Wine drinking friend - should I be worried?

[alexkp]

Saw an old friend the other day, and he didn't look great. He confided that he was drinking a bottle of wine per evening - or even a little more.

Is this excessive? Should I be concerned?

Do may people drink this amount? If it is every night, is it alcoholism?

[r988]

Thats a triffle excessive, one or two glasses per day is about the most wine you should having each night.

I suggest that your friend has, or is at least developing, a problem. Might want to find out what it is and try and steer them away before they become a homeless bum drinking rocket fuel in the gutter.

[tvrbob]

Sounds quite normal to me. Maybe a little excessive depending on the guy's metabolism.

[ledger]

You should be worried, this level of drinking is excessive. If that's what he admits to you may find he actually drinks more than that. If he can't have a "clean night" without any booze, then I would say the booze is in control of him, not the other way around.

Perhaps he is going through a bad patch and is using the booze as a crutch. Is there another underlying issue, tragedy, prioblem ?.

[a2z]

It all depends upon whether or not it is affecting his ablity to do other things (e.g. get to work on time, family life etc). Some of the doctors on here will be able to advise on the medical side of it but I think I bottle a night may be a bit much, but not too much.

[Zod]

Too much. I might do this once a month on a Friday evening, but every night is bad news.

[alexkp]

Hmm.... I barely drink at all so I am not really a good judge.

I have spoken to a female friend who drinks about three quarters of a bottle a night, and she thinks this isn't a problem - I am not convinced at all.

Both cases sound excessive to me.

In his case it is due to personal problems, in hers I think it is a combination of habit and an addictive personality.

Any advice or thoughts appreciated.

[chilli]

Alcoholism is totally dependant on the individual...There's no set amount you can drink before "becoming" one. Some people I know have drunk more than double this for most evenings for years, and have no addiction. I'm no expert but I guess if he/she is trying to "escape" something, then perhaps this is the case. Also, the fact that you were confided in might answer the question that there is a problem to hide here...... Just an opinion you understand.

Cheers,
Chilli.

[nonegreen]

It rather depends on whether this drinking continues for a long time. A bottle of wine per night for a few weeks is not a problem, just as 3 bottles a night for a few days is not a problem. If it continues very long term the problem is your body gets no chance to recover. I go days and weeks without drinking at all then I might get the opportunity to go on a 3 day bender. I usually feel like crap for a couple of days after but I enjoy it and I don't think it does me any harm. Overall in a year you should be under or not much over the recomended limits of 24 units a week. It is probably better to get hammered twice a week and have 5 days abstinance than drink 3 small glasses of wine per day. It is also important to ask yourself why you drink. I drink to get drunk cos I enjoy it. If you drink because you need sleep or to drown sorrows then that is worrying.

[parrot of doom]

People think they're being 'modern' and 'continental' by drinking wine every night.

Thats fine, so long as they're drinking it with their meal, and no more than a glass per day.

I'd say your friend has a problem. I'd also say the lady who drinks 3/4 a bottle a night is kidding herself.

[alexkp]

parrot of doom said:

People think they're being 'modern' and 'continental' by drinking wine every night. Thats fine, so long as they're drinking it with their meal, and no more than a glass per day. I'd say your friend has a problem. I'd also say the lady who drinks 3/4 a bottle a night is kidding herself.

Those were my thoughts - if you drink that amount surely you must be drunk - or at least heavily under the influence, and surely going to bed half-cut every night can't be good - can it?

Thanks for the feedback on this - I'm not sure if I can really do anything in either case, but I might try.

Any further thoughts most welcome.

[apache]

I know people who drink this much maybe more and have done for years, it's a very individual thing

[tvrbob]

parrot of doom said:

People think they're being 'modern' and 'continental' by drinking wine every night. Thats fine, so long as they're drinking it with their meal, and no more than a glass per day. I'd say your friend has a problem. I'd also say the lady who drinks 3/4 a bottle a night is kidding herself.

I find the act of social wine drinking important both for social enjoyment and for the 'unwind' factor. I seldom drink wine with a meal but do drink wine regularly. After a day of keeping the badness of business away from those working for me so they can work in peaceful ignorance. After spending hours gathering data to prove that I did make legally compliant decisions to avert the ever more present compensation culture, I feel quite justified using wine to unwind before bed.

[Prof Beard]

A bottle in a night is no big deal, BUT EVERY night is not good. He should take a few nights off a week!

Prof Beard

[Don]

OK. Here's the low down.

If he's drinking a bottle of wine a night - that's a fair whack. If he's always having it with food then its not so bad.

I have drunk HALF a bottle of wine a night for years and years. I like it with food. I never have it by itself - that's what beer is for.

But.

I took to drinking some beer after getting in. And maybe a nightcap. Checked with the doc and this is DEFINITELY too much. The wine was OK - but not the additional beer/hooch.

I have cut out the beer/nightcap completely for now - and will strictly limit it in the future because, for me, I'd rather save up my units to have with my grub in the form of a nice bottle of wine.

Oh. How do I know? "Liver enzyme" blood test. My liver is OK but is complaining. Never screw with your liver. Treat it well and it will look after your binges into old age. Continual punishment will hurt it in the long run.




Your mate needs to cut down. Halve his booze intake. And have many more "nights off".

[kerfuffle]

I'd be worried - a bottle of wine every night? A glass now and then when a woman forces your arm is alright, but this guy is on the turn. Tell him to switch to 6 cans of Stella per night and he'll be back on the straight and narrow.

[s2k_vixen]

I've been through phases of my life when I've done this - particularly when I had a lodger who liked wine too, we'd get through 2 bottles a night.

I think it depends on their state of mind as well. Why is he drinking so much, is it just because he likes the wine (a bit too much ), or he's trying to block something out. Sounds from what you say that if he's looking terrible he's probably not happy about something else

[baskey]

i have an eve more embarassing thing to confess, i watched tonight with trevor macdonald...anyway on that they had loads of people who were drinking that much and basically there's this build up of a certain chemical that means your body can cope for a while but then after a point the balance is tipped and yuo'll nevr properly recover....
hopefully a PH doc can fill in the details..!

also it won't be log til it's a bottle of wine and a brandy, or 2 or.... next train to georgebestville..

[kerfuffle]

baskey said:

.... next train to georgebestville..

What, Epsom?

[fulham911club]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

If its Blue Nun you should be concerned. If its a cheeky Chateau Petrus you should join him.