When does it switch from heavy drinker to alcoholism?

[Isthisalcoholism]

Drinking a bottle and a half of wine at home on your own of an evening just as a matter of course and being seemingly unaffected...this isn't normal is it?

Is having a drink alone a strange thing? Before I had a baby if I was cooking a nice meal on a Friday night I would enjoy drinking wine while I cook, watching a movie and I could have consumed a bottle over a few hours, including having a bath. I didn't realise that was worse than being with someone?

It’s clearly problematic use OP, it sounds like there is psychological dependence and quite possibly physical dependence. Based on what you’ve posted your relative would absolutely be accepted as a patient at my place of work, the level of psychological and physical dependance would be investigated and, if your relative was unable to stop drinking independently we would refer them to a detox.

although it’s not relevant here, it’s important to note that it’s quite possible (and surprisingly common) to be psychologically dependant without drinking a lot more than the recommended maximum number of units a week.

If it's affecting their ability to function, their personal relationships and their physical and mental health then it's a problem. I would certainly class this person as a high risk problem drinker.

I’d say so, my DH drinks this every night and some spirts after that. He has an addictive personality and can’t/won’t change. He has had therapy for other addictions and beat them, I live with this one.

I’d try and help your friend, however they may not be open to it.

You might live with them Mixitupalot but your dh won't live that long drinking 1.5 bottles of wine plus spirits everynight.

It's the dependency rather than the amount I think.

StrikeAPoseTake2 - yeah, we’d treat you for (the underlying causes of) alcohol dependence based on what you’ve posted.

It's certainly unhealthy, and will probably damage their liver eventually. Do they drive during or afterward? That would be my biggest concern.

@StrikeAPoseTake2 No alcoholism no. Emotional dependancy has found for some reason - assuming you literally 1 drink at that time daily.

It would probably be useful for you to work through why with a counselor.

It was to me for a while. And a bottle most nights has been the norm for me for a good few years. With no obvious ill effects, and no hangovers.

I think there is a difference between physical addiction and psychological addiction and I would say I have been psychologically addicted for 20 years but definitely not physically.

Even if there is a bottle open I stop after a bottle or sometimes a bottle and a third, often leaving a glass half full when I go to bed. I have had a very stressful 3 years when going without for even one day seemed herculean which I don't like. So as life has now settled down, I have decided to do a reset.

I am therefore doing dry January, not as an excuse to go back to the same level afterwards but to reset my 'norm'. The only 'side effects' have been not sleeping well for the first 5 or 6 days which has now settled down. I'm now at nearly 2 weeks which, at a guess, is the longest without alcohol for over 20 years.

I have a rack full of wine, vodka, gin, martini, port and other things still in the cupboard. Am I tempted - yes definitely, I miss it and find evenings boring. Have I craved it - not at all.

Do I feel better for not having it - Not yet. My sleep is better but still crap (one of my main reasons for drinking). I haven't lost any weight and don't have more energy.

I live alone so mostly drink alone. If I do go out I'm usually driving and have no problem not drinking.

It's important to remember that alcoholism is a progressive disease. It gets worse over time. With that kind of tolerance to that amount of alcohol I'd be quite concerned.

My DM drinks like this OP. I believe she has a psychological addiction rather than physical, as she is able to have occasional alcohol free days (which I think she does to try and convince herself and everyone else that she's not an addict) without any adverse side effects and then starts drinking again.

She is in complete and utter denial abou it and gets very defensive, sometime even angry when anyone points out to her that she has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. She has undiagnosed mental health problems I think and uses alcohol as a crutch and a way of coping with stress.

You don’t live with them? I bet they’re drinking even more than you think.

When you can't stop. Or the amount you're drinking seems normalised but you know it isn't.

@StrikeAPoseTake2 Yes. You are.

I personally think a bottle and half of wine of an evening on a regular basis is not normal. You also say that if they didn't have wine in then they would go and buy some which suggests some sort of dependency.

Quite honestly, if I drank 1.5 bottles of wine to myself I'd be under the table! This suggests they do it regularly and as such have a high tolerance.

The issue tends to be that people don't want to or can't admit that they have a problem.

I don't think drinking alone is an issue. I most like a drink when I have a rare evening to myself.

A bottle and a half of wine is a lot though, especially if the person in question is a woman. I'd be pretty sozzled on half a bottle in one evening.

If it is a regular occurrence I'd think there was a problem, yes.

Although I think the Government guidelines for safe drinking are on the cautious side, it's worth noting that the recommended maximum number of units equates to 1.5 bottles of wine per week.

It’s ‘functioning’ alcoholism
Until it’s not functioning
I have been too heavy recently , planning a Monday to Thursday cut off
Anyway , my general opinion is only they can’t change . And they will only change when it causes ill health , or
Major suffering

It becomes an issue when they can't do without it or they are reliant on it ...to go to sleep, to cheer up, to mot feel alone, to entertain themselves etc.
A habit can easily become an addiction.

*@StrikeAPoseTake2@Isthisalcoholism

Don't you get a terrible headache for the rest of the day if you drink at lunchtime then stop?

Dunno where that extra @ came from

Depends - once a month or 3 times a week? That’s a lot to drink in one go at home.

I'm almost 11 years sober and before I stopped I was drinking every evening (getting earlier) minimum of 1 bottle of wine. I couldn't go a day without. That "need" for it defines dependency. My GP worked out my alcohol units as 70-120 a week.

There is no qualifying amount to alcoholism. I thought I didn't qualify at that level.

If anyone is concerned, speak to your GP, an alcohol service or pop to an (Open) AA meeting - listening to people sharing their "story" might spark identification.

My friend does this every single night, she doesn't appear drunk though and doesn't get hangovers. There really isn't much that can be done about it unless she chooses to stop. And she chooses not to.