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!

I’d probably drink more if I didn’t have to drive to get anywhere.

I won’t have any alcohol if I’m driving, so that lets out most “casual” social drinking, and not a fan of drinking on my own - so that really means that I basically drink on holidays, if I’m staying over somewhere, or it’s a big occasion and I’m happy to get a taxi.

I rarely drink and try to avoid it.

In total I drink about 3-4 times a year for special social occasions. I used to crave a cold beer when it’s hot in the summer but recognised a pattern and stopped. It doesn’t make me feel good the next day.

I used to binge drink in my 20s on most weekends.

Comma in wrong place. I love it even, when socialising.

Grammar is so important, isn't it?!

It varies. Last week I had a small glass of wine Tuesday and Wednesday evenings with a meal, amd a give and tonic on the Saturday. The week before I didn't have any alcohol.
This week I haven't had any alcohol.
Next week I'm out and about so maybe a glass or two of wine, and a gin.

No alcohol. But I have a bit of a battle with sugar, so no judgement from me.

I think the other factor is we kind of assume other people are doing what we are doing. So if there are two friends who meet up once a week and share a bottle of wine. For one of them, that might be all the alcohol they drink in a week and they assume their friend is the same. Whilst the other one, that's how they drink several days a week with different people, or how they drink at home and they assume their friend is doing the same.

This stuff is quite socially reinforcing too. I remember being one of the few non-smokers at an activity my friend was doing with her hens in the run up to the wedding. The crafty activity was indoors, and every now and again people would go out for a smoke. So every time the heaviest smoker wanted to go out, that would prompt the smokers around them to also go - and maybe they wouldn't go every time but I was definitely aware of my friend going out to smoke much more often than she would do when she spent time with me (an asthmatic non-smoker, so I wouldn't even follow her to keep her company). The addiction definitely has socially reinforcing aspects.

I think we've seen that upthread from people about drinking too, about how if left to their own devices they would only drink on say 2 days a week, but if their partner or friend opens a bottle on one of the other days... And I know myself with food, it is had to turn down tasty food when it is offered, even if I wouldn't have bought it myself.

I don't drink Monday-Thursday, on a Friday and Saturday night, I'll have a glass of wine. Occasionally if we go out for lunch on a Saturday, I might have a glass of wine then too. I'm not a big drinker, never have been. I can go months sometimes without alcohol and it doesn't bother me.

I try to limit myself but half a bottle of wine and about 3-4 beers around three nights a week.

D'you mean the "things I don't do" thread? It stands to reason that you'd notice people there saying they don't drink. But did you see how many don't iron? Or don't change the sheets every week? Or aren't on social media? People can say anything. A lot of people say they're vegan, but then admit to "cheating" by having a bacon buttie. I'd like to bet that half the ones on that thread don't drink much, but are not teetotal.

As a non drinker I definitely feel like an outlier both in real life and on mn.

I've been teetotal for over 3 years now. I only have one other friend who is officially teetotal. Everyone else I know in close quarters (so friends and family) range from minimal or moderate drinkers to daily drinkers.

My dad (widowed and in his 70's) pops to his local for a pint every night which seems pretty innocuous but isn't great for his health whereas DP has lost an aunt and uncle to alcohol related illness in the 20 years we've been together.

Prior to being teetotal I realised I was a heavy / problem drinker (some weeks were a bottle of wine a night but then I would have a "few weeks off" so of course I didn't have a problem as I could go cold turkey) I actually dread to think where I'd be now if I hadn't decided to stop drinking.

DP isn't a huge drinker.

I have a friend i'm quite concerned about as her drinking reminds me of my own. I also suspect my BIL and Sis are incredibly problematic drinkers but they both work FT, have 3 kids and manage all their demands so they would never consider their drinking habits to be an issue.

I try not to judge though. Been there and realised I can only make choices for myself and my own children.

I just have a couple over Christmas and New Year. Nothing heavy as I hate feeling drunk.

Like a few people on this thread, I don't drink Mon - Thurs, but usually have 3 drinks per evening on Fri/Sat/Sun nights. Generally a G&T, then a couple of glasses of wine.

Luckily I'm happy with a pretty weak G&T, and a white wine spritzer rather than undiluted, which helps keep alcohol units down.

That said I know I'm dependent on alcohol because if I contemplate the idea of not drinking this (or any) weekend, I feel like I'd be missing out and wouldn't enjoy the weekend as much. I should probably try to give up alcohol for a month or something and see how I feel, but it's hard to muster the willpower.

I often go 3-6 months at a time without a drink, then a few glasses of wine on a social occasion. Teenagers, young adult children and ageing parents often makes it easier to be able to drive.

As a non drinker I definitely feel like an outlier both in real life and on mn.

I think there is still a lot of negative judgement about non-drinkers. You see it on here all the time, making jokes about people having a thimbleful of sherry etc. And I’ve lost count of the number of times my mother (a lifelong teetotaller) has been judged in real life for “not joining in” with the wine being passed around.

Yes that's the one. And the "not drinking" just stood out to me, that's all.

And as a drinker I feel like a MASSIVE outlier on MN (although maybe not so much in real life).

I don't really drink at all tbh. I did have a few when away for the weekend (i.e. a cocktail each evening) but only one. I'm honestly not bothered by it. I don't think it helps me 'unwind' at all.

I'll go months drinking no alcohol but do enjoy the odd beer on holiday or a cocktail. I can take or leave alcohol BUT I was raised by alcoholic parents & my work means I regularly see people with alcohol related brain injury so I think this puts me off.

Normal week probably 1 glass of wine if that.
But birthday or Christmas, maybe a bottle a week ?
I used to drink a lot more, don’t really enjoy it as much as get headaches and gain weight quickly now if I do drink

I don't drink at home. I only drink if out for a meal or at an ocassion. I drink when on holiday, a 3pm beer beside the pool is essential.

A big bottle of baileys spread between christmas eve and new years day.
Other than that, i dont drink at all.

I haven't drank for nearly 20 years I think. But I used to drink a lot and go out clubbing and on the pull. I grew out of it and just think Ive had my share, of everything 😅

Also, 'birds of a feather flock together' everyone you know drinks because you drink. I don't really know anyone who drinks.

Almost nothing. I might drink very occasionally at an event. But we’re talking a couple of times a year at most

Half a bottle of wine, 2-5 evenings a week, depending on my work rota. Sometimes have a pint of cider when having a pub lunch -maybe 2 times a month, occasionally 2-3 times a week eg if on holiday, as well as half bottle of wine on the evening
Advent to New-year's Day- can increase to 1-2 dry sherry, half bottle of red wine, half bottle of cremant or champagne, 2-5 days a week.
Far too much but also kid myself that easily stopping at eg Stoptober or No-vember plus 40 days abstinence during Lent mean I'm not dependent.

I used to be a bottle of wine at least five times a week person.
Way too much.
I cut right down a few months ago and now rarely have any, except for saturday night. I didn’t think I’d be able to reduce, thought I’d be an abstaining person, but turns out I can enjoy a once a week drink!

A bottle of vodka a day.
When it’s the weekend I might have a couple of bottles of wine as well.
I pour baileys on my cornflakes, and my water bottle contains pure gin.
I only eat liquor chocolates, and regularly top up my coffee with brandy.
I just bloody love alcohol! 🍷