Has anyone stopped a bottle of wine a night habit?

[CocoBean22]

Been drinking a bottle of rose wine 11% for about a year now from 7pm - 11pm ish.
Like many others it’s my ‘treat’ from a busy day at work, my ‘relax and wind down a bit of me time’ watching tv with a glass of wine.
I know it’s too much. I want to cut down.
But the thing that is stopping me is the fear of seizures due to withdrawal as I googled and with my already severe health anxiety it’s obviously worried me sick.
So the cycle continues of opening wine in the evening for fear of something happening if I don’t.

I have no ‘withdrawal’ symptoms during the 20 hours I don’t drink between my nightly wine, no shaking hands or anything.

I know no one can say as it’s individual, but based on anyone’s own experience has anyone drank this amount or more and just decided one day to stop?
I don’t mind a few weeks of crappy nights sleep but it’s the severe withdrawals like DT and seizures I’m terrified about.

Please be kind, it’s taken me a while to get to this first step of addressing that it’s too much alcohol, and I want to make changes. Thank you 🙏🏼

I used to do this. For about six years. I was a SAHM, so depressed and in a horrible marriage and feeling trapped etc.

However, the alcohol is a trap itself. It’s also really boring. Is that all you do outside of work? You could do so much more fun stuff. You don’t have to drink wine every night. There’s lots of other things to do that are fun.

I stopped drinking so much when I got out of my marriage! I go to bed early now at 9.30. And I keep busy before that so I have no time for a drink. Gym. Dog walk. Baking.

I still drink wine when I am out or even once a week a couple of glasses in the evening. But absolutely nothing like I was drinking before. Which was at least a bottle of red every night.

I wouldn’t be so hasty in saying you’re automatically an alcoholic. You might be but who knows? I mean, I don’t miss or crave the wine and still enjoy a few glasses when I am out but nothing to excess so I am not convinced I am an alcoholic. I just have a better life. I enjoy other things more.

Maybe it’s time to just investigate your life a bit, op. See if you feel like something is missing or you want to do other things. Alcohol is just such a nothingness.

Yes, around three years ago when I started the mammoth and successful task of losing five stone, slowly, slowly. When you are trying to stick to around 1,250 calories then the 600 calories in a bottle of wine is a no, no. I. Gave it up with no side effects and lost the weight.now I just have one minature bottle, around 2/3 glass which is fine. My weight is stable, but I could still do with losing a stone, easier said than done now, despite regular exercise and a fairly strict eating regime.

You won't have seizures and you're not an alcoholic.
Get therapy for your health anxiety.

You'll have a few nights of finding it hard to go asleep then you'll probably be fine.

You will feel better and look better for it.

How are you doing now darling? My normal was a bottle a night for a few years until I had blood work done and my Dr. made me cut back because my liver wasn’t in good shape. Physical withdrawals were negligible compared to the mental withdrawals. My advice is to replace wine with a non-alc “yummy” drink, that way you still feel like you’re treating yourself to something nice and you keep the “me time” ritual (bonus if you manage to switch up your usual wine routine for something else you enjoy!). You’ve got this x it’s a journey, and you’ll find what best works for you.

Just chining in here and wondering how you are getting on? It’s been good to see all the replies and the various responses. I have been alcohol free now for 9 weeks after decades of almost daily drinking. Probably not a whole bottle a night but close to and definitely more on many many nights. I would drink with my husband and in front of our children from really when they were early teens. I so regret that now. My husband developed full blown AUD a year ago after us drinking similar amounts. Some stresses triggered his descent into hell. He is currently sober but has needed medical intervention . It was shocking how quickly the chaos and devastation occurred. Obviously there are no guarantees that that he will overcome the addiction. It was a wake up call to me that what seems like a benign habit is actually extremely harmful for some people and you don’t know if that could be you.
i regret normalising drinking in front of our children. They are young adults now and on the face of it ok but who knows the damage we’ve caused.
i know I’m the voice of doom but if I could turn back the clock I’d definitely have got to grips with this years ago so just hoping I can ring an alarm.
also I’m finding it ok without booze. Sleeping better, financially better so do try if you can to make some changes and if you find you can’t maybe get some advice xxx good luck

I have also stopped a bottle a wine a day habit. I now drink about two bottles a week, one on Friday and Saturday night although I’m working to reduce that and am now down to around two thirds of a bottle a night. My Apple Watch shows me my sleep is much better quality when I don’t drink. I also like the reframe app.