How much do you drink? Honestly!

[Starlight1984]

And yes, yes I know there is an "alcohol support" section of MN but this isn't for help or advice or anything other than curiosity!

Just been reading on another thread about what people do and don't do which others would find unusual and a LOT of the posts include people saying they don't drink alcohol which I find insane as pretty much everyone I know drinks to some degree!

Anyway I'll start, I don't (or try not to!) drink from Mon - Thurs but on average will have a bottle of wine on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. So 3 x bottles of wine a week. I know it's above the guidelines of "normal" drinking and know I need to cut down but it's something I genuinely enjoy. DH is the same. We never get drunk. We just slowly drink 3-4 glasses over the course of the evening (from about 6pm to 11ish) whilst making dinner, sitting down to eat, watching a film / reading a book... It's just something that helps us to unwind after a busy week!

So for AIBU

YABU - No thanks, would rather have a cup of tea.
YANBU - Pour me a large one!

Maybe a glass of wine a month.

Ive just never liked the taste, I’d much rather a cup of tea or glass of coke.

I’ve also seen a family member slip into mild alcoholism (and came out of it with abstinence luckily).

No judgement here at all but 3 bottles over a weekend is excessive to me.

Used to drink a lot - good few bottles a week. Loved it. Then had kids so was reduced to only when out out as needed to be capable for them. Then 12 months ago just decided not to bother anymore. Haven’t missed it at all! Even on holiday. Love the clear head in the morning.

You’re not doing yourself any favours by lying to your GP.

At the levels you’re regularly drinking, (30 units a week) you could start having health issues and they need to know the truth to treat you promptly and correctly.

I last had a drink in 2022, one cider. Prior to that I think it was 2018 maybe? Had a few cocktails on holiday. Was violently ill and decided it wasn't for me. Don't like the taste of alcohol so that made it easy, do miss strawberry daiquiris but there are other slushy options available. I have a frozen cocktail in the freezer so may drink again in the next year or so, though it may end up forgotten again lol.

I do have other vices including smoking sadly so not as virtuous as it may seem

So there’s your answer… the way you feel about chocolate, biscuits and cake is exactly the same as what some people think about drinking.

I could have said much of this myself - we also had moved to Copenhagen at end of 1st lockdown ( for Brexit reasons) and were there for2nd lockdown , so it combined with not knowing people, lockdown , being rather dependent on each other etc - good quality supermarket wine is also cheaper there - became a bottle between us ‘most ’ nights - any way on coming back to uk in summer 2022 had the shock of my life when I realised I had hit 16 stone - a combination I think of wine and superb pastries!! It’s very easy to creep up how much you are doing it , even if not that excessive each night

Until earlier this year I drank most weeks on a Thursday and Friday. Saturday if we had plans. Other days only if I was out for a social or if I was on holiday. My drinking was slowly getting problematic though, drank way too much pretty much every time I drank and had no ability to moderate. So I stopped completely in February and never been happier. Also never felt better.
I hear what you are saying about a bottle of wine over several hours not seeming like nuch and you're not getting drunk - but actually that amount of alcohol will be having a significant impact on your health (including your sleep quality) - you just might not be seeing the results yet. Only you can decide if the perceived benefits you get from drinking are worth the inevitable damage you are doing. Hightly recommend the Huberman Lab podcast, episode 88 'What alcohol does to your body, brain and health' - it was a real eye opener to me

and this is why you will never get people to be honest. The unwanted judgement and advice!

Maybe a bottle of red at the weekend or maybe not. Sometimes I pour half a glass and don't bother finishing it. Rather gone of wine and I don't like anything else.

Cutting down would be good, I can feel the difference to my sleep and health when I go alcohol free. Have you tried alcohol free wine? Sometimes it’s more the habit that you like a drink at a particular time, and the actual drink is not the issue.

Yep @mrlistersgelfbride and I can't stand the stuff. Just tastes like grape / fruit juice to me. We did Dry Jan this year and I bought loads of AF wine and beer but after a few days just binned it and stuck to tea and coffee or water.

On the nights I don't drink (Mon-Thurs) I don't ever think to have (or need!) an alcohol alterative?! So when I do have periods off it then I just stick to hot drinks instead.

Also loved your comment

I think only on mumsnet do people have a small sherry at Christmas , or my personal favourite, a beer twice a year on a summers evening!

😆

I've had a 125ml glass of wine on 2 occasions this month, that's more than normal. We are about to go away for 3 nights, so I may end up having the odd glass of wine. There are definitely months where I don't drink at all.

I have a teen at university and there is definitely way less drinking in some social groups than when I was a student. Their group are more into sports, the gym. Yes they will have a couple of beers watching a match but nothing like the benders of “back in my day”.

Partly more health awareness and also cost! It’s so much more expensive now.

Lots of “pre’s” ie drinking before you go out, if in the groups that are the more clubbing type. Also they are aware about drinks being spiked etc and won’t accept drinks bought by anyone else now, very wise.

I've just done a quick Google and you're right! Some of the wine I'm drinking is only 8-9 units per bottle!!! So I wasn't (completely) lying to my GP after all 😂

I'm more of a sugar addict, chocolate is my weakness

I look forward to half a bottle of wine on a Friday night, and very occasionally I have a similar amount of alcohol, not necessarily wine, on another night. Like, I'll have it in the house, but not get around to it for weeks. I never deliberately do dry January or anything like that, but if life gets busy or I get flu or something, I might suddenly realise I haven't had a drink for weeks.
I should probably cut back, more because I go overboard on the salty snacks when I drink than because of worrying about alcohol consumption.

Hate the taste and smell of alcohol, but also hate tea, I drink flat whites or black coffee normally decaf.

I binge drink (2 bottles of wine or 8 bottles of lager) about 4 times a year.

(Halloween party, two summer parties and Christmas).

I can’t be arsed in between those times, unless I am lucky enough to be invited out (or have a friend accept my invitation), but that’ not happened since 2018.

Tee total.

Went from occasional binge drinker in my 20s to gradually becoming an indoor wine drinker as a parent in my 30s…which crept up to full blown alcoholism at 40. I could put away 2-3 bottles of wine a night.

Quit neariy 6 years ago. Best thing I ever did.

I log my alcohol-free days. I ensure that I keep at least 5 days per week alcohol-free, I'll usually drink Fridays and Saturdays and will have some cocktails/G&T's/wine etc out. I could never drink mid-week like I did in my twenties, I would be soooo unproductive and would struggle to get out of bed!

Having said that, I definitely drink more than the weekly recommended units on the two days I drink alcohol. I'm partial to a bit of day-drinking on holiday, have a penchant for bottomless brunches and occasionally have a cheeky wine when I'm cooking. That probably officially makes me a binge drinker, although I am generally very healthy. I think the guidelines are a little too stringent in their definition of binge-drinking.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a size 10, weigh 8st 4lbs, never eaten a McDonalds (lifelong veggie), don't eat chocolate or cake, never smoked or used drugs or gambled.

I have my weaknesses; I probably drink more tea than is good for me, buy more books than I can afford to and have a love for nice clothing. I also spend a lot of money on my pets.

I won't comment on whether I think you have a drink problem, but you do seem to be very defensive about your drinking and are extremely judgemental of those of us who don't drink, so you might want to give some thought to the reasons for that.

edited for clarity.

A single gin and tonic on a Monday after the grandchildren have gone ( they're small and are here for 10 hours on Monday. )
Don't drink otherwise.
Was married to an alcoholic. Don't view alcohol in the same way because if it. Avoid drunk people. If someone is getting loud and lairy I take myself away.

Yes... That's what I was saying...

I drink on a Friday and Saturday evening, provided I’m finished driving for the day, which isn’t always the case as I’m the only driver in our house and DS1(17), while happy to get the bus, often asks for a lift home due to the irregular (crap) bus service. So I will drink one glass of wine, sometimes two, provided I’m in for the night. Often half a glass because I fall asleep🤣 But I enjoy my one or two glasses of wine or gin and tonics and look forward to them. I drink a bit more often if I don’t have to get up next morning, but no more than four nights in a week and that is always a temporary situation. Before I stopped drinking due to pregnancy, I used to drink every evening and would panic a bit if there was no alcohol in the house, so was definitely tipping into dependency. I have never gone back to that level though.

I haven't drank alcohol for decades and I'd say the vast majority of the people I know drink no alcohol or very little.

Drinking culture is completely different here in the US than in the UK though.

Too much.