Does drinking a bottle of wine every night make you an alcoholic?

[LyraSilvertongue]

I ask because I was having a conversation about drink with a (male) colleague and he says he drinks a bottle a night. I was a bit . He's quite small, shorter than me, so the men can drink more thing doesn't really apply. Do you think he's addicted?

Um, expat didn't start this thread at all.

Lyra did. She just mentioned a colleague had mentioned to her how much he drinks/night.

I don't think it's true that all people who drink too much under-estimate/report their consumption, either, which was a point Pan brought up earlier.

I never had a problem or felt shame about hiding the amount I drank in the past.

I'm worried that demonising alcohol use, like smoking and food, only leads to an even more unhealthy relationship with it in the long run across society.

I've seen this happen in the US, a shame-based culture. It doesn't work, people.

Need to try a different strategy - the fire and brimstone, preaching approach just leads to the, 'Fuck it! I've already exceeded the recommended units, may as well drink the whole bottle/eat the whole cake/smoke the whole pack!' attitude.

I wonder if the UK has more liver-related disease because of their unhealthy, binge, alcohol-is-something-that's-naughty attitude towards booze.

Message withdrawn

I don't agree it does, cod.

Depends on his relationship with alcohol.

you can do it on your own in your own home

you can think it is temporary until you have got over the stress/anguish/depression

it is acceptable

it is easy to carry on with your life for a lot of people

and you dont realise until it is too late that you have compromised your health

Interesting about Austria. The rates there are astronomical. Austria is turning out to be a very strange place. Not at all the image of healthy open-air, sausage-eating folk in aprons I used to have.

and wine is nice and has a whole lot of interesting history culture flavour trappings knowledge and commentary to accompany it

people write about it appealingly in papers

vineyards and wine bars are nice places

it is a fantasy in a glass

the bottle feels nice

Countries who have a 'relaxed' attitude like France and Spain have a high percentage of deaths. But generally they don't have the same issues with booze filled young people causing trouble on the streets.

I didn't realise the figures were so high for Scotland though.

Rates in France and Spain have plummetted mainly because they have a more, um, English/US style working day now. Fewer siestas and long lunches so much less daytime drinking. That reduction, plus no binge drink culture has been accompanied by a fall in liver disease rates. The stats come from 2006. I imagine in that time figures for Britain and Scotland have got much, much worse and France and Spain have got better.

This is a really interesting topic, and one thing that has been puzzling me - why are the Government suddenly so focused on villifying middle aged drinkers?

What do you think their agenda is?

Because a) their kids tend to follow the same pattern and b) liver disease is becoming a big problem.

Many people don't know they have liver disease until it is to late- it can come on very quickly, and people now are possibly drinking more than they used to.

because they get liver disease i think

and because they dont realise that knocking back wine and whiskey by the bottle is the same as drinking cider or beer down the club

they are often protected for a good while though as a good diet of fresh fruit and veg and exercise etc does enable you to drink more

Do you think it's possible to drink this much simply because you like the taste of wine, or would you say it always points to underlying issues?

Ooh does it zippi! Hurray.

Well having had something to drink every day for the last 10 days, something I never normally do, I can honestly say I feel like sh*t . Not to mention that a whole bottle is a lot of alcohol to be consuming every day.

I must be an alcholic then!

No, i could easily drink a bottle of wine a night, but i usually share one with dp. I Do this most nights but not all, as the evenings im working i obviously dont drink. It varies to how many nights i drink. If i was off work or on holiday i would drink every night. I dont crave alcohol, but i do fancy it, is that the same?!

I find i am worse with spirits really as i pour myself large measures and i must be well over the units. Not that im counting.

I make myself feel better by remembering that the evenings or nights im at work i dont have anything. Its very rare i would have an evening at home though with no work or no work early next day without me drinking. I enjoy it.

expat - yes, you did.]

well exactly liver disease and drink related ilness is insidious ....especially if you have a comfortable fit lifestyle which plenty of people do

but eventually stiatistically it may catch up with you..it may not...but it is more liekly it will by which time you may be unable to undo the damage

but if you do drink thejh try and eat well and exercise

but its not a panacea just may take you longer

alcohol does raise your blood pressure

'Do you think it's possible to drink this much simply because you like the taste of wine, or would you say it always points to underlying issues?'

It's possible he just likes the taste. It doesn't always point to an underlying issue.

And FWIW I feel it's far, far less healthy to analyse an acquaintance's lifestyle so thoroughly when it's really no one's business what he does in his spare time so long as it's not illegal and not affecting his work performance.

i think it is a bit odd to scrutinise someone else but then of course it isnt odd on mn

it really doesnt matter whether you are an alcoholic or not becaus eyour body doesnt react any differently..if you drink too much alcoholol then there is a high chance of causing some damage

whether you could stop easily or not is irrelevant if you dont stop

it doesnt take that long to drink a bottle of qwine..less than three large measures in a pub and you have had over a bottle

It's not so much a case of scrutinising him. He's a grown man, he can take care of himself and whether it's a problem for him or not is not my business.
I just thought it would be an interesting discussion in general. A lot of MNers seem to drink an awful lot. I'd never discuss this anywhere I thought he might see it (he has no children so is unlikely to come on MN).