How often do you drink?

[tyewales]

Just wondering as I like to have a couple of glasses of vino after work. I work 11 hour days and really look forward to it. I don't get drunk, just mildly tipsy. It relaxes me and I like the feeling.
I don't do it every night and if I don't have it doesn't bother me at all.
I know some people who think it's odd to drink during the week and some have suggested it's alcoholic behaviour!
I also know others for whom it's a nightly occurrence to drink every day. I guess it varies widely on how much and what strength. If you were drinking a bottle of spirits every night that would be a problem, but I don't see a problem with a few glasses of wine.. again I suppose it depends on how big the glasses are!
Just curious really. What would be your thoughts?

Your intake sounds similar to mine, with a bit extra at the weekend for me. I've been doing dry January and I've been surprised at how much I've struggled at times. Having a break of a few weeks is a good way to assess your alcohol intake and your attitude towards alcohol - it will tell you everything you need to know.

Completely agree. I can go weeks without and it doesn't phase me. But I'm definitely a lover of wine. It just surprises me sometimes when I tell people I like a drink after work and they seem shocked 😂

Maybe once every 4 months. Not a big drinker. Will drink more at a party / occasion but in the house rarely. Maybe a frozen strawberry daiquiri or a cider every couple of weeks in the summer.

Not sure if it's alcoholic or not but I do similar. I have 2/3 glasses approx 3 nights a week, so roughly a bottle and a half a week

I would like to have something else that relaxes me admittedly, but it was always a thing in my family.

I do similar. Not every night but most with a bit more at the weekend.
My health is fine. I had a week without it and didn't crave it at all, I am not an addict.
You'll often get mostly responses from those who don't drink at all, on these threads though.

Same. I keep seeing advertisements for the drink 'Tripp' I think it's called. The one with CBD oil. I might try that.

Very little. I'll generally have one glass of white wine if I go out to dinner. The first glass tastes lovely but I'm never very interested in a second.

At home, I might, rarely, have an Amaretto after supper.

My health is fine too. I don't have hangovers or anything. I think you're right. It's the no drinkers who demonise it.

Only when I'm out socialising these days (which isn't often). Up until a couple of years ago it was similar to you, maybe slightly less but I had some blood tests that suggested my liver wasn't as healthy as it should be so I knocked it on the head. I also wanted to lose weight and it kind of fell off when I stopped drinking.

It's interesting you mention the weight loss. I lost 4 stone at one point and the main thing I was adamant about was that I didn't want to have to stop drinking. I changed my diet and upped my exercise but I didn't change my drinking. I still lost the weight.
I read somewhere ages ago that alcohol calories are different from food. There was one man who drank half a bottle of red every night which worked out to around 700 calories but he was thin. He said if he ate a cake which was 700 calories a night he'd be obese! I'm not a scientist but it clearly seems that food and alcohol calories are not the same.
I'm not suggesting anyone should half a bottle of red a night! Just an example.

About 2 or 3 times a month, most of the time. Sometimes more often if I meet up with certain friends or if I'm visiting relatives.

Nothing strange with drinking during the week. I do think drinking every day all the time is too much, even if you're just having wine or a beer. Fine if it's for a short time like on holiday - I drink regularly on holidays, since a nice cool beer is nice in summer, and if I'm somewhere where they don't give free tap water in restaurants, then the bottled water is expensive and I don't like Cola/Pepsi/Sprite and the like, so do end up getting a beer or wine with my meal.

The thing is, how often we drink, or how rarely we drink doesn't affect the fact that you are drinking too much.
I could tell you I drink a bottle of wine to myself every night, or I could tell you I only have a small sherry at Christmas, but none of that affects your relationship with alcohol.

The fact you feel the need to 'get tipsy' every night is clearly too much alcohol. Which does make you a functioning alcoholic.
You say you can go ages without a drink - why don't you then ?

If you read my original post I do go ages. I don't drink every night. I explained this. Did you just skim read?

I drink once a week (1 cocktail) but it’s one time more than my doctor would like!

I was advised not to drink any alcohol due to its carcinogenic properties.

I don’t think I’d do well drinking every day. I come from a long line of alcoholics, so it’d be a bad idea for me.

No, I did read it all, but I am also aware that statistically people understate the amount they drink, and also, if you didn't think it were an issue, you probably wouldn't post the question on MN.

If you drank within NHS guidelines, would you be asking the question on an internet forum ?

I have a rule of never drinking during the week because my mum was an alcoholic as was her father and two of my siblings. I drink every couple of weekends, except on holiday where I generally will most days.

This is a fair point. However, I think people tend to do a lot of things outside of the government guidelines. Perhaps I do drink too much, I'm willing to accept that. But I know others who drink much more. Whilst it's not a reliable example, this is why I posed the question.

You are going to great lengths to justify your drinking and to convince us that it’s OK.
That is the biggest thing that suggests that you may have a problem (plus, the fact that you even started this thread).
No judgement as I am a recovering alcoholic, but I have to say that you seem to be seeking validation and I recognise that behaviour.

Thank you for your comment. Fair enough if it comes across that way. Obviously I wanted to gain opinions.
I genuinely never thought it was a problem as a I go days and weeks without drinking so didn't think it was an issue.
But clearly now I'm thinking it might be.

There was a point in my working life when I did the 2 or 3 nights a week routine. But I went on to become an alcoholic. It can be a progressive illness and not a slippery slope I would like to slide down again
8 years of sobriety here. Much happier.

What were you drinking to make you an alcoholic?
I'm still failing to see where a couple of glasses of wine make you an alcoholic..
I genuinely would like to know.

I'd quite happily have one bottle per week, perhaps two

I'd rather have a small glass every night, rather than half a bottle every other night

@tyewales ,I drink most nights, a couple of light beers. Weekends I drink more. I only started drinking at 32, never touched alcohol before that and I only ever drink the same light beer, never wine, spirts etc.It helps me relax and I do see it as a treat at the end of the day. I dont smoke, eat chocolate or fast food and have a healthy diet. Im 43, healthy BMI and have regular blood tests check ups.

Never ask Mumsnet about how much you drink. You should know that just asking the question means you have a deep rooted suspicion that inside you are a raging alcoholic and anything more than a small sherry at Christmas means you need to start getting on those 12 steps now!!!!

As it happens, officially I only drink wine at weekends but quite often DH and I will share a bottle in the week if one of us has had a crap day or we just need to relax.

I’ve recently started drinking less. Gone from maybe five nights a week to three max and generally two. I feel much better for it mentally and physically and I was rarely hungover unless it was an actual night out, but it does affect you despite you thinking it doesn’t.