideline. Also feeling the benefit of fewer ‘empty’ calories and more energy of a morning, so it’s perfectly possible to have a reset if you want to look after your health long term.

Yes of course. That’s an enormous amount.

The fact that you describe it as a way to relax implies you don’t relax without it. Which to me implies a dependency to create a relaxed mindset
So yes, if that’s the case, it’s a problem

Yes it’s a problem. A ticking time bomb if you will. It’s called being a functional alcoholic.

If you really don’t think you “need” the alcohol then it should be easy enough to stop. Take measurements, before photos and track your alcohol spending.

The results should be motivation enough.

It’s a lot but not uncommon. My family are French and they drink min 1/2 a bottle each night without questioning it. They’d laugh if you accused them of alcoholism, it’s just part of the culture to drink when eating most evenings.

I’d argue FIL is an alcoholic because he drinks every day and can’t have a day off, he drinks beer or wine and I don’t know units but do know he freely confesses he can’t have a day off. To be fair to him he’s done this his whole adult life with no health conditions and he’s 70…

There’s a fine line between habitual and dependency. Since you don’t drink 3 days a week and presumably don’t have withdrawal symptoms, it’s probably not dependency.

It’s a hell of a lot to me. I would think having a glass of wine 4x every week too much if it was a habit.

Yes

OP, my ex mother in law drank a similar amount. She worked full time and 'functioned'.

She also now has stage 4 liver disease.

It's probably worth making some changes.

Yes.

So why do it then, especially if you don't need it?

Depends what ‘fully functional’ means to you? If it just means holding down a job then that’s limited / basic functionality to me rather than fully functional.

There is no actual biological way that your physical, mental and emotional health is fully functional or optimised and that then bleeds into the quality of your social and family relationships. I hope you can find support to reduce your intake.

Yes.

I am usually the person on MN who is rolling my eyes at the hysteria re drinking on here. But I would consider 1 bottle at a time, a few timse a week, worrying. Not least because either it doesn't affect you - which suggests you've been drinking this level for a log time and your body is worringly adjusted to it. Or that you are routinely drunk which, unless you live alone, is a problem for your family. I am a regular drinker (MN would be horrified, I'm sure), but if I drink a bottle of wine of an evening, I would absolutely be quite drunk and would have a hangover the next day.

If someone says something to you about your drinking, take it seriously.

Yes. You say 'fully functioning', but you aren't really, if you're drinking that much.

Does it please you to go on threads and make sweeping statements such as

Functional Neurological Disorder is over diagnosed

Fibromyalgia doesn't exist

And now Your(sic) an alcoholic?

Yes it's a problem. if your health isn't impacted now it will be later.

There are multiple threads on this topic which may be of interest. They all remind us that you do not have to wake up daily craving for vodka in your coffee to be drinking too much.

I was drinking less than this and the impact on my liver still showed up on blood tests. I have cut down drastically but my young GP reminds me that the 14 units per week are not a target. There is no safe level of alcohol.

If alcohol was invented now, it would probably not pass the safety tests and be allowed to be sold.

The NHS drink free days app was really helpful for me.

I’d say yes that’s problem drinking.

I found I was slipping into similar, I felt I ‘needed’ a glass of wine to switch off and relax from a stressful day at work. I switched to non alcoholic gin (tried wine it was shit!). I now have a couple of alcohol free G&Ts on an evening instead - my brain still relaxes but it’s better for my health. Makes the Friday night glass of wine even nicer!

Yes, and I say that as someone who does like to drink a few wines. This is a lot of alcohol to consume on a weekly basis and reguarly.
I had an ex boyfriend who only drank in pubs and only drank beer and only after work. He was however, an alcoholic and died an early death related to alcohol usage. He drank between 5 and ten pints of an evening most evenings.
He functioned and had a job, until he didn't as it eventually got the better of him one day.

Yes, if you are unable to relax without alcohol (any amount) I would say that is a problem. 4 bottles a week is a lot. A whole bottle in one go is a lot.

Hope this is the beginning of a positive change for you OP

I drink a quarter of a bottle of wine. I did weight watchers so many times I got used to measuring out 175ml in a glass.

OP 4x bottles a week is horrific. You must have terrible sleep.