To ask how much and how often you drink alcohol?

[Falling270]

I'm trying to cut back on alcohol for all the usual reasons: to cut back on calories, health benefits, save money...

Just as a barometer for the "norm" (and sheer curiosity) how often and how much alcohol do you drink?

That happened to the OP?
waits for DM article on ' heavy drinking mothers'

I haven't really drunk much at all for the last year and a bit - since we started TTC (I am now 8 months pregnant). I've had the odd very low alcohol beer (maybe one a month, probably not that many!) during the pregnancy and a small glass of red wine on Christmas Day.

Prior to that I probably drank 3 nights a week (on average) generally having either 2-3 glasses of wine, a couple of bottled beers, or 4-5 spirits with mixers in a sitting.

Prior to that I was a dreadful binge drinker and used to get shitfaced regularly on nights out. I really don't miss that!

I was drinking half a bottle of wine 3 or 4 nights a week. Then I realised it was affecting my sleep and making me a horrible grumpy mum for the following day. Have cut down to only drinking once or twice a week and I am much happier.

I might not drink much alcohol but I admit to drinking disgusting amounts of pepsi max daily for over 15 years.

How much Pepsi Max??

Dh has a much worse Diet Coke habit than alcohol.

I swear it's as bad.

im not a regular drinker. For a get together with friends I'd probably have 10-12 units in an evening. That's probably half a dozen times a year. Usually red wine, occasional cocktail.

I don't feel you're getting an answer to your question - either I'm an extreme or only the folk who don't drink are responding. I struggle not to drink wine during the week, though I know I sleep better if I don't. I'm pretty sure lots of women at my age and stage of life have the same problem. I feel it is a problem because I crave a glass of wine then if I have one I want another. It's not good, but I do reckon it's also normal - or not abnormal. Good luck with your moderation, I still think it's the way forward!

I go through phases. All this winter (from Nov-Mar) I barely drank, other than a few drinks at Christmas.

The last two weeks I've been guzzling wine like its water of an evening, though. I think its the lighter, brighter weather, as I often get like this in Spring...makes me crave an ice cold glass of white wine after work. I've had 2-3 glasses most nights. Oops.

I resolve to knock it on the head!

Never really. I used to like a glass of wine a few times a week but since ttc, pregnancy and baby I've just got out of the habit. Dh barely drinks so it's just not something we really do anymore.

I had a bit of beer last week at a BBQ and the taste of the alcohol in it was unpleasant.

Apart from that I've not had a drink in 18 months. Don't really miss it to be honest. I don't think I'll go tt, I might fancy the odd something in the future but I don't miss drinking and have no desire to drink anything.

Interesting point about posters being a biased sample. I'd imagine that's true. There's probably more stigma in drinking than not so the sample will be biased.

Op, for what it's worth I'd imagine your 'average' snapshot will differ a lot with the same people through their lives. I was fond of a tipple in my 20s and early 30s because I was single and went out a lot. That same group of people in the 'knackered parent of young kids' stage might drink almost nothing then increase more as kids age.
What's average? I'd say a glass or two with dinner one or two week nights and maybe some at the weekend?

I drink 1 evening in the week and then Friday / Saturday night. I have 2, maybe 3 medium glasses in the week, and can easily do a whole bottle of wine at the weekend.

I find I can drink a whole bottle of wine with no ill-effects - I'm very tall, but slim, if that makes a difference! I suspect i'd be more of a lightweight if I were small. If I go over a bottle (which I only do on big nights out) I pay for it the next day.

Notthestereotype , my sleep is pretty rubbish , but then I share a single bed with a very hot and wriggly 6 year old , so usually wake a couple of times a night to remove a foot from my ribs/nose/eye ! I am a early to bed , early to rise type of person , a lie in to me is 7am .
On the odd night I cannot drink , I do know I sleep better despite everything else .

Do I want to cut down ? Hell yes

Honestly, every single day. Usually 3 pints and a few vodkas or a bottle of wine most evenings some nights less, I never feel drunk or hungover mid week reckon my body is used to it now, then pub on Saturday and Sunday for around 8 hours so I lose count, usually do get slightly drunk at the weekend. I'm suffering pretty severe depression/anxiety at the moment and want to stop drinking but right now I just can't do it, I'm stuck in a rut.

Headliner, I feel for you but alcohol is a depressant - although it might make you feel better initially, once the effect has worn off your depression and anxiety will increase - it becomes a vicious circle and often the quantities required increase too. Please don't think I don't understand .... I'm a recovering alcoholic and, although I have not suffered from clinical depression, drinking itself used to make me enormously depressed, anxious and with suicidal thoughts. Once I stopped drinking, all of that went too. Have you been to your GP and if not, would you consider it?

headliner please listen to lobster. My DH has depression and drinks too much, though not as much as you any more. He still drinks too much but it is half of what is was and his mood is so much better.

Hi, the stupid thing about what I'm doing is I know that already, I know it makes me worse, I know it affects my sleep, makes my heart race and feel guilt and I tell myself every day 'not tomorrow' but then by evening time my brain is racing and a drink numbs that a little makes me feel calm. I've spent most of my life at my GP and I'm in therapy. I never used to be a drinker at all then a few years ago I hit a tough patch and it started, I tell myself I don't have a problem sometimes just having a drink in front of me makes me feel better even a sip so its all in my head.

Hi again, it sounds as if you are making some positive steps. The thing is, once we become alcohol dependent, we can't expect to remove it from our life simply and easily without some kind of replacement. I understand the brain racing/panic feeling - your brain and body have become accustomed to receiving alcohol and they're prompting you for it, in case you've forgotten. As a short term measure your GP should be able to give you diazepam or something similar - this is prescribed for alcohol withdrawal and, although you may not be physically dependent (yet) it's also used to reduce anxiety. A few days is enough (it's addictive) and then you can hopefully work on a new routine. Do please feel free to PM me - I'm conscious that this thread is to find out people's drinking habits. I promise you, things can get so much better.

Wow only got as far as the first page of threads and i feel like a veritable alcoholic!

I'm pregnant at the moment so not drinking at all, but when I was I was drinking on average 6 rum and cokes on a Friday or Saturday evening.
And if I fancied a drink of an evening after work then I didn't really think twice about having one. And when I say one honestly it was more than one because who has just one right??? Well going by these posts everyone but me!

I used to drink quite a lot - at least 3-4 (large) glasses of wine most evenings (six out of 7) - in the last three months I have seriously cut down - try to just have one or two (small) glasses of wine on a Friday and Saturday.

I used to say 'drinking doesn't affect me at all' but since cutting down I have lost a lot of weight, reduced medication for blood pressure, sleep tons better, have so much more energy and saved money. All totally boring but I really do feel so much better - I over did it this week as it was my birthday and hated how I felt - and remembered that I used to feel that way pretty much all the time.

These days I try to only drink once or twice a week. I only drink wine, but I find it really hard only to have a couple of glasses and end up drinking the whole bottle, so I probably have about 1-2 bottles a week. I don't know what it is about wine, but I find it so moreish. Other alcohol I can take or leave, but not wine. I used to drink 3 or 4 bottles a week, but found it went straight onto my tummy and I was sick of feeling tired and lethargic all the time.