Not sure if I drink excessively

[drunkornot]

I can’t pinpoint exactly how much I drink, as I only drink socially so don’t have a set routine. Multiple cocktails and shots usually get ordered if going out on a weekend. Occasionally I go out after work with colleagues and have a couple of cocktails in the week too. Or, I might just not drink at all for a couple of weeks as I’ll stay in. I don’t buy alcohol for the house, unless people are coming over. I don’t have a preferred drink, usually just try out different cocktails on the menu.

how do you know when you have been drinking too much, overall? Ie impacting your general health. I can’t tell if I have a high or low tolerance. Most of the time, I don’t feel drunk or tipsy, just heavy. Sometimes if I do get tipsy, I sober up really quickly. And sometimes I feel a bit down after drinking but this could be a hangover. Rarely, I might drink and my heart feels like it’s burning almost? My Apple Watch states my resting heart rate has shot up. This has only happened twice though. I also feel a bit bloated and look tired - is this just a sign to cut back?

Binge drinking -so (for a woman) drinking 6 units or more in a single evening is classed as putting you at increased risk of health issues from cancer, heart/liver disease, stroke etc.

www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/alcohol/the-risks-of-drinking-too-much

If you think you might be drinking too much and you’re unhappy with the amount you drink then maybe consider cutting back. What have you got to lose?

Sounds ok to me. How's your salt intake snd general health?

If you yourself think you are drinking too much, you are x

My diet isn’t the best either to be honest. Lots of processed/easy food like meal deals. Definitely could do with an overhaul and cutting down on alcohol I think. It’s just shocking how a single cocktail doesn’t do anything for me - that used to be enough to get me buzzing.

I felt exactly the same as you and joined a group on FB to ask the same question. The answers I got sent me on a huge journey of discovery. It's soooo much information I have been given but basically I have completely stopped drinking since I have found out how poisonous alcohol is to humans. It's a flammable toxic substance which causes cancer but creates lots of tax revenue. I believe in years to come we will look at it the same as smoking. Some of my turning points were,
If you get to the point that you throw up, that's your bodies way of stopping you from dying

It effects your central nervous system so that your body thinks it has stores too much water, so that's why you go to the toilet and you don't feel dehydrated but you are dangerously dehydrated you just don't know until the next day. So there's no point drinking extra water, your body still thinks it has too much and flushes it out anyway. This causes you to loose electrolytes which is why we want takeaways the next day.

There's no safe amount of alcohol, the low risk amount you can drink is 6 units in any one night. That's about two large glasses of wine, for me there's no point in risking my health for this amount.

Everyone thinks about the liver but it kills cells from every part of the body. My dad's liver is still functioning but he has heart damage, central nervous system damage, lung damage, internal bleeding from his stomach, brain damage. He can't walk or lift a cup. I'm not saying every drinker will end up like this but it really shows how much it effects your whole body.

Look up 'quit lit'. It is really inspiring. I'm looking forward to my completely alcohol free life. I'm driving into town on a night out and enjoying driving home with a clear head and a healthy body x

This

What do you mean by cocktails?
It's very hard to know how much alcohol is in a cocktail- some have one shot, others several. Also a lot of sugar
Do you always/usually have lots of drinks when you go out?
Do you intend to have one or two, but two usually turns into many?
Do you find yourself thinking about the next time you can go out drinking?

Problematic drinking is about your relationship with alcohol, how important it is to you, do you drink in moderation. It's not necessarily about how often you drink.

I couldn't physically tolerate 6 units in an evening. 1 is my limit, after that I'd feel sick.

Nothing you are describing sounds particularly worrisome. If you aren’t feeling great though, it doesn’t hurt to add some soft drinks or water to the mix and just cut back.

It is classified by the WHO as a Group One carcinogen. It damages DNA. I still drink, but I choose my amounts with that in mind.

I think if you're questioning it, you probably are.