To drink 2 glasses of wine

[Mariahmariah90]

My DS (2) is extremely challenging recently and have noticed I have been drinking 2 glasses of wine most nights, I have 2 alcohol free days a week but I am getting concerned I am using this to relax. Am I stepping into dangerous territory, if I’m honest I’m trying to lose weight and this stops me from snacking late at night. I am never drunk and get up at 6am most mornings with him. Am I an alcoholic?

I do at least 2 months of the year without drinking - usually January and this time September !

Try stopping for a month and see how you feel. if you find it really hard then it's probably a warning.

You can also have some different ways of cutting back without removing completely, say only have 1 glass per night (its hard with wine when you are on your own) or drink 2x glasses only on the weekend. Maybe find something alternative to drink on the days off (I like tonic water).

Drinking is a bit insidious because it can creep up on you over time. You can use things like month long timeouts to test whether it is becoming a problem.

Think I voted the wrong way. You aren’t an alcoholic but your consumption seems to bother you. If you are worried then knock it on the head.

If it’s 2 large glasses that’s a bottle pretty much? 3 bottles is probably over the recommended amount…. I enjoy it too much to give up! Probably have two bottles a week.

No I manage 4 glasses from a bottle so half a bottle each time.

You are not an alcoholic. You are not absolutely fine. You have a habit which is not healthy but which is probably not going to have noticeable short-term effects. It might affect you in the long term or you might be lucky. It's like eating mcdonalds twice a week. Certainly not optimal, not great for your health over the longer term, but ultimately your choice.

I'm more concerned about the teacher who drinks a bottle a night after work. How many units is that. She really needs another job if it's that bad for her health

Nothing wrong with two glasses of wine occasionally but you're using it as a crutch to relieve stress on a very regular basis. Your physical and mental health would be better served by finding other tools to help you unwind. Go for a run, meditate, journal, listen to a podcast, lift weights, chat to a friend, find something else that works for you.

A couple of glasses a night really isn't a big deal if it helps you unwind and de-stress. Stress is really unhealthy and, unlike drinking, can't just be stopped if you decide to stop. I try to adopt the Basque recommended limit of no more than seven drinks per day.

Mumsnet is not the best place to come for alcohol advice as 99% of responders will tell you that you have a problem no matter your intake.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing yet. Instead of two medium glasses per night (which is half a bottle) try having one large (250 ml) glass. A bottle will last for three nights and you'll still be doing something you enjoy. If that doesn't work you can consider dropping it altogether at that point.

Either way it won't help you lose weight unless you would've otherwise eaten hundreds of calories

I would easily polish off a big bag of kettle chips and feel rubbish 😂😂😂

The amount is irrelevant.

If you’re using alcohol to change the way you feel, then yes that’s the start of the slippery slope to dependency.

Only you know why you’re choosing to drink 2 glasses of wine in the evenings.

Nah you’re not an alcoholic. It’s not that healthy either though. But then so are a lot of bad habits we have. It does seem like it’s bothering you a bit so why not cut down? 1 generous glass a night rather than 2 medium and drink the bottle over 3 days not 2 maybe? And I know easier said than done but if poss I would be looking at other ways to try to relieve stress.

This. It's not helpful to think of the difference between being an alcoholic or not as a hard line. There's no set number of units you drink per week which make you an alcoholic versus not an alcoholic. You can drink well over the limit and not be an alcoholic or drink relatively little and alcohol be problematic.

The key litmus test for me is whether the amount you drink impacts on your physical or mental health or your relationship with your loved ones. FWIW I don't think two glasses a night a few times a week is a huge amount to drink but it clearly something which concerns you and on that basis alone its probably something to tackle. You've already noticed the impact on your health, so listen to your body.