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My friend wine.....

Posted , 10 users are following.

danielle61652
danielle61652

Hi...

I've always been a drinker, always enjoyed a drink but hate to feel drunk so will stop when I start feeling I've had enough. I love social gatherings that involve being able to drink and everyone knows me for 'loving a good drink'. I'm 32yrs old but I'd say for the past 18months, my alcohol intake has gone up a lot. It started from my Birthday. Everyone one I knew bought me a bottle of prosecco (my fave) along side another gift so I ended up with 20+ bottles on top of my cupboard. My birthday is also by the Christmas season so around 5pm whilst cooking the tea, I'd pop a bottle open and drink as I cooked, cleaned, done homeworks etc and can happily sip slowly and enjoy the drink. I'm NEVER drunk, always stop at tipsy! Since then, I started just openeing a bottle a day/evening. My husband would joke at how much I was drinking (He's not a drinker and when he does, he drinks to get drunk or doesn't see the point. He rarely touches the stuff and when he does, it's Brandy) As the time has gone on, I've been drinking daily, enjoying it and it's not an issue - or is it?! I do sometimes have a couple of wine free days but I hate it or crave the drink. I am used to a pattern of getting home from the school run, cleaning up, feeding the girls then openeing a bottle whilst i cook for my husband and I and if that runs out, he runs the shop for more as I have an off license 10 doors up. I've asked him if he thinks I drink too much etc and he says he undertsands I drink it cos it relax's me and i'm not getting drunk etc.I'm just worried what harm I am doing to my body and if it is more of a problem than i think?!

Thanks for any advice and reading my post. It's nice to actually get this off my chest :-) 

0 likes, 33 replies

33 Replies

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  • RHGB
    RHGB danielle61652

    Posted

    My view, in others will disagree with me, but if it is a bottle a day, that is okay, especially after you are having the odd alcohol free day.

    If it goes above a bottle, then I think that is when the warnign signals kick in. Everybdoy and by that, I mean physicality/tolerance is different. You also have to listen to the warning signs, most people hear them, but block them out.

    You could always go to your GP and ask for a set of bloods to be done.

    You'll get many more answers on this.

    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 RHGB

      Posted

      Without sounding silly, what warning signs would I be looking for exactly? I feel great, i'm a good weight with healthy BMI etc .

      Thanks RHGB 

    • Joanna-SMUKLtd
      Joanna-SMUKLtd danielle61652

      Posted

      I disagree with RHGB on this ppint.

      If you check the units of alcohol per bottle and let's say it is 10 units for example, even if you have 2 alcohol free days per week, a bottle a day on each of the other days still add up to 50 units per week.

      That is enough to POTENTIALLY cause you health problems either now or in the future.

  • nicole36330
    nicole36330 danielle61652

    Posted

    Yes it's a problem.

    I was where you are and believe me it only gets worse unless you get a hold on it.I too had a husband who let me drink and didn't judge but that only made it worse.

    I am now 47 and until the end of last year I was up to 3 bottles of wine a day.With the help of meds I rarely go over 1.5 a day and that's good for me.

    Look around this site as it had lots of good advice

    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 nicole36330

      Posted

      This past week it has been creeping up slightly but only because there was wine in the house. I'll look around now, thanks for the advice and well done on cutting down so much! smile
    • RHGB
      RHGB danielle61652

      Posted

      The warning signs I spoke about, are not physical, sadly by the time they are physical, your body has endured a lot of damamge already.

      The fact that you posted here and sought out the site is one warning sign. Second is the fact that you had the extra wine, purely because it was there. They may seem subtle, but they all add up and in the main, we choose to block them.

      By the way, no one is being judgemental here, most of us have been down that route and don't like to see others going the same way.

    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 RHGB

      Posted

      Ahh thanks, i honestly do appreciate all advice! 

       

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 danielle61652

    Posted

    Hi..I told my friend..as I will tell you...My friend asked me if she was a problem drinker?

    I am a problem drinker (alcoholic).  What I say is the questions to ask yourself:

    ​Is alcohol affecting my daily life?

    Is alcohol the first thought of my day?

    Is alcohol affecting my job?

    ​Is alcohol affecting my family relations?

    Is alcohol affecting my health?

    Is alcohol causing me to take less care of myself (eating, sleeping, bathing)

    ​Do I need alcohol to feel  normal?

    Do I need alcohol to clean the house?

    On the days I don't drink...is alcohol on my mind most of the time?

    Is alcohol causing any legal problems?

    ​Is alcohol (if you didn't have the 20 bottles bought for you)..affecting my finances?

    ​Do I think I could go 2 weeks without alcohol or even a month?

    ​Some of these questions my friend answered...and she said "Hey, I might have a problem".  I have watched her over the years..progress with the bottle...to the point that she now over drinks and has ended up calling out of work much more frequently than she has in the past.  Alcoholism is progressive....and if you are alcoholic...you will watch some of the things I mentioned above...and notice changes in your life that are soley negative.  Then you will know that you have a problem with alcohol.

    When alcohol affects or changes any important aspect of your life it is a "problem"

     

    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 Misssy2

      Posted

      On the days I don't drink...is alcohol on my mind most of the time?

      I do think about it or wish i had it, yes! Only in the evenings though.

      ​Do I think I could go 2 weeks without alcohol or even a month?

      I'd like to think so but not got past 2 days in a long time.

      The rest I can answer No to xx

       

    • Misssy2
      Misssy2 danielle61652

      Posted

      Ok, then in my opinion according to medical statistics...woman are only supposed to have a certain amount of alcohol to reap the health benefits...without leading to damage. 

      ​So I would consider you a heavy drinker...vs. an alcoholic.

      But, if those other things start popping up  (trouble in life, job, self care)...than you would be considered an alcoholic in my opinion and since you are only 32....there is still time for that progression.

      However, you could be one that could go on your entire life with your drinking style and have NONE of the negative effects to affect your life.

      I hope that is the case for you.

      ​I wish it was the case for me...but my alcohol use progressed to the point of alcoholism at a very young age....

    • patricia44773
      patricia44773 danielle61652

      Posted

      That sounds exactly like me, Danielle!!!!  I NEVER drink during the day...I have no desire to do so, only after 8pm.  Since I came to this site I have cut down on my nightly consumption, but still find it hard to unwind and finally sleep without 6 or 7 units.  I have been like this for somewhere around 15 years and luckily I have not been tempted to change for the worse.

      Patxx

       

    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 patricia44773

      Posted

      I'm going to cut down and start with a night on/night off and go from there. I just don't want it to become a dependency.
    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 Misssy2

      Posted

      I read things about fatty liver, throat cancer etc and all that does scare me but I still open a bottle and say, no more tomorrow and hat tomorrow is here and the process begins. I'm really going to cut down, I need to!
    • RHGB
      RHGB danielle61652

      Posted

      There's those warning signs again, that we choose to block/ignore.
    • danielle61652
      danielle61652 RHGB

      Posted

      You're right, I do need to address this situation! neutral
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