☹

I had counselling and it was ok but I couldn't face going one week and I never went back, I'm

A weekend drinker I don't touch it in the week, come Friday sat and Sunday I probably drink 5 bottles of wine approximately, I got it down to 3 a week last time and I know a lot of people will say you have to give up altogether but for me , I'm not ready for that, to be fair I'm not sure I'm ready to stop at the moment, that's the scary thing

Quite frankly, if you abstain during the week, and only have a bottle on Fri, Sat & Sun, then you have nothing to worry about.

You don't have to give up, that is a reasonable amount for any fit healthy human being. These new NHS drinking guidelines are ridiculous. If you find that stretches out to a bottle every night of the week, that should be a warning sign, otherwise, I wouldn't worry.

I agree that the new drinking guidelines are certainly strange, but I feel that for a woman, 3 bottles of wine each week is quite a lot and could well lead to health issues in the future.

Assuming that the wine is 14% and each bottle is 750ml the that works out to 10.5 units per bottle. 3 bottles = 31.5 units a week.  Even under the old guidelines in the UK that was above the recommended level at which health damage may occur.

Then add in the factor of a possible genetic link with your mother and I think you should look to explore ways to reduce the amount of drink just a little, rachel.

I know that, for me, the setting of self-imposed goals or limits and then the inevitable breaking of them was a sign that I had an issue in that I was 'using' drink to cope with things. 

If you feel unhappy with how you are drinking, and how it makes you feel, then please look through the various help out there.  Not all involve completely stopping.

Grieving is a complicated process and is further complicated with other feelings in these type of circumstances.  You may just be going through that naturally, and I am sure that a lot of people drink more during this period to help them a little but be careful.

I agree it's way too much alcohol but less than what I drink now and I want to cut down gradually and get to a healthy drinking goal

I'm not coming on here saying I'll do it I'm just going to really try

It makes me sad when I hear the truth of what it could do to me but I have to hear it, I can't become my mother 😟😢

This is really not heavy drinking .  You are scared and I would be because the liver cancer gene...if there is one is obviously in your family.  However, if you can continue drinking this small amount and it doesn't progressive to daily you may probably be fine. Just stay away of the amounts you consume and take care of yourself in other ways too with the foods you eat and throw in some excercise.

Did your Mom drink heavily?

I said "stay away from the amounts you consume" DUH...I don't know why.

I meant...keep track of the amounts you consume...and try not to have them GO UP.

Thank you

I'm lucky I have lovely family and friends (not all of them get it tho) I'll try and cut down, I know I can do it

Just think I've hit rock bottom again ☹

Rachel, check this link on Selincro here on Patient. If you want to cut back, this might be just the ticket.

https://patient.info/health/sinclair-method-for-alcohol-use-disorder

There is that aspect of alcohol that doesn't seem to respond reliably to logic and reason. Sometimes one might need to approach from another angle, though working it from two fronts can't hurt.