I think I have a problem

[ADrinker]

Sorry to be a coward and change my name. But I want to offload this as it's been bothering me for some time. I've always been a bit of a drinker but now I think it has become a problem and I don't think I can stop. It starts on Friday where dh and I might have a bottle of wine between us and a few beers. On Sat we would have a few drinks during the day, then a bottle of wine each in the evening, same on Sun. I try not to drink during the week but usually end up having half a bottle of wine on Wednesday. It's now got to the point where I maybe don't drink 2 days out of 7, but during those 2 days I am sorely tempted.
We've had a few problems and drink is my way of relaxing, but now I am relying on it too much to relax and I am worried that I am doing long-term damage to myself. However I resolve not to drink on a particular day, if dh offers me a beer I cannot say no. Please someone tell me the risks so I can use this info to try again to cut down.

LB22 - I get a hang over after 3 glasses of wine sometimes, so what? I'm still not getting your point??
YOu don't know what I mean by hang over.... I could just mean I feel a bit tired, or thirsty. Most of my student life I functioned perfectly well with a hang over! You don't know any of that so stop assuming and insulting me!

Heeyyy this is a serious thread started by someone who's asking for help, don't fight on her thread!

sorry but agree with llb toothache,you are trying to justify adrinkers drinking as it is about the same as you drink Being hungover with young children is a bad example

why are you taking everything to heart. i am sorry that u seem to have taken what i have said the wrong way. i am just looking at the childrens point of view!most people get a hangover when they are drunk, when the alcohol has affected the body... i don't think of u as a less better person because u drink. u are most probably a wonderful mother but it just seems sad that you need alcohol to get u through the night.

this could be me too....!it's a vicious circle isn't it? especially if your partner likes to drink. i honestly could have written the first message posted on here with the added disadvantage of being very overweight! my husband's a skinny little thing so the alcohol doesn't affect him but i cannot resist when he starts opening a can... i have to go to the fridge and open a bottle of wine. Trouble is "do you want a drink?" to me means "do you want a BOTTLE?".

ffs - stop getting at toothache - ADrinker has asked for help here and once again people are tutrning this into a slanging match.

Adrinker the fact that your discussing this is obviously positive i'm sorry i can't offer more help.

FA - I know I know....but I couldn't possibly let it lie. Someone judging me as a parent coz I said I have a hangover!!!

F**ksake, better take the kids off me!

No one should be judging anyone, no one can know the facts and what she terms as a hangover is probably much less of a pain than my morning sickness.

i just think it is a bad example i wasn't judging your parenting skills. Adrinker said she needed help. Adrinker if you really want to get off the drink you need to slightly change your nighttime routine. Stop some of things you do when you are drinking.. reading the paper for example..take up a hobby. If this doesn't work go to your gp he/she maybe able to refer you to talk to someone and tackle the situation. Well done for admitting your problem.. your on your way !

I would reccommend alcoholic's anonymous, seriously if you think it's a problem, no matter how much or how little you drink, if it's a problem for you then go to a group - I can pretty much promise you that they'll be friendly people and probably in the same boat....and it is totally anonymous.

but morning sickness can't be helped a hangover can

blanked<

Cutekids - There are so many of us 'drinkers' on MN.

if it is affecting your life it is a problem Not being able to moerate what you drink is a sign of alcoholism AA will help but they do advocate abstinence Do you think you can cut down?

I also understand the social side of it. If DH is drinking, it's nice to join him and chat. We hardly EVER get out so we socialise with each other at home.

HAs something happened to trigger an increase in drinking.... could be sheer boredom too?

Hi - have a look at here . There's a questionaire you can fill in to see if you do have a problem or not, and there's other useful info, like details of local services should you want to be referred somewhere.

Wow surfermum that's really helpful!

I scored only 7 - So despite the fact that I drink often.... I don't appear to be classed as high risk of developing a physical dependancy. I am similar to around 75% of the UK!!

ADrinker - the questions in this really make you think, it's very good.

Sorry toothache but I think you got about the same as me, the first digit is hard to see, but I got 18, higher than 95% of the population, so you probably got 17.

LB22 is right, even though she probably was having a go at Toothache. I don't get drunk in front of the children, but sometimes (about once or twice a week) the mornings can be bad as I often don't have the energy to play with them, I have a headache, etc. I have been getting headaches during the day, lethargy, etc. It's hard 'cos we drink from boredom, there's nothing else to do. We live in a remote region so taking up a hobby is not possible in the evenings. We like to socialise, but round here most social occasions are accompanied by drink.

For example last Sunday was the Church fete, they were selling bottles of Kronenbourg for 70p, so I had two. Then we have our Sunday tea and dh will open a bottle of wine. We will finish it when the kids go to bed and then usually open another. That's a typical weekend. Weds workwise is hard for me and I usually open a bottle of beer when I get home, I might have 2 more after that. Thurs we had guests round and they brought beer with them, so I drank 3 bottles with them and then me and dh sat outside and had 2 more.
Today is Friday and we will probably get a DVD in and drink beer.
What I can do is try to drink beer instead of wine as the alcohol content is less and I find it easier to stop, whereas with wine we simply have to finish the bottle.

Yes it is sad when our sex-life is better with drink, but isn't that the case with most people? Your inhibitions go with drink so you do more spontaneous and exciting things. I get more embarrassed when I'm sober.

Sorry to prattle on, but that test has made me think, I do have a problem, but how do I substitute alcohol?

ADrinker - I did it again. It was definitely 7 as I don't get black outs etc. I think the low score was perhaps that some of the things they mentioned have happened, but not in the past year.

Oh! I don't get blackouts either! So why was mine so high? Are you sure you are being honest!

Adrinker - Probably not..... I did say I could stop drinking after 1 or 2. TBH I've never really tried to!

I'll go do it again..... being brutally honest.

Just did it again and even being nice to myself I get 13!

9 that time!!
Medium risk apparently.

I did the test, as DH and I do drink at weekends and druring the wek, at home We generally have a bottle of wine or a beer. Not loads, but regularly. Generally we will have a bottle of wine between us on both Friday and Saturday, maybe have lunch out on Sunday - with a drink. And then we wll drink a couple of times during the week. We rarely drinks lots in one go though - only really oer indulge if we go out for a big meal.

I scored 7.

Might get Dh to do the test himself.... I did it for him and got 11...[urely because he buys himself a bottle of wine whenever he has a drink, it's the whole bottle of wine because I don't drink and he can never be arsed to put the stopper in...hmm.

I can't type today Purely