How much is too much?

[Garlick]

For the last few months I get home and have a generous G&T while cooking, then another and sometimes another. In fact, it's now part of my evening routine.

Serious question (as I'm sure that someone will come along and tell to 'man up' as they drink 2 bottles of wine a night) but should I plan a night off the booze each week, or am I nowhere near an unacceptable level?

Just curious.

[bazking69]

If you can go without it with no issues then you don't have a problem. If you can't, it's the first thing you think of when you get through the door or indeed you look forward to it for most of the day or are liable to spend the evening shaking and itching for a drink if you abstain, unable to think about anything else but a G&T, you might want to seek help.

Personally I rarely drink during the week. Maybe the odd bottle of beer or glass of wine if I fancy it, but it isn't the first thing I think of when I get in as a means to relax.

That said, a guy at work does two bottles of wine an evening between him and his wife and he is always fresh as a daisy the next day.

[Cactussed]

Personally, I think you've got far greater worries...
HTH

[Garlick]

Cactussed said:

Personally, I think you've got far greater worries...
HTH

Quite right

I don't crave it, but I do enjoy it. I don't have a desire to demolish a bottle either but I as a chap who likes to look after himself and keep fit, I wondered if a couple of drinks each day was doing any damage.

I guess that as I can leave it without crawling up the walls, it must be OK.

[AndyAudi]

Garlick said:

.....should I plan a night off the booze each week, or am I nowhere near an unacceptable level?

Just curious.

I admitted to drinking a couple nearly every night at a work medical, advice I was given was that is was OK but I should try to have one alcohol free day each week.

I in no way crave it just enjoy sitting down with something (Whisky/Brandy/Gin/Beer/Wine/Cider) whilst watching the TV.

[zakelwe]

Garlick said:

Cactussed said:

Personally, I think you've got far greater worries...
HTH

Quite right

I don't crave it, but I do enjoy it. I don't have a desire to demolish a bottle either but I as a chap who likes to look after himself and keep fit, I wondered if a couple of drinks each day was doing any damage.

I guess that as I can leave it without crawling up the walls, it must be OK.

I dunno, I am now in my early 40's and have found that I drink more and more during the week and it is a concern, I think I am one step ahead of you because now when I miss a day or two in the week I have a slight craving, also when I stop for petrol or some other bit I am tempted to get a 4 pack.

If I was brutally honest I'm probably a low level alcoholic given the above. I never miss work but am well over the recommended limit per week. Also it doesn't help the old figure. I have the body of a greek God, but sadly it is Pegasus.

I had a tough year having been made redundant and then took back on, having to drive around in crap cars ( it was me in that Astra half way through the Ultima's and Nobles at the Brooklands PH meet ! ) and generally feeling nervous about life and using that as an excuse for another beer. I can drink gin like water so keep off it.

I'm not drinking Tennants Super or Special brew though yet.

Regards
Andy

[taldo]

i reckon binge drinking would be worse for you! i wouldnt worry about a couple of G and T's every night to be honest, the british empire was built upon them! (and of course Tea)

Edited by taldo on Tuesday 8th September 12:23

[madbadger]

Garlick said:

For the last few months I get home and have a generous G&T while cooking, then another and sometimes another. In fact, it's now part of my evening routine.

Serious question (as I'm sure that someone will come along and tell to 'man up' as they drink 2 bottles of wine a night) but should I plan a night off the booze each week, or am I nowhere near an unacceptable level?

Just curious.

Man up - I drink 2 bottles of wine a night.

I have been drinking much more G&T since your thread! All that extra choice - which Tanqueray or the plymouth, or maybe a Hendricks.....

[Garlick]

Me too - it was the Tanq 10 that got me into this mess

[mickk]

Sorry to hijack this thread but after looking in the cupboard i realised i had a bottle of Gordans finest, but it must have been there over 10 years.

My question to all you old drunks is, can i drink it or will it be better used for cleaning old paint brushes?

Edited by mickk on Tuesday 8th September 12:47

[Puggit]

Garlick - a drink each night is a form of alcoholism. OK - you probably don't binge drink, and it probably isn't greatly unhealthy for you. However, your brain is beginning to rely on it.

I was until very recently a nightly drinker - but for various reasons I've given up. I would only have a bottle of beer/G+T/glass of wine. First of all after my evening commute, but then put it back until the kids were in bed.

I decided to give up, firstly because of weight issues, secondly to support Mrs Puggit who was told not to drink for 9 months (not pregnant!).

I have felt a little better for it, I must admit. I do drink at weekend - but only around 3 drinks a night.

[Stevenj214]

Garlick said:

For the last few months I get home and have a generous G&T while cooking, then another and sometimes another. In fact, it's now part of my evening routine.

Serious question (as I'm sure that someone will come along and tell to 'man up' as they drink 2 bottles of wine a night) but should I plan a night off the booze each week, or am I nowhere near an unacceptable level?

Just curious.

Generous meaning doubles? If so - 6 units per night / 42 units per week, every week? Any days (Fri/Sat/Sun) where you have more?

In my opinion, if it's not a "problem" yet, it's very close to it.

[Garlick]

I'd say it's a double measure.

I'm only having one an evening now (since Saturday), but was thinking about quitting it last night. Reading this, it seems to be a good idea

[shirt]

its only a problem if you crave the feeling of being drunk/tipsy rather than the enjoyment of the process. if you're questioning a few doubles then i doubt you're the sort of person who'll be drinking half a bottle for breakfast! don't worry about it.

i was drinking 2-3 bottles of whiskey a week at the start of the year. i stopped when i realised i was looking at the price of a bottle, not what i actually wanted to enjoy. i usually have a couple or three large whisky's whilst watching the wire, so not many drinking opportunities for me in the near future!

[Garlick]

Thing is, I don't want to get drunk or even feel drunk.

I just like the taste and it seems a nice way to end the day.

[shirt]

then there is no problem. enjoy.

[anonymous-user]

You are in no way any kind of alcoholic low level or otherwise. Enjoying a G+T or a glass of wine with your dinner is absolutely fine (if not most adults on contintental europe are alcoholics), it's only if alchohol is having some kind of detrimental affect on your life that you should worry. Is it affecting your work, your relationships with family or friends, of course it's not, if you enjoyed a can of diet coke or orange juice every night when you cooked nobody would bat an eyelid, and alcohohol in moderation is exactly the same thing.

As for the widely quoted unit limits, they were in the words of one of the people on the committee who came up with them 'plucked out of thin air' with no basis in fact whatsoever.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/fo...

[bigburd]

Garlick said:

For the last few months I get home and have a generous G&T while cooking, then another and sometimes another. In fact, it's now part of training my body to cope with the excessess of the forthcoming BTaP.

Is this cheating in that same way as eating is cheating?

[Don]

People like to drink differently. Some like to drink nothing for days then get hammered. Some, like myself, prefer to drink often - but never want to get drunk.

It's only a problem if it affects your health. Drinking habitually is not the same thing as drinking out of addiction.

If you wake up most mornings with a lousy headache, reach for the glass by the bedside table and sink your first triple-vodka of the day to clear your head? That's a problem...

[bazking69]

Likewise, when you are doing short glasses full of Gin with Tonic chasers, that is when you should consult a professional...