How can I be in the top 5% of drinkers at 20 units a week?!

[Pooshy]

I've been tracking how much alcohol I drink since the start of the year in an effort to cut down

It's working and I think I probably drink about half as much as I used to, around 20 units a week on average. Still over the women's recommended limit of 14, but this is better than I was

However the app I'm using says I'm in the top 5% of drinker so that means only 5 people out of 100 drink more than me

Surely that can't be right... how many unit do you drink a week usually?

For the same reason I'd find it odd that someone can't have fun without drugs tbh, same deal. Doesn't it show a level of dependency?

Doesn't it show a level of dependency? I think it's more likely to suggest a level of social anxiety (which most of us have to some extent)...To establish dependency you might have to ask a few more questions!

Maximum about 2 units per week but more than often, none.

Well done for cutting down. X

Well yes, but this is Mumsnet, not a shrink's therapy room 😂

I had 10 units in February, plus a few sips of beer if DP was trying something new. I tend to have alcohol free beer at gone because it's cheap and has fewer calories and I don't really like being drunk, and then spend more money on better alcohol when I do drink it.

I never drink in the house. I don’t really get the point in it. I mean what do you do on your couch at night slightly tipsy confused

You wouldn't believe the difference bottle of wine makes when watching GoT😂 Or University Challenge....
I like to have some drink with DH I barely see now, have some laugh, watch a movie, play Monopoly (yes, my marriage is that strong😂).
Nothing wrong with having a drink at home.

I think it's more likely to suggest a level of social anxiety

Or the opposite, loves the craic.

What's the verdict on people who say they can't cut their alcohol consumption because without booze "life is boring"?

Just dull people?

How many times has boring been mentioned on this thread by the drinkers and the non-drinkers? You're boring... no you're boring...great debate!

My gran always said that "Only boring people complain of being bored." I'm never quite sure if that's very wise or just random homily

A very interesting (and judgemental!) thread.
Before Christmas, my partner and I would pretty much daily drink a bottle of wine each (yes, each) while chatting, having dinner, watching TV, etc. Possibly a whiskey night cap too. So 60-70 units each a week, at least.
We both work. Our liver functions are fine.
After Christmas, I decided to give up alcohol for a while (on a whim really, to show I could, perhaps) and haven't had any for two months now.
What's surprised me has been people's reactions. "Come on, you can just have one glass, can't you?", "Still not drinking?! January's over now!", "You're not much fun, are you?" etc, etc.
It really interests me, the fact that amongst the people I know, giving up smoking is cause for celebration and encouragement, but giving up alcohol clearly isn't!

Your gran sounds wise Cole

@Maneandfeathers why do you assume that people only drink to get tipsy?
I like wine and drink one or two glasses because I like the taste of it, not because I want to get drunk. It doesn't take much for me to get a hangover, so I avoid drinking too much for that reason, as well as for health reasons.

DD's BF is a student and he and his friends drink to get drunk several times a week. Quite frankly I don't believe the assertions that young people are drinking less.

@Colehawlins I'm sure I could stop I'd just rather not if that makes sense. I enjoy a few ciders or some fizz. Doesn't make me a bad or a boring person.

I don't know. I'd prefer to go out with a gregarious beer swilling lunatic than a dry, sober, book reading knitter.
I just don't find those people interesting.
I think more extroverted types tend to drink more.
I'm Irish, so can consume a lot of alcohol and still appear sober.
An ex solicitor boss was a roaring alcoholic. He'd be under the influence by 2pm (he'd have 4 pints at lunch), but still managed to dictate coherent legal shite.
MN is predominantly female.

From my personal observations, British Mums, either don't drink at all, or knock back a bottle of red a night.
Muslims don't drink. I presume there is a large proportion on here.
Irish people tend to get on very well with Indian men. They consume about as much as the average Irish alco (like moi). I presume Indian women don't drink though. Not sure why I have made that presumption, but I have lol.
I also notice that Polish people like getting blathered.

Italians and French for e.g. while drinking every day, would never ever be drunk.
The Irish are frequently drunk. I personally see no point in having a half a glass of wine. I'd rather have nothing at all. It's not a popsicle.
I am actually alcohol dependent. Which means my body will go into withdrawals without it. Not withdrawals that some ignoramus' mention on here from not having your 1 glass of wine a night, but serious physical actual life threatening withdrawals.
I'm probably in alcoholic territory. Actually I am in alco territory, no two ways about it.
When I'm sober for months, I am boring as fuck. Regimented.
I sometimes wonder whether I have a disorder of some sort. Possible!
I'm at my optimum when I work hard and play hard. I.e. I work all day, consume a fair amount (a LARGE amount by MN standards), then get up and do it all over again. I love nothing more than going out, getting merry, socialising with fellow lunatics and having the craic.
On bad days, I can drink morning noon and night.

I wasn't joking when I said I consume 30 units a day.
I have a dd, but she lives with my Mum. Am I a shit Mum? Very definitely. Do I care? More than words can express.
Can I change who I am? No.

And I just know I'm going to have some of my fellow Paddies come on here and tell me they're Irish and never get drunk. I know you exist. I'm generalising.

I'm Irish and I love getting drunk with a crowd of lunatics - it just doesn't happen that much anymore but when it does...it's mighty!
I've stepped off the daily drinking habit - mostly because I didn't want to become physically dependent and eventually be forced to give up completely and I am worried about my liver. We consume a lot of alcohol free beer now...but it still leaves open to heartily enjoy the odd very drunken night out!

@litluts your post is heartbreaking. It sounds very much like you don't want to stop but have you tried AA. I know nothing but you get one life. And surely yours is worth more than alcohol dependency.

And please don't come on and give me a kicking about my dd. She is a very happy, well-adjusted teen (no thanks to me really, but I do think I gave her a good start in life. They say 'show me the child at 2 and I'll show you the adult'. DD was and still is a confident outgoing madam, a B student much to my dismay, but has a host of friends and is involved in singing, drama, music, sport and dance). If I was teetotal would I rear her in London? Fuck no.

I drink between 2 and 5 units a week on average after I cut right down a few years ago. I think I use the same app and even when I set it at 10 units a week that was still something like the top 20%. A lot of people don’t drink at all which heavily skews the results, and there’s probably a bit of underreporting going on too.

Yes, I'm trying to step off the daily drinking habit too! Well, it's difficult, as over here, they won't detox you!
Yes, I went to AA very young and it sort of fucked up my thinking about alcohol, that it was all or nothing, that I could never control it, that 'God' if I trusted in him/it, would help me.

I have managed in the past to completely curb my alcohol intake. My GP was very impressed (Indian lady). That is, to restrict drinking while drinking (something AA will tell you is impossible).

I know my liver function results better than most of you know your menstrual cycle.
There's a lot of 'peer reviewed evidence' here. It's a load of bollox. 6 weeks off alcohol and my liver function results are entirely normal.

3 units a day? Half a bottle of wine a day? You're becoming a bit of an Adrian Chiles. Truth is, you may not be high compared to your mates, but a lot of people drink a lot less than that.so yes top 5% is probably right.

That's a very sad post, Litluts. You are obviously in an advanced stage of alcoholism. I hope you get help, though it doesn't sound like you want to. Some people are boring, but not drinking alcohol isn't what makes them boring. Drunk people, on the other hand, can be very boring indeed (even if they're interssting when sober).

Knitter honey, sad or not, it is what it is.
Your username suggests I wouldn't get on with you anyway

Btw, there are no stages in alcoholism. At any point, you can be detoxed and get out of it. You're either in it or out of it. It's not a progressive disease. The physical effects may be, but in and of itself, it's not progressive. You don't go through stages 1, 2 & 3 of alcoholism.

• @Colehawlins I'm sure I could stop I'd just rather not if that makes sense. I enjoy a few ciders or some fizz.*

It makes perfect sense.

It's the people who seem actually alarmed by the idea of stopping or who are uncomfortable with non-drinkers, who worry me a bit. Still none of my business unless it's someone close to me.