Would I be classed as an alcoholic?

[Isabelle728]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to get everyone's opinions on my drinking situation.

I never binge drink and it's something I don't think about first thing in the morning, however come 3/4pm I start to think about that glass of wine that I usually would have in the late afternoon/ evening. I do struggle to make it 1 day without a glass or two of wine. I told myself today that I want to stop mid week drinking and today is the day I start that, however I am already craving wine so badly.

I do think the wine for me is a quick way to relax and I also really enjoy the taste of it but it has become a habit.
Would this make me an alcoholic or addict if I have 1-2 glasses a day and does it also make me an alcoholic that I would struggle to put a stop to this?

I just feel a bit stuck on what to do. Do I continue to have a glass or two if it's really not that bad and it's my way of relaxing or is it bad that I crave it so much and I should just put my mind to it and stop? Thanks x

If you were an alcoholic you'd be waking up clucking for a glass.
You could say you're dependant, on that glass of wine to relax.

It is very, very easy for half a bottle a night to become three-quarters to become a bottle etc. etc. Having a few alcohol free days is a really good idea.

I speak as someone who has drunk more than is good for them at times! It really is a slippery slope, especially if you are craving that strongly.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calculating-alcohol-units/

How strong is the wine? half a bottle is about 3 units if it's not too strong, so 21 units a week and the limit is 14. Check the strength and do a calculation of units, then get a proper standard glass or a measure so you know how much you are really drinking and try to keep to no more than 2 units a night.

Edit to calculate:
You can work out how many units there are in any drink by multiplying the total volume of a drink (in ml) by its ABV (measured as a percentage) and dividing the result by 1,000. For example, to work out the number of units in a pint (568ml) of strong lager (ABV 5.2%): 5.2 (%) x 568 (ml) ÷ 1,000 = 2.95 units.

This is just not true. There are plenty of alcoholics who don't wake up and start drinking straight away, but are still addicted. Sadly I know one or two of them.

My Dad was an alcoholic. He hid bottles of vodka and would have a pint of Stella for breakfast "to help manage his cravings".

He always said that he knew he had a problem when he realised he needed it. He told a story where he said he kept a miniature bottle of whisky in his pocket to have once a day and one day it fell out and broke and he felt sad, which is when he knew there was something not right. That was 30 years before the Stella for breakfast but it stuck with me and I try to keep it in mind if I am craving a glass of wine after a difficult day.

Not saying you are or aren't but thought it might help. I think it's sometimes the relationship you have with it more than how much you drink.

@twomanyfrogsinabox usually it is 12%. Someone has just sent a link to the NHS website which tells me how to calculate my units which is interesting, I will try and figure out how much I have each week. As you say half a bottle is around 3 units, I definitely have over the recommended 14 units.

I am thinking exactly this. It is ominous that you have published this op as I could´ve written it myself. I make a point of not having a wine during the week and don´t drink at all Monday to Friday, then I like my red wine at weekend while cooking or late evening at the weekend. The thing is it comes to my mind now during the week and it has also started to worry me. Is this the famous slippery slope? Reading the PPs I think it may be habit, but we would do well to keep a tight rein on it.

I read a book once about alcohol that said you’d be surprised at the amount of folk, regardless of whether they drink daily or not etc, that would be prepared to exchange never being able to drink again with a million pounds. Which basically says that a lot of people cannot imagine the rest of their life without a drink. Make of that what you will.

I think drinking every night is unhealthy, regardless of the amount. Also, 2 home style glasses are considered a binge. More than one is a binge. Unfortunately. 🫤 can you go out? Drive somewhere even just the shops/local area and get over your ‘danger zone’ time? Start with being dry 3 days out the week and build up. Then you’ll look forward to Friday and Saturday wine? I speak from experience and I understand your concerns. Things that have helped me apart from the above; baths, saunas, kombucha (for the burn), sober or sober curious podcasts and Instagram, ‘quit like a girl’ by Holly Whittaker. Good luck. I’m now dry Mon-Friday, and drink MUCH less at weekends. Well within the guidelines but it’s taken 2 years to get here. ❤️

Wrong.

I think it's closer to 4.5 units at 12%, OP.

@thanksicloud calm down, Jesus Christ. Who's shit in your cornflakes?

www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcoholism

This does not sound like OP.

Dangerous rubbish. The alcoholic I know drinks nothing between waking up and 5 p.m., is blotto and aggressive by 7 p.m. and passes out by 9. This has been going on for 20 years.

There is absolutely no way she is not an alcoholic.

I have no idea if the OP is an alcoholic or not but whether or not she drinks first thing is not one of the indicators.

What in earth is wrong with you? Has @thanksicloud touched a nerve?

The quantity is not what makes people alcoholic it’s whether you can go without . The problem with people who don’t drink much but rely on a glass or two to relax etc is that after a while 2 glasses doesn’t have the same effect so you move onto 3/4 glasses , then it gets earlier in the day .

It's often a bad habit long before it's a problem. Maybe just try and break the habit and have a few nights off a week.

Also be really honest with yourself. Is it 1-2 glasses really.

I agree with the downplaying.

Fucking enabling more like!

When people admit to drinking a certain amount, you can almost bet your life they're underestimating.

Two glasses of wine could mean two pints of wine, depending on the glass.