AIBU to find it strange how much people are drinking at the moment

[mumof2exhausted]

And more so the almost bragging nature of it on social media? Feel like my Facebook / instagram is full of people showing their wine, beer, expression martinis! I get we are in a strange situation but can’t compute as to how for so many people that’s translated into drinking alcohol every day?? Or maybe it’s just my friends

MN is so weird about alcohol.

Someone will post that they get through a couple of bottles of wine a week and there’ll be a massive pile on about how it’s a slippery slope and they’re basically a functioning alcoholic.

Yet at the same time there will be threads with posters celebrating the fact that they’ve eaten a whole tub of Ben and Jerry’s in one evening, or they’ve polished off a multipack of Hula Hoops while waiting for their Dominos, and no one bats an eyelid.

Where’s the person with the espresso martinis? I would’nt mind one of those! I’m wishing my mint to grow faster so that I can make a mojito tonight!

@Ponoka7 I wish i'd been licked down in March

My mum is very good at expressing extreme disapproval of others by pretending not to understand why on earth they would do something. It's really irritating.

I am using it to cope with the collapse in my mental health (and no support services available to deal with that), my stress so I can actually get some sleep at night and because I also have killer toothache and dentistry's locked down as well around here.

No, it's not ideal, but since everything else that could support is gone - wine is still there.

OP is unreasonable for a faux-wondering post which actually turns into the blatant judge by page 3 but that's typical at the moment for how people are turning on people on MN.

I imagine some drank as much previously, but didn’t post it online as they felt no need to.
Now they’re trapped in their houses, they’re bored and want some form of interaction, so post pictures of what they’re doing.
I imagine some are drinking more, just like some are eating more out of sheer boredom.

It's their decision as to how much they eat and drink, after all they will all likely know the risks that go with what they’re doing.

I've seen some of those FB posts. We live in unprecedented times, I can't be bothered to judge. Yes it's likely there's a problem with drinking more but if it becomes an addiction how about being sympathetic? People may have ill relatives, worry if their job will be there to go back to, trying to homeschool, self-isolating alone, there are different stresses. If they need help re drinking I hope they access it.

If you're going to be nosey at least don't be judgmental, it's really not the time for it.

I can't stand this passive aggressive way of making posts. I imagine the MN head tilt and "I just can't think why people are doing this, I mean it really is very odd that so many women are such heathens as to enjoy a drink, could someone please expwain it to silly lickle me."

This ^

Exactly - it's just a way of sticking the boot into people, but putting pwetty pink bows on before you go in to administer a good kick.

Also remember OP that many people would normally be dry in the week due to commitments and then go out on a Friday/Saturday night, have party's, celebrations etc. They probably aren't drinking much more, it's just rather than a full night out, they're having one each day. Either way, we're all grown ups and the majority of people can control their drinking and decide when and how much to have!

I have to say we are part of the "drinking more" group. I could go weeks without a drink but nice weather and the fact DH is around more and we are socializing more (with each other) is meaning we might have a bottle of wine with dinner on friday and saturday night.

Well, I am trying to stick to one a night, but I can understand why people are drinking more, stuck in house, not supposed to drive, not supposed to travel any where, children driving you mad. Not driving the next day, not going to the office- why not? I would not post on SM however.

I'm not surprised at all, I'm drinking more than usual myself and fully aware it's not healthy. Ppl are stressed and bored. Haven't seen anyone bragging about it though tbh.

Dont really think it's any worse than overeating which a lot of ppl are doing as well atm. Just ways to cope with things. Not great obv, but understandable.

@AintNoMaryPoppins I'm with you 100%

This pretty much sums it up for me

Well let me explain my rationale OP

..I’m stuck inside a flat with no garden
..my parents are dead ( not COVID ) but I’m missing them like fuck
..husband struggling with his anxiety
..SDs jobs and whole lifestyles hang in the balance
..I’m lonely apart from DH and bored

....so yes am drinking and eating too much . But fuck it. I’ve only got one life and it’s not yours to live for me.

Is that clearer?

We only drink at weekends, covid or no covid, but we currently have a permanent supply of gin for a pre-dinner drink, which we wouldn't do normally. Our argument is that we can't go out to the pub so why not? That said, I am getting a bit worried about how much I look forward to 'gin o'clock'. Let's see, 1 hour and 35 minutes to go!

We only drink at weekends when we have to go to work but I'm furloughed, the sun is shining, hell if I want to drink wine every day I will. Cheers!

People on MN are not medical and health organisations so when I was talking about "medical & health organisations putting out information about alcohol's affects", that wouldn't really include people talking shit on here.

I've seen people praise WHO and similar and say governments are murderers for not following their recommendations (since none of them can make anyone have a lockdown or anything else) and then when the WHO put out COVID-19 specific information about alcohol and suggesting governments might want to consider further purchasing restrictions in the future if certain issues happened, maybe, they apparently needed to be called every name under the sun, with some nasty threats. I guess we can argue people talking shit online isn't really vicious or that the organisations don't actually care about any aspect of health, but it makes no sense to me to say we should listen to their advice and information on COVID-19, except about alcohol. I get the wrath from those who hate or blame WHO or similar already for everything , but with how basic and tame their information was, the backlash from people who had previously praised them was surprising to me a bit.

I mean, people are going to take or leave the recommendations either way, but how some people turned on them rather than just laugh it off like most are doing for the current 'no, drinking ethanol, methanol, or bleach doesn't kill the virus and is really dangerous. Please do not put those near your mouth, nose, or eyes' advice that they've sadly had to post with what is going on was striking for me.

Sums up certain people.😅

I’m drinking less. No after work drinks, no nights out, so in the grand scheme of things a few pictures of drinks isn’t reflective that people are drinking more.

Well whatever we think booze sales are up 30%. Time to buy shares in them, well the pension funds will anyway.

Is that overall sales or supermarket?

I’ve been drinking too much as I’ve been completely stressed out and scared at work. I’ve also been working very long hours and coming home overwhelmed and exhausted.

Things feel a bit less scary now as we’re getting used to the new ‘normal’ and are no longer talking about ventilating people in the canteen (obvious exaggeration for comic effect).

I therefore need to decrease my consumption - after tonight.