Is this a shocking amount of alcohol?

[FuckingHell123]

Yeah yeah if you have to ask it's a problem etc etc, but just wondering if anyone else is at this level or if you think it's absolutely terrible. Two bottles of prosecco on a Friday night (16 units in total) and the same on Saturday night. So 32 units in total, prosecco is less than wine (wine would blow my head off but this doesn't somehow) so I'd say around the equivalent of 3 bottles per wine in total. This isn't every weekend... but I admit it's pretty regular. I never drink in the week (or want to) I have a busy stressful job, other evening commitments and I'm in bed knackered by 9pm most week nights!! I know it's way above the guidelines but lots of things are...

I actually don’t think it’s a “shocking” amount, it’s more than advised by the DoH but it’s not anywhere what I would call alcoholic.

that said if you’re asking the question then you have a reason to question your drinking impacting you negatively.

Hmmm I wouldn't say it's excessive if you're not impacting on anyone else like family or work colleagues and if you don't worry about your increased risk of alcohol-related disease.

Yes, that's shocking.

Way too much.

I'm not at all an alcohol puritan like some on here, but that does seem quite a lot. Could you swap out one bottle of real Prosecco for the Freixenet non-alcoholic version, which is really quite good?

I think it's hell of a lot and I personally think I drink too much as I probably have an alcoholic drink 4 or 5 nights a week (two drinks possibly on a Friday and Saturday.) I'm not sure if it's worse to drink less but more regularly (eg a glass of wine but every night) or nothing all week then binge like you're doing. Neither are healthy tbh but I can only assume that after drinking two bottles of prosecco in an evening you'd wake up the following morning feeling absolutely dreadful?

I suppose my question would be why the second bottle? What would happen if you stopped after one? Could you?

I don't think it is that bad OP, but you are clearly questioning it or wouldn't have posted. Personally it would intefer with my sleep, and I would feel pretty rotten by Sunday. Alcohol Explained is a good book that helps reframe how you think about alcohol. Perhaps try reading that and spend your money on different treats then see how you feel after a month or so. Best of luck.

I’m a lush - but you drink twice as much as me easily…

You need to find a better way to deal with stress.

I would call that a lot of alcohol. Especially two bottles in one session. Definitely problematic.

I used to do that fairly regularly throughout my twenties and early thirties, can't say it was the healthiest period of my life. I'd say two bottles over the course of an evening with mates is ok, two bottles by yourself is more worrying.

A bottle of wine is hardly a lush!

Love to you OP. I don't know what the answer is but I'm trying to find it too.

Why though? You drink what you drink, it doesn't matter if you're with someone or not your body still processes it the same way. As I say it's not down to depression or anything. Sometimes I want to wind down with some prosecco and I really can't be arsed to entertain someone or have a conversation. As far as introverts go I'm way up there in the over 95%s

It's not shocking but it's a lot. I suffer all the next day after 2 bottles of wine so tend to just stick to one bottle. I can't imagine drinking 4 bottles of wine over 2 days, wouldn't be worth the hangover.

I could drink a bottle of Prosecco to myself but it’s not something I would do with any regularity. Normal “at home” drinking would be a bottle shared with DP or maybe two glasses on my own.

I guess what I’d be thinking if I was you would be, why two bottles? What more do you get out of two bottles that you couldn’t get from one? One bottle is a lot of glasses (6 if you use flutes), it’s plenty of pouring and sipping and you’d be plenty tipsy by the end of it - so what’s another bottle adding other than more headache in the morning, more cost, more calories? The compulsion to keep going would be what needs examining rather than the actual amount if that makes sense. Because there’s a decision made to keep going at the point where most people would stop, and that’s the potentially worrying part.

It’s a bit much in one sitting but the whole seek help is batshit

Can I make an assumption that someone in your life has mentioned to you that they think it is a lot and you have needed to defend yourself?

One of the posters here hit the nail on the head for me. If you are doing it and it isn't impacting on your health, family or life then you do you.

Im a big fan of wine (and il be the first to admit I can't wait to have a glass or 2 when this baby arrives), I probably couldn't drink 2 bottles in a night but I know people who could.

It's a lot, definitely, especially if it's regular. I started drinking spritzers in a tall glass over the summer and have carried on. Plenty of ice and soda water. Really noticed it cuts down the amount. Could that be worth a go?

Just compare it to having tits I suppose. One isn't enough, three is too much.

I used to worry about how much I drank but kept comparing myself to what I thought a stereotypical 'alcoholic' is: drinking in the morning, drinking every day, drinking only spirits and hiding it from people, and decided 'Nah, I must be alright, because that's not me.' Excused my binge drinking for years with all the reasons you've listed.

Then during the pandemic I started drinking more because I was bored and even though I didn't want to admit it was a bit depressed or at least restless and looking to booze to somehow 'entertain' me and make my night better. But soon the wine and prosecco wasn't enough and was getting too expensive to get me pissed so I added in whiskey at the end of the night (2 or 3 double measures), telling myself it was sophisticated and I was fine because I was doing it at home, at the weekend, not behaving badly, and so on.

Then around Christmas 2020 my hair started falling out. My energy levels were low, I felt tired a lot. My skin looked awful and I was bloated. I felt like shit all the time, even though I wasn't experiencing 'hangovers', as such. Turns out I'd just go so used to feeling awful that I didn't even recognise them as hangovers anymore. Then I had some blood tests done and found out that I was deficient in a whole host of things, all related to my alcohol use. I decided to do Dry January, get it back 'under control'. I'd done short stints off booze before, thought it was all l needed...a mini detox and then I'd behave myself and drink 'normally' again. Moderation and all that jazz.

But the niggling voice in my head that kept wondering 'Do I have a problem?' wouldn't go away. So I bought a couple books about sobriety and listened to some podcasts and about halfway through January it all clicked into place. Especially when I read the book 'Alcohol Explained' by William Porter. It explains both the physiological and psychological reasons why it's extremely difficult to ever reduce your drinking to a safe level once your body and brain have become accustomed to a certain level. Essentially, your dopamine system and neural pathways have become programmed to want, no NEED, more and more alcohol to achieve the feeling of happiness and relaxation you are seeking. And it will only get worse and worse, until you're needing vast amounts of booze to achieve the same feeling, and THAT is when people tip over into full-blown alcoholism. If you stop before you get to that point, it's much easier to quit. It's a really fascinating book, I highly recommend it if you're questioning your relationship with alcohol.

I've been sober for coming up to 2 years and I am so grateful that I quit when I did. I was in denial for a looooong time. I hope I haven't offended you, I'm not insinuating you are an alcoholic or on your way to becoming one, I'm just sharing my story in case it resonates with you because you sound exactly how I did before I could admit my drinking was problematic. Best of luck and take care of yourself. Sorry this was so long.

This is spot on. Two bottles of prosecco is twelve flutes which is a huge number to drink on one night let alone two nights in a row.

It is definitely a lot, the fact that you don't think one bottle to yourself would be enough is more problematic to me than the actual amount. It's too many units but if your mindset is one bottle isn't enough that's where I think you need to be re-examining things.

Part of me thinks it's no one's business. The other part of me thinks that is a lot!

The thing about Prosecco is that it's hard to put it back in the fridge because you know it won't be as nice tomorrow as will have gone flat. (Even with the special vacuum corks or with cling film over it) By the time you've had a whole bottle your inhibitions and rationality are diminished and I can see how you might think - "ah, why not, might as well"! And open a second bottle.

Try drinking something else, perhaps more complex, and see if you are compelled to have quite so much. If you actually want to cut down of course, which you didn't say you do!

Two bottles in one night by one person at any point ever - except perhaps a) your wedding day or b) or a v significant birthday and even then utterly regretting it the next day - is a massive problem.

I've started considering maybe I have a dependency issue because I have 1-2 glasses of wine often 4 nights a week.

What harm is it doing to you, to anyone around you? If none, why do you care? Do what makes you happy. Something will kill us all in the end, live a little! If you're not abusing anyone or driving drunk or anything, who honestly cares???!