To those who drink 3-4 bottles of wine per week

[prayerbeforebed]

Can you cope with everyday life the next day and are you comfortable with your intake?
Is it too much ? Is your health affected ?
I find that I am using wine as a crutch since my shock split from husband and subsequent discovery of an affair.
I drink three bottle is wine per week when I did used to enjoy one . I don't want anymore but I find it completely relaxed me and gives me a little buzz of happiness in anitherwise difficult time.
I don't want to ruin my health but I feel a bit guilt.
Thanks

On MN, however, it's all for some greater reason that needs to be tackled and it's dependent, etc.

4 bottles of wine a week to deal with your emotions is dependant though.

In my work, I went to a lecture with a top oncologist who provides advice to the government on policies to tackle it.

He said to us as part of the lecture 50% of us will now get cancer and that is down to smoking, obesity and alcoholism. By alcoholism he meant even what we consider moderate drinking.

He said especially over 35, for the love of god stop drinking or at least drastically cut it down.

It is your lives though and if you're happy to run the risks of cancer because you couldn't stop pouring bottles of wine down your throat then so be it. You only get one life and there are so many more exciting things to do than drink

You only get one life and there are so many more exciting things to do than drink Some of my most memorable, favourite moments involved drinking - people do it because they like it - if you don't that up to you!

@Pensionconcerns you'll have more than pension concerns then.

Enjoy

@MyuMe you don't like alcohol, you don't enjoy the way it makes you feel - we are all different, why are you so hung up on other people's drinking?

I think people who drink quite heavily but 'don't feel drunk'/'don't get hangovers' are missing the point that this is likely because they have increased their tolerance!

When you don't drink very often you really feel the effects of it and realise your body has to work quite hard to process the toxins in alcohol. (One unit per hour, I believe).

I have been a heavy drinker in the past- VERY heavy. The only way for me to sort it out was to stop completely for a few months and then gradually reintroduce it- in moderation.

I no longer drink wine because I can't handle it any more (memory blanks, horrendous headaches and indigestion). I drink only cider or beer now, which naturally limits how much I can drink purely because of the amount of liquid!

I also learnt that drinking in times of stress might feel helpful in the short-term but usually increases anxiety and depression in the longer term.

Heavy drinking is directly linked to poor health. It's too much of a gamble, IMO. There are no guarantees in life, and noone wants to live forever anyway, but I'd rather not get an alcohol-related illness when it can easily be avoided.

In my work, I went to a lecture with a top oncologist who provides advice to the government on policies to tackle it.

And we, the taxpayer, are paying for this sage counsel, which anyone with a grain of common sense could advise on how to 'tackle' it but of course, it requires quite heavy monetary investment into society and far, far more intensive investment in the NHS including mental health and social care, none of which is forthcoming, so indeed, all advice is little more than useless. I reckon those in power in government know very well what the causes are behind most peoples' predilection towards self-medication, mostly emotional and societal ills rectified with proper investment in said emotional support and society, but they don't give a fuck.

@Pensionconcerns you'll have more than pension concerns then.

Not necessarily. Nothing is guaranteed in this life at all, not even ill health.

I know someone who will go through far more than you per week , she struggles getting kids to school sometimes on a Monday and won't accept that health problems are caused by it , she slowly built up to this

Mumsnet lol!! Sympathy given if you detest and despise your husband, kids or extended family. Condemnation if you want to rehome your shitfilled moggy or enjoy a glass of wine of an evening ;-)

I was drinking too much yes. No social life, bored and stressed and lonely and habits. Not 3 or 4 bottles a week, when I was early 30’s it was weekend binge drinking (so god knows how much) then it was 2 bottles of wine a week probably. I felt uncomfortable drinking more than the 2 bottles, it felt like it might mean I had a problem

But it’s been making me ill and I am not even 40 yet. Really bad upset stomachs and gastric irritation, migraines and just awful tired. I’m also overweight. I also don’t like myself when socially drunk very much but I liked the relaxed feeling

I got a dog last year and caring for the dog meant that I had to get up early and also it was something different to do in the evenings. So I have slowly changed my mindset. Last week I drank some alcohol free beer and wine and still had IBS symptoms so I am probably allergic to the basis of these products and alcohol is even worse. I’ve cut right back and am hardly drinking any alcohol and I am already feeling a lot better. I am worried about developing health problems and it’s enough for me to stop thinking about it/missing it. I feel happier too as it’s a depressant!

I use the drink aware app
It’s quite handy for seeing how many calories and units you are drinking

So right now I drink 3 glasses of wine once a week at most, if at all, and I can see this is saving me money and better for me

Some tips I have for drinking if anyone wants them.... is some control methods, never put the bottle back in the fridge or cupboard with the last glass left in it - and make a point of tipping it all down the sink before bed. Or buy the mini bottles which are all measured out. Be honest sometimes the last part of the wine glass is too much and you don’t really want it but you don’t want to waste it - just tip it away if you get to that point where you are just drinking it for the sake of it, not because you actually want it. I also don’t buy any wine when shopping and if I want alcohol I have to physically go to the shop just to buy it. If you buy 4 bottles at a time it’s way too easy to open one

This is only relevant if you actually want to make any changes, not telling you what to do

Also I did use alcohol to sleep as I have anxiety which is always worse at night when trying to sleep so I do sympathise. I have to watch something to sleep now. Just lying down and going to sleep would mean I end up awake for hours and hours

@menora I think it depends how you feel about alcohol. I probably have about 6 bottles of wine in the house and have had no alcohol for 2 weeks.

Yes I think it’s only useful advice for people who know they have trouble with willpower and making decisions that aren’t awkward healthy

For me if it’s in the house I am more likely to drink it

Always healthy

I was worried about how much wine I've been drinking so I've given it up for January (still drinking other things). Could you try that and see whether you can manage?

Sounds like it's helping you through a bad time. You sound aware, so it's likely you'll cut back when things feel better.

Me and my husband used to drink a bottle a night

we don't anymore and we're doing dry jan- I went to a wedding and didn't drink yesterday which is huge for me

It is your lives though and if you're happy to run the risks of cancer because you couldn't stop pouring bottles of wine down your throat then so be it. You only get one life and there are so many more exciting things to do than drink

Drinking is fun, a few drinks with friends is one of my favourite things to do.

Plenty of chance of getting ill/killed by something else. Life is too short to be depriving yourself of things you enjoy in case something might happen in the future.

A bit gutted I have to go out in a bit to be honest. An afternoon in front of the FA Cup on TV with a drink would go down a treat right now.

Many people would agree that having a few drinks with friends is enjoyable and relaxing.

This is not the same thing as drinking daily or almost daily; or using alcohol as a crutch; or frequently drinking alone.

I used to drink that much. For a year now I've only had 8 glasses the whole time.
If you panic about not having any, you have a problem, otherwise, it's not too bad.
It's more than recommended but I know so many women who drink that and more. You'd feel better if you cut it down.

@MyuMe late reply here but did the oncologist mean that even sticking to 14 units was a risk for cancer? Did he mean drink less than that? Thanks x

There are oncologists who regularly drink more than 14 units a week @socksmcgraw so try not to worry too much about this stat [hug]

To the person who said “research says there’s no safe limit “ I’d reply that that’s in pregnancy (and even that’s debated )

That's old data. Recent studies show that even very moderate drinking increases your cancer risk, and that the tiny protection against heart disease (that is offered by only red wine) is outweighed by the cancer risk.

"Drinking even one alcoholic drink per day is linked with a 5 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer, a 17 percent increase in the risk of oropharyngeal cancer (a cancer of the middle part of the throat) and a 30 percent increase in the risk of esophageal cancer, compared with not drinking, according to a 2013 study cited by the ASCO statement."

There are oncologists who regularly drink more than 14 units a week

How is that reassuring? There are plenty of HCPs who smoke too. Does that make it less risky?

"Drinking even one alcoholic drink per day is linked with a 5 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer, a 17 percent increase in the risk of oropharyngeal cancer (a cancer of the middle part of the throat) and a 30 percent increase in the risk of esophageal cancer, compared with not drinking, according to a 2013 study cited by the ASCO statement." But what are the chances of getting those cancers?What is the overall increase in risk? because 30% increase on a number you haven't given me is pretty meaningless.