to ask how much alcohol is 'normal'?

[Squashinthepinkcup]

Just read another thread about drinking, and it got me to thinking. What's an acceptable amount of alcohol in your opinion? Not from an NHS perspective, but in your household. Do you have a glass of wine/a beer after work most days? If it's a nice wine, maybe you have two glasses, or more? Is it unusual to finish a bottle once a week, either in one evening or over the course of a few evenings?

I just got the impression the OP in the other thread was basing her opinion on whats normal for her household, but it's not something often talked about, so how would you know if it was an okay level or something to be concerned about?

So, what's normal for you, and your partner if you have one?

How much we drink varies massively. I’ll have a couple of weeks where I don’t have any alcohol, a couple where we have a glass of wine with friends one evening and a g&t another. If I travel with work I drink more regularly as wine is always ordered with dinner and when it’s there I’ll happily have a glass or two. My OH will have a couple of beers one night most weeks and some weeks he might have a couple 2/3 nights. I’m pretty sure when I’m away with work I’m well over the 14 unit a week limit as I must get through a couple of bottles of wine. Most weeks though I have 0-4 units.

2 to 3 bottles of wine a week if I’m being honest. I think it’s too much but it’s become such a habit. I go a few nights a week without but can’t seem to get past Thursday without wine 🙄

We drink 1-2 bottles of wine at home most weekends between us and go to the pub once or twice to see music

Do people manage to exercise after drinking so often? I train 5 to 6 time a week and find it isn't compatible now in my 40s.

Bottle of wine a night, every night. Yes, I know . . .

I only drink weekends. Friday and Saturday night. Sometimes a Sunday if it's a Bank Holiday. I avoid drinking on work nights cos I don't like getting up early in the morning feeling groggy.

Me and DH generally only drink when socialising. Occasionally at the weekend we might have a glass of wine with a meal. We certainly would drink a bottle of wine each a night. I'm not being smug. I used to be a binge drinker but getting drunk has completely lost it's appeal.

Normal for me is 1 small glass a night most nights, 2-3 glasses at weekends or if we have guests, so over the course of a week, I probably drink 1.5 bottles of wine. DH probably drinks 2-3 bottles a week. I would prefer to cut down . Normal doesn't mean I think it's fine. I'd rather have a few nights off each week.

I don't drink at all, DH will have a few Friday-Sunday, can't really say how much because I don't pay attention.

It always amuses me that these threads are always full of people poking fun at/ moaning about non-drinkers 'judging' them.

I always find these reflect real life in that drinkers dominate all social situations and are very uncomfortable/paranoid around people that don't drink. It's only acceptable to brag about how much you do drink, so non/low drinkers keep quiet to avoid being labelled judgemental and boring.

I’ve completely stopped drinking Sunday to wednesday and prob have a bottle of wine over Thursday Friday and Saturday. Can’t manage more than that anymore without feeling dreadful the next day

On mumsnet you either have a sherry at Christmas or a bottle of wine every night

It's only acceptable to brag about how much you do drink, so non/low drinkers keep quiet to avoid being labelled judgemental and boring

This attitude is at least 5 years out of date imo. Probably more. I think it's the exact opposite now: heavy drinkers are the ones being judged and no/lo drinkers are the new normal. That sector of the drinks market has exploded in recent years.

Me and DH used to drink a fair bit of wine. DH went teetotal for three years and now drinks the occasional glass. I've cut down hugely and usually stick to Champagne and wine at the weekend these days. It's not a rule as such - I'll still have the odd glass during the week if I fancy it.

Used to probably drink two or three bottles of wine over the course of a week, we'd drink often but in moderation.

Didn't drink at all when I was pregnant. Baby is now 6 months and we won't both drink at home. My husband will happily have 3 or 4 drinks at home a few nights a week, but drinking at home alone doesn't appeal to me at all so 99% of the time I don't drink.

What that does mean though is the 3 occasions she's stayed with grandparents overnight so far I've gone totally overboard and drank like a teenager!

I drink maybe 10 units at christmas/new year then not at all the rest of the year.
Alcohol always feels like a Christmas thing to me.....like chocolate orange or nuts in their shells!

It's only acceptable to brag about how much you do drink, so non/low drinkers keep quiet to avoid being labelled judgemental and boring

How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking? Only I don’t find this at all. Maybe 5-10 years ago that might have been the case, but now (and this is a good thing) it seems to have reversed. It would be really weird in my circles to brag about how much you drink, most people seem to brag about how health conscious they are and how much exercise they do nowadays!

What I can’t understand is how people continue to drink heavily into menopause. I used to have fairly high tolerance: have never been a problem drinker but at some points in my life I have been able to drink fairly steadily without any real issues.

Now in my early 50s my tolerance is shot: I drink maybe 4 units a week and almost never during the work week but if I have just one unit of alcohol I find the following day my performance is impacted: I feel tired, unfocused and anxious.

I have cut down anyway for health reasons but I think I would have had it forced on me anyway because my body just can’t handle it anymore. Genuinely interested: are there menopausal women on here who have kept up their pre menopause alcohol intake?

I stopped drinking in my 30s as the hangovers became ridiculous, I can't even have one drink without feeling ill the next day.

Wine was the worst for this.

Absolutely. Without fail on all these threads someone always tips up to say: “On Mumsnet if you drink a thimbleful of sherry at Christmas you are an alcoholic.” Every single thread. It’s such a tedious cliche it makes me cringe.

And it is almost always people who are uncomfprtable with their own drinking habits and feel threatened by the existence of people whose alcohol consumption is more moderate.

We drink a bottle of wine (between 2) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, most weeks. Occasionally we might have a G&T on a Saturday night in addition.

I infrequently drink the rest of the week - maybe twice a month drinking another half bottle of wine or 2/3 pints - at work functions, mainly.

DW drinks much more in the week - probably a bottle of wine a night. She does have a problem with alcohol - particularly spirits - both in not being able to stop once she's started and through the alcohol-driven munchies. Recognise I cannot fix it!

Enthusiastically agree, though it's VERY difficult to identify when it's become a problem. I didn't - and then, by the time I did, I couldn't easily stop by myself.

I'm now technically in recovery and will be for ever. I love drinking, though! Some people hate the 'loss of control' - I don't, and have never done anything particularly awful under the influence. As I have to watch it, I often go without alcohol from one week to the next (even months) but will have a couple of drinks when I want. Two or three times a year, I let myself get drunk because I enjoy the feeling.

I think I'm probably "normal" now, though normal can vary wildly from one household to another. It really is important to ask yourself if you're relying on it, though. And if the answer's "maybe" ... stick to water or colas for a month or two!

I could fairly put it away in my twenties but now if I have more than 2 glasses of wine I’m knackered the next day.
Definitely drank more and more often during the covid lockdowns but realised I’d put on a bit of weight so knocked it on the head and lost all the weight, plus a bit more because I’d more energy for the gym!

I'm in my 50s. A lot of my social circle is made up professionals, mostly couples, mostly mid 40s to mid 50s.

Drinking is our way of socialising. Wine bars, dinner parties, bbqs, curries.

Wine wine wine and beer beer beer. Not much by way of spirits.

I'd say almost all of us drink at home as well as out. Me and my husband will have 1or 2 bottles at home, at least 3 days a week, then outside of the house at least 1 other.

It's way too much.

We are too old to be this alcohol focussed. We think we are fit because we exercise and look reasonable, but I imagine the alcohol is taking its toll.

It's not as much fun as it was.

I do like a drink but I drink vodka or beer. Stopped drinking beer so much as it really bloats me and aggravates my stomach. Also like cocktails.
a typical week for me will be maybe 3 after work drinks on a Friday night and that’s about it as a routine but often not at all and sometimes 2 nights over the weekend.
Last weekend I went totally over board and had 4 margaritas and 6 cans of those seltzer things and then a beer - my god I was a mess the following day which is why I hardly ever go ott anymore.
Dh is different to me, he meets people
after work on Thursday for a football and then a few pints then Friday and Saturday he’ll drink maybe 6 bottles of beer. His is pretty routine for him whereas I sort of flex it!

I’ve been tracking units all year after doing dry Jan. I average 20-25 units a week, over 3-4 days a week. That’s with me being quite conscious of it. If I drank when I fancied it, it would be over 30. Too much I know. When I drink 1 bottle of wine or even a bottle and a half I am fine the next day. 2 or more and I am good for nothing next day so try not to go there. Trying to be more mindful, but I love wine!

I wouldn’t drink every day. That would make it a habit that may be hard to break. Drinking on Fridays/weekends is what I would think of as “normal”.

I think it also depends on age. In my experience people in their late teens/early 20s may drink more often but thats social drinking usually, rather then stress management, which is what drinking in the evening on a week day tends to be.