Are you Drinking Too Much ?
Everyone seems to drink alcohol in our culture. Many seem to drink to excess on occasion. But how much drinking is too much?
Many of our clients say – why can’t I be like other people? They seem to be able to drink without getting drunk all the time.
Regular drinking is not necessarily a problem – in Mediterranean cultures families will usually have wine with dinner on most days. But they just have a glass or two. Few people in those countries see any problem with drinking like that.
The truth is, it varies from person to person – there’s no absolute level of alcohol consumption at which you have a problem.
Most people know if they’re drinking too much
… even before other people tell them. Basically if the negative consequences are more than the positive ones. But there are many signs to look out for -
- if you’re looking forward to a drink more than the other things in your life,
- if you’re often feeling depressed or guilty – like you need to hide how much you’re drinking from others, or even having a ‘secret’ drink when you can get away with it,
- if you’ve ever noticed a pile of your empties and thought ‘wow, that’s getting big’,
- if the following day, you can’t concentrate on what you need to, because you ‘just can’t face it today’ – (you’re too hungover),
- if you’re finding it difficult to look people in the eye, because you think they might be judging you,
- if you’re buying a bottle during the day, do you buy lots of groceries with it to hide the fact that you’re buying alcohol before lunchtime?
- but one of the surest signs is this – if you’re hungover, and you start thinking ‘just one drink will take this hangover away’, then you’ve definitely got a problem.
I know I drink far too much. I can drink 4 litres of cider a day. I don’t get hangovers. I get no withdrawal symptons, should I not be to be able to drink for a day. I do, however, have problem sleeping. That is why I drink. I am on thyroxine as my thyroid does not work. Could this be the problem as to why I need to drink to get to sleep. I do not want to take sleeping tablets. My Doctor refuses to to give me them.
Maureen.
I drink too much but the people I live with don’t seem to care. Last week I drank more than 76 units. Nobody ever says anything. It just makes life easier. The sheer pointlessness of it all gets to me otherwise.
I’m sitting here with a drink reading your posts. I wrote the word “change” on my hand today. It didn’t work. I don’t drink all the time. But I am on a roll at the moment. I had the day off work and I was trying to think who I could call who would just come out drinking with me. I didn’t care who it was coz but it needed to be somebody who would enjoy it right alongside me. You know. I guess fortunately my drinking pals have moved away (that be you SD and Jo). So it’s still early and I’ll get sensible soon and stop and go to bed and wake up feeling crap but hey, not too crap, and then I’ll just hold my breath but I gotta come up for air or a drink soon and it will be a big gasp. Why am I back doing this again? Am I bored? I live super healthy and then I drink? I don’t get myself.
i have been drinking too much of late….. i’ll “accidentally do a bottle of wine” in an evening over a period of about three hours. last night i drank three large rum punches…. over about two and a half hours. i feel groggy and slow today and maybe in the grand scale of alcoholism i have little to ‘worry about” but i am concerned seeing as my Dad was a major alcoholic and it killed him….
i’m on a week without booze… i’ll check in in a week and say hi … update you.
hello all of you out there who are the edge of alcoholism, I have already been to rehab 5 years ago and gave up for 8 months. I looked good and I was finding it hard to keep up as my job involves a lot of social events and alcohol.
Its harder when you are a people pleaser to say no and to not go over board. I always know when I start with one bottle of wine a day then start buying a second once that’s finished. Then I notice I cant get up in the morning then the guilt then feeling sick. So its back in control of my life!! Center stage again.
I am grieving the loss of my mother so I know this is not going to help this process. Honesty is the best policy if you are drinking more than 2-3 glasses a day you have a problem!!!dont wait for it to grow to a bottle a day act now!!
For the past three years, I had been drinking quite a bit due to stress from graduate school (probably about three drinks per day). It was most definitely self medication and made my problems of worry and anxiety worse. When I was finished with graduate school, this habit carried right over. I didn’t feel that it really effected my normal day to day life because I was able to accomplish everything that I needed to do for work and school. After making a decision to quit a few weeks ago I found that my health has significantly improved. I lost about 5 pounds without really trying and I’m sleeping much better at night. I’m sure that my liver and kidneys appreciate the change as well. I don’t know if I will quit for the rest of my life, but certainly this was an eye opener (no pun intended). I think that many people are able to function with a moderate alcohol habit, but they (myself included) do not realize the negative health effects that they are bringing onto themselves.
I drink 3-6 drinks a night. I quit drinking for three weeks at the beginning of the year and felt great. Coming off the wagon was gradual. I could have a beer or two and then go a day or so without. Now I have found myself reluctant to avoid bringing home a bottle of wine to enjoy while I cook dinner and settle into bed. I’m tired, depressed and unfocused. Bear in mind I am involved in outdoor (spots) activities a couple of times a week (not enough in my opinion) and eat fairly healthy. I am just trying to get over the hump of getting back on that wagon… I hope it happens tonight.
For a good few years I have been drinking too much, I just binge drink at home, I can not just buy 1 bottle of white wine but 2, I can never drink 2 bottles but have the other because 1 bottle is never enough. In the morning after waking up feeling depressed and in self hate mode I pour the remaining bottle down the sink. I want to desperately give up drink as I can go 4 or 5 days without it and my life improves in every aspect, work relationships home. But then I get to Friday night and that monster just turns my head and away I go again on the vicious circle, one of the main reasons for giving up is that I end up smoking as well as drinking, not healthy, well last night Friday I stayed sober and fag free, it is now 6 days.
I’m very confused about drinking. I’ve recently finished university and I know I was drinking too much then. It’d be up to 4/5 times a week, and we’d drink anything we could get our hands on. It was all well and good and good fun, but there’s a point where you think…what am I doing to myself? Since I’ve finished uni, I tend to be a binge drinker. I might go for weeks without drinking, and then someone’s birthday or house party will come round and I’ll drink stupid amounts. I always feel guilty after a session and vow that I’ll never drink again. After one house party I was sick in someone’s car on the way home and was so mortified I stopped drinking for three months. I was proud of myself at the time, but hell three months is nothing. I’d like to just wake up one day and be like, “you know what, that’s it, I’m actually done with alcohol.” I thought this would be the year I stopped, but this weekend was awful again. What makes us need this awful substance?
Life has been impossible since both of my daughters friends was murdered two years ago… ive been supportive to them and their friends but as time has gone on … who is supportive to me.. has anyone tried to be supportive to kids in such circumstances? even before this happened i had my own issues… my mother who cant really be called one as she doesnt deserve the title – ive always hated drink never liked the taste etc… now ill drink it down a fast as i can just to make myself feel not quite as “alert” i loath myself, hate the taste, its putting my marriage at risk (my husband is so practical but I seem to take everything on board) dont want pity but I need to get out of this situation:(
I’m very sorry for your losses. I understand that with what happened, life can seem to be unbearable…but know that more exists than just the life on earth that you know. Were not alone in this world. I can imagine you loved your children very much, but drinking away the pain might only give you fake hope. You need to know that your here for a purpose, and your children might be so much more happier than you could easily imagine. In fact, they might be wondering why you are sad for them. Heaven is real. Have hope, please. Again, I’m sorry for your losses.
Hi everyone,
My dad drinks a lot. But only during the weekends. sometimes he starts drinking on friday night and comes home 2 days later, still completely wasted. I guess he has a serious alcohol problem as well?
I keep asking myself why he needs to do this to my mother, brother and me? I’m trying to understand, but I just can’t. I don’t know nothing about my father’s past..How can I help?
Thanks,
Julie
Hi Julie,
Sorry to hear what you are going through – it’s hard to deal with alcoholics. They are caught up in their addiction and aren’t thinking of how it affects others in their life. Your dad needs help, even if he doesn’t realize it, but he may never seek help. You could try talking to him when he’s sober about how his drinking is affecting you and your family. But do not be disappointed if he does not respond well- denial is part of the problem. Just know that his drinking is not anyones fault but his own.
Jen