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?

@Litluts I'm no pearl clutcher, and I drink over recommended limits myself, but are you really drinking 30 units per day ie equivalent of 3 bottles of wine per day? I hope you choose to address that, as that sounds like an awful lot.

KTB probably because half of ye up North are half Irish!

Litluts has already said that she needs to drink that much, otherwise she will get withdrawal symptoms. These are not just unpleasant , they can be fatal.

Imogen, that is exactly what I'm saying. It wasn't actually because of alcohol, it was because of repeated suicide attempts. It very nearly destroyed me. I asked the Social Workers to contact my brother (a doctor) to confirm the child abuse. He said that, yes we got a slap, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. My mother used to shove his nose into his sheets aged 14 for wetting the bed. After attempting suicide several times, I asked him why. He said that it's send my daughter to her, or into foster care. I will never ever ever forgive him for that.
On the positive side, I've moved countries to escape my mother (my brother has moved continents). I would be zero contact, but I have to liaise with her on some things. For e.g. I wanted dd to go to the Gaeltacht this year (year before Junior Cert, which is equivalent to GCSEs and the Gaeltacht is an Irish speaking area of Ireland. Irish is a core subject). My mother didn't book her in as 'I can't afford it'. I tried to tell her that I would have paid for it, but it's like talking to an utter cunt.

So yes, I drink.

I think it takes incredible strength to do what you have done Litluts i.e alcohol dependence, cutting back, suicide attempts, abusive childhood... No one outside of this (none of us) can understand. I hope you find happiness or at least peace. I am rooting for you.

Thank you SummerHouse.

It's a difficult life. Always has been. I guess some people get it easier in life. My WhatsApp status is from some author from maybe SriLanka? It's Image result for quote seared with scars
"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars."

Anyway, back on topic, currently 20-30 units a day.

You are a strong soul Litluts

And you are right some people are just dealt a better hand. No rhyme or reason. Just totally unfair.

OP, I don't think you're drinking a lot. Not at damaging levels anyway.
Current research suggests that days between drinking are good. Your liver will recover from a day or two off drinking. I've seen medics on TV state that binge drinking is damaging. Yes it is, in the immediate days following it, but overall, I really don't think it is.
Also, if you're a sociable person who likes to be out and about and having the craic, chatting with friends or colleagues, I think that is good for the soul and good for the heart (the actual organ the heart).

Oh yes the actual thread...

I do have my doubts about moderation. It sounds exhausting compared to simply not drinking at all @JustGettingStarted A lot of people who haven't succeeded have their doubts about moderating (it's an AA belief as well, isn't it?) and when they fail with it they are quite vocal - which is why I dropped the moderating support groups - the failed moderators rather than just moving to an abstainers group, seem to hang around waiting to pounce, with their "I told you so"s when anyone veered off the moderating course.
To successfully moderate it really helps a lot to feel confident that you can do it and it also helps to forgive yourself the odd stumble, just get back up and try again. Abstainers (who fail frequently too) hanging out in groups waiting for moderators to fail is weird and unhelpful.

No, aa is teetotal

PMSL. Yes, AA members' nemesis is the moderate drinker. They tell you it can't be done! I'd love a few psychiatrists to actually sit in on an AA meeting. The madness! It's like a home for every fucked up cunt in the country. Sober fucked up cunts!

0.25 units every leap year.
20 units a week is shockingly bad and social services should be called!

In my last group, we had the 'treasurers' (both sober) who managed to steal 1000s of pounds lol. They were both sober very many years haha.
We also had a guy who preyed on a slightly intellectually challenged woman. I think she had a diagnosis of some sort, but she was very vulnerable. A guy, sober 25 years, used to meet her and fuck her, all in the name of AA. The husband (not in AA) came into the meeting and beat the shit out of him.
AA imo is fucked up. It's pure and utter madness. To send someone there is also madness.

I would say that you probably aren't in the top 5% of all drinkers, maybe population but that could include pregnant women, the elderly who can't drink for health reasons, teetotalers, people who don't drink for religious reasons.

People don't tend to know how much a unit of alcohol is. When they see a glass of wine is 3 units, they imagine it filled up to the brim (which they would do at home) not half filled as you wish get in a bar or restaurant. People tend to assume than cans of lager are half a pint etc too and maybe don't take in to account the strength of what they are drinking. I think some people have maybe underestimated their consumption a bit! I would say you're above average, but not that far above. Why would they say alcohol is such a huge problem in this country if only 5% people only exceed the recommended amount of units by two drinks?

I probably have about 30 units at the very maximum per month (when I'm not pregnant, which I currently am). So a couple of small glasses of wine and a beer a week maybe. I can't really get drunk as it makes me anxious and down the next day, so just isn't worth it.

In my twenties I probably drank about 30 units a week!

There are certain populations of the British public who drink a lot. There are others who never drink.
MN is primarily mothers. Women. British women. British mothers. They don't usually drink. I have never once in my life gone out for a drink with a British mother. They don't drink.
You and I however, know that people do actually drink.
Maybe cut out one day of drinking so your liver can recover.

All of you who appear to be experts

I've had my liver function tests taken over a number of days as an inpatient. It goes down every day without alcohol. By day 5 you're back in the normal range.

Lots of British mothers drink what a load of nonsense

I don't (or rarely in moderation) because I am on medication which I can't drink on. I would rather take my medication than have a drink, but very occasionally I decide it's worth it. I am in a minority among the mothers I know, actually. Most of them have the "kids in bed, crack the wine open" mentality. Most single mums I know go out partying on their child free weekend (or when grandparents etc. Can babysit). And I know quite a lot of single mums because divorce and separation are so common (and because I am one).

@Litluts liver function is not a good marker, actually. You'd be better having a liver scan that would show scarring.

Mine has always been perfect, I had a slightly raised test once but I was actually drunk at the time. Never mind 5 days, that's quite a long time. You don't know how scarred your liver is.

“British women. British mothers. They don't usually drink”

I know one woman who doesn’t drink at all, one...

Some drink like me, where it’s infrequently, but equally I know some people who have wine most nights and go out and drink most weekends....and a mix of all of them.

The gin/prosecco mummy trend would indicate otherwise 😂

3 bottles of wine per week. Try to have 3-4 alcohol free days. But to be honest i love wine. I excercise, try to eat healthy so feel the wine is ok!

No, at times, I'm running and doing yoga, pilates, boxing etc. And drinking a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. This is when I'm happiest.
At times I'm drinking all day long. Not happy
At times I'm working and drinking. Happy but tired
At times I'm abstinent. Not happy

Most of the British mothers I know (including me) would fall into your 'happy' category of drinking (i.e. not abstaining, but drinking moderately). You're totally right that it is possible to drink moderately- loads of people do it. But you (and many other people) are surely proof that long-term moderate drinking is well-nigh impossible for anyone who is already seriously alcohol-dependent. Is AA really honestly wrong about that? Are there many ex-alcoholics who successfully drink moderately for the rest of their life?

Are there many ex-alcoholics who successfully drink moderately for the rest of their life? Apparently it's possible but it depends on what drove you to drinking so much in the first place and whether you have dealt with those issues. People who are physically dependent are less successful. And of course you have to want to. And the people who do have usually broke the mental habit by abstaining for a certain length of time, some people find a change of location helps, quite a bit of soul searching is usually needed. Everyone has a unique relationship with alcohol and the solution they need is equally as unique. Of course repeatedly telling someone can't will also reduce their chances of success - unless they are a stubborn bugger and prone to proving people wrong.