45 units per week !? Too much ?

[vxox]

So , I went on the nhs website on how much units a woman should have per week & it's 14 ! I drink a big bottle of wine every night the bottle is 125cl ? 7.5 units , and I probs drink 6 out of 7 days a week . And that's around 45 units a week ! Didn't realise I was having that much till now .... advice please on how I could stop drinking ? I am finding it hard specially at night time when I want to relax , I always say right that's it no more but then I go and buy some . I wonder if it's effecting my health & mental health . I am finding it hard , I am 23

It’s good that you have recognised the problem. My DH is a GP and they have seen these things 1000 times before so please don’t worry. They would much rather you go for help when you are still young and healthy than leaving it too late and you already having damaged your body irreparably. You can do this if you are determined but it is not going to be easy at all. Good luck!

This is clearly a problem for you, and obviously stopping altogether would probably be the best option. I would consider finding some alternatives that give you that knowledge that the working day is over and you can relax - e.g. I don't drink huge amounts but I love a gin and tonic - I enjoy the ritual of making it, and the ritual of drinking it. If I want a drink actually I can achieve the same thing with some really nice tonic and ice and a few drops of bitters. You might have something different (schloer maybe, seems like it might have a similar feeling to lambrini?)

Alternatively, if you currently drink a 1.25L bottle a night, why not switch to the 75cl bottle? It would still be "too much" but you'd then be drinking 31 units a week as a starting point which is already better than 45. I'd not recommend this compared to stopping but if you aren't going to stop you might as well cut down in a way where hopefully if you only have the 75cl bottle you probably wouldn't go out and buy any more?

I would agree with cutting down steadily. Drinking as much as you currently do, it can actually be dangerous to quit cold turkey. Aim to drink a little less for now and then follow the GPs advice from there.

OP, it’s really good that you have recognised this and decided to do something about it.

I did the Drink Aware quiz at the beginning of lockdown and was identified as a drinker of ‘increasing risk’. For me the initiative to change was the massive amount of empty calories in wine, and the amount I was giving away to the gvt in tax.

But also the knowledge that the best gift I could give myself and family was anything I could do to increase my health (weight wise, generally and immune system) in the face of COVID.

This is still a concern. Alcohol is not good for your immune system, extra weight (if you have it) increases your chance of illness being more serious.

There is no risk in seeing your GP and being honest: your children are presumably healthy and well cared for.

Good luck OP, you will get lots of support here. Find the right way for YOU to take care of your self and your family.

lambrini is 4.5 units a bottle (6% alcohol would be 6 units in a litre so 4.5 units in 750ml). But regardless it’s still good that you’ve recognised the issue!

OP said it’s the 1.25l bottle….so she’s right it’s 7.5 units

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/lambrini-125l

Yes , 1.25l bottle

I wonder if this is the reason on why I'm getting broken blood vessel's too .

You’re also drinking about 700kcals every evening that is giving you zero nutritional benefit.

Yeah didn't release that many calories ! I'm not putting on any weight though . I'm only around 9 stone 4

@vxox alcohol use disorder is progressive . You will eventually and habitually start drinking more to give your addictive voice what it needs , you’ve touched on this yourself by saying you start on the schnapps . It will creep . It will progress . The time of your first drink will get earlier and earlier . You are young . Stop this now before you start slipping further down the slope . If you can’t do it alone access support . You can self refer to your local alcohol service or go through your GP .

It's definitely too much and the fact that you get ill tempered without it suggests you're dependent. I would absolutely get advice and support to quite - you've taken the first and most important step, which is insight.

Life has been horribly stressful over the past 2 years and if you step back now and develop better ways of coping with stress, you'll be setting yourself up for a lifetime's worth of good coping and better mental health.

Good luck!

Hi I stopped drinking 5 months ago…was just a Friday and Saturday night..and a habit. After I got a few weeks under my belt I adjusted and glad I stopped… I seemed to have gained more time!
I would suggest trying to cut down… eg Friday and Saturday nights only and take it from there. I personally would have a go yourself first. Basically just adjust the habit of drinking to a couple of days and see how you go from there.

Lambini isn't very strong, I think you're right to recognise that it's not good for you any more. Would another soft drink help? Sparkling water, flavoured?

Hello! I'm your age too and I didn't know who to talk to about it... especially since I had done this test (discover.kwit.app/free-alcohol-consumption-test/) and I got scared when I saw the result.... so I decided to consult a doctor and join support groups for the moment on Facebook and then I hope one day to have the courage to join a real one...
Don't hesitate to talk, it can really help to move forward by confronting the problem at hand :)

OP, can you start by mixing each glass with some sparkling water so you reduce your nightly intake by a glass or two gradually, to avoid getting grumpy?

Can you start the evening with a big glass of something non alcoholic but quite special - a mocktail or a glass of cranberry and raspberry topped with sparkling water with a sprig of mint etc so it feels like it marks the end of the working day?

Can you decide that after a certain time - either after dinner or once you sit down to watch tv or after 9pm, whatever, you switch to fruit tea or cups of tea with milk?