How much alcohol is unreasonable?

[CrazyFoxLady]

So... I've just nearly finished my 2nd bottle of wine and wondering how unusual that is? Not a regular event but quite standard for a Saturday night.
By rights, should I be unconscious by now? Or is this something we are all doing right now?
Quite impressed that I can still type tbf... sending love and hugs to all that need it right now. Albeit slightly alcohol induced ones

I think there is often a lot of confusion on here between heavy drinkers and alcoholics. Some of you don't seem to tell the difference.

I didn't say it the figures were overwhelming, Vinyl. You said that it is safe to suddenly stop drinking without support, but for some people it is NOT safe.

And for most it is. 🤷‍♀️

I could easily drink 2 bottles of wine and a couple of rums on a weekend. I don't drink all week though normally.

Guidelines I'm aware of (within alcohol services) are 12.5 units per day you'll need medical detox. That is a base guideline and varies for females compared to males. Men sometimes weigh 2 times the weight of a woman, so they can consume more. They also have a higher muscle percentage. 12.5 units is the level widely accepted as being medically addicted.

Seriously @VinylDetective people die in withdrawal. That isn't something to brush off. I'm amazed anyone would.

And no reputable organisation would suggest a physically addicted drinker should stop cold turkey. Not one.

2 bottles sounds a lot to me.
I'm squiffy after one glass, but its not my poison as they say.
I can eat a whole 6 pack of crisps in one sitting, so no judgement here.

I used to drink this kind of amount, probably once a week. Other days I would stick to a bottle, and maybe have one or two alcohol free days in the week (unless the was the vaguest excuse not to).
I knew I drank too much, I knew it was a problem, so I tried to stop on and off for about two years.
Finally cracked it about 19 months ago and haven't touched it since. There's loads of support out there to cut down or stop so please don't worry you are alone if you'd like help.
My first place of calling was Club Soda (they have an excellent Facebook page and an app) and people have already mentioned some fantastic 'quit lit'
Oh, and if someone is physically addicted, they need a conversation with a dr and a detox plan.

@MrsTerryPratchett

Seriously *@VinylDetective* people die in withdrawal. That isn't something to brush off. I'm amazed anyone would.

And no reputable organisation would suggest a physically addicted drinker should stop cold turkey. Not one.

Exactly and it's dangerous advice. If nothing else, withdrawing from alcohol can have horrific mental symptoms such as insomnia, jerking in the bed, hallucinations, uncontrollable anxiety, paranoia, nightmares. They are very uncomfortable to deal with.
What doctors are more worried about is the risk of seizure and death. 2 bottles of wine a weekend, not likely to cause any of that, but constant daily drinking of a significant amount can be fatal when going cold turkey and IS NOT RECOMMENDED by anyone.

@VinylDetective

So you believe it's safe for physically dependent alcoholics to go cold turkey safely?

Having seen someone who drank two bottles of wine and half a bottle of vodka a day go cold turkey I have no reason to believe it’s not safe.

This isn't about you and your experience. I presume you've never seen anybody die from being poisoned, either, so you must think that's safe too?

Two bottles of wine and half a bottle of vodka per day is enough to cause somebody to die from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, because it's enough to give them withdrawal symptoms.

Most people know that alcohol withdrawal is dangerous and can be deadly. Most people understand that just because their friend didn't die when they did something, it doesn't mean that nobody's friend will. Most people understand what a medical detox is, and most people understand why it's necessary.

If you're still not sure, try these

www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/withdrawal-detox/safely-detox-alcohol-home/

www.wearewithyou.org.uk/help-and-advice/advice-you/how-safely-detox-alcohol-home/

www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-misuse/treatment/

I'm sure you could continue to argue your point that it's safe for an alcohol dependent person to just stop, but I don't think anybody will be listening, given that it's just you, and all authorities contradict you.

Sometimes it's physically dangerous, sometimes it's simply too much for a patient to endure, so they will go back out and drink rather than experience the mental torture. Therefore, any trained medical professional would prefer to offer medication to counteract the side effects. Usually on a sliding scale of 5-7 days.

Chlordiazipoxide (Librium) is the usual detox medication provided. You can google that OP. There are alternatives (oxazepam) but Librium is the most commonly used one.

100% agreed Eckhart

Some dangerous advice here.

CrazyFoxLady, First off, I'm a teetotaller. I'm not strident about other people drinking but, if you were my mate I'd feel worried that you're not suffering ill-effects after 2 bottles of wine. It's not that I'd want you to be suffering but, the fact that you aren't means that you're building up - or have already built up - a significant tolerance to alcohol.

I take codeine for a broken sternum, it will never mend. I take it only when I'm in pain but have taken it for 20+ years. I'll get to the point. My mate hurt her back and asked for a tablet (30mg). I gave her one. She was asleep in about an hour. I routinely have 2 or 3 at a time and it affects me not at all. It's the same thing - tolerance.

I come from a wider family who are ex-drinkers but they are alcoholics and their continued sobriety is down to never drinking again - and coping with that realisation. When they were drinking, they scared me and it imprinted, hence my being teetotal now.

This lockdown shit, I absolutely understand that this is your pleasure and your coping mechanism right now. Up and down the land people will be vowing to cut down on cakes and chocolate - and wine. The thing with cakes and chocolate is that cutting out sugar is tough but doable. Cutting down on alcohol is - from everything I've seen - extremely difficult and many people will be feeling fearful to the tune of, "What if I can't?".

I really do wish you well, I know what addiction is, I smoked for 20 years and am not a rabid anti-smoker. I just wish I'd never started at all and I'm glad I don't have ready access to the very heavy drugs because believe me, there are days when I think I just would want to go there.

Take care and get control because, 'sticking it to the government' is not what this is. It's a sop/lie that you'll tell yourself in order to continue and by the time you realise that you don't have control, that's the stuff of nightmares.

I drink far more than I did pre covid. I debated whether I have a problem, currently undecided on the answer! I can go days/weeks without a drink but accept when I drink I drink to excess.