Am I drinking too much alcohol compared to everyone else?

[Maurice169]

Hi
I’m 49 and have grown up in a drinking culture. I’ve cut down my alcohol intake since I’ve had kids; but still look forward to my evening Pinot Grigio.
I drink anything from 1/2 a bottle to a bottle most evenings. Sometimes on a warm summer evening I’ll have a couple of ale’s.
How much does everybody drink?
Thanks

Yes you are. It doesn't matter what anyone else drinks . This amount of alcohol will ultimately shorten your life. It's a drug and it's addictive.. check out the 'tired of thinking about drinking' blog. There is a lot of good books and blogs out at the minute amount going sober.

Does it really matter what everyone else drinks though? More importantly why are you drinking and is it a problem for you and your life?

This is too much. I assume you're female and more than 5 glasses per week is considered too many.

A bottle or half a bottle every night seems like addictive behaviour. I drink only rarely. Probably about a 8 glasses a year. That's one glass at a dinner or event.

Well you are way over the recommended guidelines. I could (and have) easily drunk that much, I am unable to moderate, and don't have an "off" switch. I have stopped drinking, as I was mindful that the substance is a poison, and would be having a negative impact on my health.

Why do you think you need to drink every evening? Is it simply a habit you have got yourself into? Do you use it to relax, or to dampen down emotions? by looking at why you feel you need to drink every day, you can start to look at alternative, more healthy options.

It frightens me how accepted it is to drink daily now, particularly amongst mums, and how we all need alcohol to cope with being a parent. All the posts, blogs etc on SM promoting drinking. Bizarrely, alcohol is the only drug that you have to justify not taking.

I have found AF beers a real help - many of them taste great, and you get the sense of opening and enjoying an "adult" drink at the end of the day.

If you want to cut down/stop there are loads of great resources on line, and talk to your GP as well.

If you're drinking an average of 0.75 of a bottle of wine a night, that's around 7.5 units per night. Women are advised that they should not exceed 14 units per week.

There's a big difference between 14 units and (approximately) 52.5 units.

I'd recommend at least opting for a day-on-day off approach.

Waaayy too much but a lot of people drink that much and it's easily done ..
Just for an example my mum needs a serious op and even the few glasses she drinks a night are putting her at risk under the anaesthetic.. ..
I do drink but cautiously and have a good gap of at least a week in between .. I imagine you smell of wine at work or the playground etc if you drink that much ... do you want to be that person?

Women are advised that they should not exceed 14 units per week.

So are men.

www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/people-who-drink-above-uk-alcohol-guidelines-lose-one-two-years-life/

Hmm I’m really feeling like I’m the one drinking too much. I’m a stay at home mum, I don’t go out, well very rarely. I think my drinking’s become a bad habit.

Sounds way too much to me. I have a glass or 2 a week at most. You should have a bottle and a half maximum per week and a couple of alcohol free days.

It does seem a lit but I can sympathize.
I got into the habit of drinking a lot when my kids were small. It was only due to a parent if a child I was working with commented that I was a drinker. I asked her how she knew and she said your eyes are grey, it's a sign that somone drinks too much.
I dint know if that is true or not but it made an impact.
I hardly ever drink at home and usually have several consecutively alcohol free months.
It was a habit that DP and I had got into. It was strange stopping at first but we soon adapted.

that's a lot. Even in my younger, boozier days I wouldn't have packed away that much on a regular basis.

Come and look at the alchohol boards. Loads of us trying to moderate over there.

I have one G&T (double, measured with a cocktail jigger) about 3 nights a week, and maybe 2 x 125ml glasses of wine (total, not per night) in a week. Occasionally a bit more on the rare times we go out. This feels about right. More than that and I feel shabby.
It's not anything noble - you just can't do twins on a hangover and at 42 I now can't process alcohol the way I used to.

So three quarters of a bottle a night seems quite a lot to me. Did someone work out it was 52 units a week? It would definitely be worth getting that down to the recommended limit - you'd probably feel miles better.

Thanks cottonsock, I’ll do that.

It's so easy to get hooked especially if you are at home and have nobody watching you or a time limit to your drinking. See if you can cut back to one or two small glasses a day, that will bring you back to the safe level of 14 units a week. No need to become T total!

Yes somewhere along rhe line you've become a heavy drinker.

Why do you rarely go out? How old are you kids?. Can you get some support at home so you can maybe start to develop out side rhe home activities as you may be boredom drinking.

I was drinking 1/2 bottle every night, sometimes a bit more at weekends. I felt permanently crap, my hair was falling out and my anxiety was through the roof.

Since Jan 2018 I've completely stopped and feel amazing for it. I know it sounds a big step, but it's easier for me that moderating to a 'healthy' level and being miserable having to restrict myself.

I'd really suggest looking up the Dry January and Beyond board on Facebook. It's excellent, free and you can join at any time in the year.

Look up Annie Grace - This Naked Mind, that's a fab book to read/listen to. She also has a You Tube channel where you can get answers to many questions you may be thinking of.

I used to drink a bottle of wine per night. It had become habit and it was definitely impacting on my health. Moderation is not an option for me so I stopped. I did miss it initially but NOT drinking has become a new habit. If you use Facebook there are many support groups for people who overdrink and its nice not to feel alone especially in the first few days.
PM me if you'd like the group names.

I might drink (roughly) the same amount per day as you do, but I drink only at the weekends - sharing a bottle of wine with DH, maybe having a gin or two. That's 4-5 days a week where I don't drink at all, and a total of about 15 units a week

When did you last have a day without a drink?

Way too much. Sounds like you have a problem with alcohol.

What “everyone” drinks isn’t relevant: there are NHS guidelines.

There are lots of great low alcohol wines now if you like the taste. As I'm happy with either now

Thanks everyone
I’m going to look on the FB board

I agree that the Dry January and beyond group is great, I've found a lot of motivation and support there, and it's for those who have given up, those who are moderating, and those who are occasional drinkers. There's a dry January app, and you enter into that each day whether you have drunk or not. I've found getting days and days of "tea cups" addictive in itself

There are also some great podcasts (eg Janey Lee Grace) masses of books (eg The Unexpected Joy of being Sober) and lots of blogs.

I seriously believe that either not drinking or properly moderating is going to be more and more commonplace. There's so many lovely AF drinks, and I have heard of AF bars opening.

I mean it's too much but I do think it's unusual. Doesn't mean it's ok though.

If you can cut back to half a bottle on four over seven nights hats two bottles a week which is ok. That's probably about what I do - maybe a bit more on a bad week! I don't go out anymore either as can't get away at the moment. If I did still go out with friends I'd have way more.

Don't think it's unusual