AIBU to think drinking every day is normal?

[BitBehind]

Just that really.

I grew up in a household where both parents drank every night. Always wine with dinner and then sometimes gin or whisky afterwards.

They were never smashed. But they definitely drank every day without fail and often a little wobbly before bed. I didn't think much of it.

Now I always have wine in the evening. Soon as the kids (toddlers) are in bed it's my routine to come down and have a glass of white wine in the quiet at last. And then maybe one more with dinner. And maybe one more after dinner. Small glass. 3 max. I never go out drinking anymore so that's it. I'm never drunk but also would find it hard to not have that glass at the end of the day

Is this normal? My partner says it's definitely not.

It’s definitely not normal for us! Only at weekends, never a Sunday evening. In week only on special occasions. My dad was an alcoholic and I never want to be a heavy drinker.

Crap, what meds school was that?

Good luck OP.
I realised recently how much my Dad has been drinking (crept up to a bottle a night). He says it helps him sleep, but probably also boredom.
We went to discuss with GP which was useful as they said basically that there is no good amount to drink, and the less the better. He wouldn't have listened if I had told him.

No, I don't think it's normal. My mum drinks probably every day and it does worry me 😔

I'm not against alcohol at all and enjoy an occasional drink but I could go weeks without drinking alcohol and often do.

Would trying the low/no alcohol drinks be an option? I quite like an alcohol free beer 🍺

I’m at the other end of the spectrum. I very rarely drink. So for me it isn’t normal, no.

it Was my normal. Drinking every day. I loved it.

However- it isn’t normal. I reassessed my life and I ended up giving up and I haven’t drank in 3 years

How does the OP feel reading these comments. Think she’s going to need support

Not normal and not healthy. A very good friend of mine just died from failure of liver and pancreas in her 40s. She drank less than you and it was a horrible death. Please get help.💐

As above. I have worked in pubs and the same people come in daily and drink daily..they aren't tipsy and it's their time with friends. For some only people they see. It's over gov limits but as your question was.is it normal I think it's far more.nomal than mumsnet makes it seem...
Family live on France and daily drinking is quite normal...they just don't drink to excess
Not sure a glass or 2 a.day is worse than all the new gin lovers who go out at weekends and seem to drink LOTS of gin...but that's seen as 'cool' by some types.. would be interesting to see how many units weekend drinkers actually drink?**

Massively grateful for this thread. We’ve had a nightly drinking habit for a while now and it had started to really worry me. I’ve just poured the last of the wine down the sink and sent my husband out for some soft alternatives. Thank you all for giving me the shove I needed.

No this is not normal. Regardless if your a man or woman this is far too much drinking. what would happen if you're children took ill during the night and you had to take them to hospital, you wouldn't be able to drive! Sounds like your parents had a drink problem and now it seems history is starting to repeat.

Some people get liver disease by consistently exceeding (even by a small amount) the so called weekly amounts. Others never get liver disease despite drinking a lot more on a daily basis.

What causes alcoholic liver disease?
Alcoholic liver disease is caused by heavy use of alcohol. The liver’s job is to break down alcohol. If you drink more than it can process, it can become badly damaged.
Fatty liver can happen in anyone who drinks a lot. Alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis are linked to the long-term alcohol abuse seen in alcoholics.
Healthcare providers don’t know why some people who drink alcohol get liver disease while others do not. Research suggests there may be a genetic link, but this is not yet clear.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/alcoholinduced-liver-disease#:~:text=Alcoholic%20hepatitis%20and%20alcoholic%20cirrhosis,this%20is%20not%20yet%20clear.

So who decided on the weekly amounts anyway? There are a lot of doctors who are alcohol dependent, same as any member of society.

What appears normal to you might not be normal for someone else, but most people will know instinctively when their alcohol consumption is causing them issues, and affecting those around them too.

Obesity causes fatty liver, which can lead to cirrhosis, it also causes hypertension, diabetes, cardiac issues, joint trouble, you name it. But there is not the same horror expressed about someone who has an extra Greggs sausage roll every day is there?

This was kinda my life growing up, though my mum passed at 53 from an alcohol related disease. It was my life for far more years than I care to mention. I don’t drink at all any longer and now I’m on the outside looking in, it seems to be more prevalent than I thought.

I don't think that appearing tipsy or slurring your speech is the definition of an alcoholic. It's more the dependence or addiction to alcohol, or feeling that you need it every day. In fact people that drink regularly develop a tolerance and will probably drink far more without "appearing" drunk.
I know a few people who could drink a few beers and a bottle and a half of wine and not appear drunk. I'd still think they had an alcohol problem if they did that on a regular basis!

I wouldn't call those people alcoholics, they're not tipsy or slurring when they leave and I doubt they get the shakes if they miss a couple of glasses of wine in the evening.

I'm not sure where this idea comes from that alcoholics are people who act tipsy or slur. In reality, habitual drinkers can often put away huge amounts without appearing drunk/getting bad hangovers because their body has adapted to processing that level of alcohol regularly. These 'adaptions' are not a sign of health.

if you're children took ill during the night and you had to take them to hospital, you wouldn't be able to drive!

i find this argument strange as I can't drive irrespective of my drinking status! But since we had our child (now 2), me and my partner have never both had several drinks at the same time, I wouldn't be comfortable with that in case our child needed us over night.

I never drink so obviously wouldn't be normal for me. My partner is a non drinker too so definitely not a thing in our house.

but everyone has a different definition of normal. I grew up with parents, specially my mother who didn't drink every night but when she did drink she wouldn't know her limits and got stupidly drunk which isn't ideal.

So I see no major issue in it myself if you know your limits and don't get drunk

but obviously there are health implications to drinking every night.

It's about how much you drink a week, lots of these self-righteous people probably binge, and possibly some coke.

Hi Op, I'd advise setting yourself some rules around it. Maybe allow yourself one bottle of wine a week and look forward to it at the weekend as a treat (which is a normal way of drinking I'd say). There can be exemptions to the rule such as weddings and holidays etc. But I think you need something rigid to kick the old habits X

It’s a lot more than I’d drink. I have about 2-3 glasses a week (max). I drink more if I’m out socialising obviously, but at home it’s very little. That’s not to say what’s normal for me makes your normal wrong, we’re all different, and I am probably considered a light drinker, but objectively (and without judgment) it seems like you’re getting through a lot of wine.

Don’t be ridiculous @Daffi

Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better

It might be normal, but that doesn't make it right or good for your health. 3 glasses a day is pretty heavy alcohol use, and you don't feel anything because you are used to it. You'll have drifted from one glass a night to 3 slowly, how long until it is 4, 5, 6?

No but my parents didn’t drink at all, we might have one here at the weekend but that’s about it. My siblings are in recovery though so it didn’t make much difference to everyone in our family.

It's not healthy at all although it's probably a lot of people's 'normal'.

The thing is OP you think this is normal because you grew up seeing that that was what your parents did every day. If you keep this up then your children will grow up seeing you drinking everyday and think it's a normal - and guess what they will then do when they grow up.....

FIL was European and drank with every evening meal. He eventually died of fatty liver and it really wasn't nice.

My parents drank like yours did. I drink a small glass of wine 5 days a week. So usually a bottle and a bit. I don’t drink spirits in the house and always drink with my evening meal. I would cut down a bit.