At your worst...
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: England
Posts: 424
At your worst...
I hope this is ok to ask but at your worst how much were you drinking? I ask because my GP admitted I have alcoholism but said it could be much worse.
I started drinking socially at about 15 on rare occasion. At 18, at uni, I was regularly going out and drinking vodka/shots but always had four days or so a week with no alcohol. This wasn't unusual in my group of friends.
After that I would maybe share a bottle or two a week with dh. I stopped when pregnant/breast feeding and, due to a very difficult baby, this upped to sharing a bottle every night. For the next few years this upped to me having a bottle most nights until about three months ago when I got quite unwell/it was clear to my hubby I had developed a problem.
For the past three months, with the exception of about a week when I first tried to get sober (no help) I've been having a bottle of wine each night and three/four bottles at weekends. I never drink before work just as soon as I get in.
Last week was the breaking point; I couldn't function and called in sick for the week. I was drinking at lunch time onwards to get over the hangover, only to end up stuck in a viscous cycle.
Today was a big day for me. The first time I admitted to a professional I have an alcohol addiction. I have been signed off work next week to hopefully start treatment and therapy.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for really. I'm just wanting to be honest about the extent of my problem and this site is great.
I started drinking socially at about 15 on rare occasion. At 18, at uni, I was regularly going out and drinking vodka/shots but always had four days or so a week with no alcohol. This wasn't unusual in my group of friends.
After that I would maybe share a bottle or two a week with dh. I stopped when pregnant/breast feeding and, due to a very difficult baby, this upped to sharing a bottle every night. For the next few years this upped to me having a bottle most nights until about three months ago when I got quite unwell/it was clear to my hubby I had developed a problem.
For the past three months, with the exception of about a week when I first tried to get sober (no help) I've been having a bottle of wine each night and three/four bottles at weekends. I never drink before work just as soon as I get in.
Last week was the breaking point; I couldn't function and called in sick for the week. I was drinking at lunch time onwards to get over the hangover, only to end up stuck in a viscous cycle.
Today was a big day for me. The first time I admitted to a professional I have an alcohol addiction. I have been signed off work next week to hopefully start treatment and therapy.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for really. I'm just wanting to be honest about the extent of my problem and this site is great.
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
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Honestly addiction isn't to do with quantity, it's to do with loosing control and your approach/actions when drinking!!
But as you asked, a half bottle of whisky a night before I realised something needed to change, that would have probably spiralled to more, I started off at a pint of beer on a night out, addiction is progressive!!
But as you asked, a half bottle of whisky a night before I realised something needed to change, that would have probably spiralled to more, I started off at a pint of beer on a night out, addiction is progressive!!
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Join Date: Apr 2014
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Originally Posted by purpleknight 
Honestly addiction isn't to do with quantity, it's to do with loosing control and your approach/actions when drinking!!
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
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Like Purpleknight mentioned, I think it's more about consequences, behavior and the distress it causes you and those around you. Not so much the quantity or frequency.
My worst in one sitting was 1.5-2 bottles of wine.
My worst in one sitting was 1.5-2 bottles of wine.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Congrats on making the decision and seeing your doc about it.
To be quite frank, it's irrelevant to compare how much worse/better your drinking is to others. If drinking causes you problems, quitting is a good idea. A bottle of wine a night and 3-4 bottles every weekend is DEFINITELY above and beyond anyone's definition of normal drinking.
When your physician said it could me much worse - he's right. People lose their jobs, homes, families, even their lives to drinking - literally.
SR is a great place to find out how to quit, and how to stay quit - welcome and stay a whlie!
To be quite frank, it's irrelevant to compare how much worse/better your drinking is to others. If drinking causes you problems, quitting is a good idea. A bottle of wine a night and 3-4 bottles every weekend is DEFINITELY above and beyond anyone's definition of normal drinking.
When your physician said it could me much worse - he's right. People lose their jobs, homes, families, even their lives to drinking - literally.
SR is a great place to find out how to quit, and how to stay quit - welcome and stay a whlie!
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
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A bottle of wine a night, and 3 or 4 on weekends is way above a 'normal' amount to be drinking. I'd say you had a problem with alcohol, never mind the extent of the problem. Your drinking is interfering with your life - isn't that reason enough to quit?
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Join Date: Apr 2014
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I think I've been aware my drinking has been way above normal. The problem is I can't stop if I start. Last Saturday I went out with a friend for dinner and I literally don't remember how I got home. That was a wake up call but I used alcohol to fight the hangover. I'm very ashamed of myself - I'm a mum I need to man up and quit!
Hubby had a bottle tonight, probably as a result of being frustrated with my behaviour recently (dd is staying away tonight). I've almost completed day one - the good thing is no wine in the house now and that's all I drink.
Hubby had a bottle tonight, probably as a result of being frustrated with my behaviour recently (dd is staying away tonight). I've almost completed day one - the good thing is no wine in the house now and that's all I drink.
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,506
Originally Posted by Needinghelp82
I hope this is ok to ask but at your worst how much were you drinking? I ask because my GP admitted I have alcoholism but said it could be much worse.
I started drinking socially at about 15 on rare occasion. At 18, at uni, I was regularly going out and drinking vodka/shots but always had four days or so a week with no alcohol. This wasn't unusual in my group of friends.
After that I would maybe share a bottle or two a week with dh. I stopped when pregnant/breast feeding and, due to a very difficult baby, this upped to sharing a bottle every night. For the next few years this upped to me having a bottle most nights until about three months ago when I got quite unwell/it was clear to my hubby I had developed a problem.
For the past three months, with the exception of about a week when I first tried to get sober (no help) I've been having a bottle of wine each night and three/four bottles at weekends. I never drink before work just as soon as I get in.
Last week was the breaking point; I couldn't function and called in sick for the week. I was drinking at lunch time onwards to get over the hangover, only to end up stuck in a viscous cycle.
Today was a big day for me. The first time I admitted to a professional I have an alcohol addiction. I have been signed off work next week to hopefully start treatment and therapy.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for really. I'm just wanting to be honest about the extent of my problem and this site is great.
I started drinking socially at about 15 on rare occasion. At 18, at uni, I was regularly going out and drinking vodka/shots but always had four days or so a week with no alcohol. This wasn't unusual in my group of friends.
After that I would maybe share a bottle or two a week with dh. I stopped when pregnant/breast feeding and, due to a very difficult baby, this upped to sharing a bottle every night. For the next few years this upped to me having a bottle most nights until about three months ago when I got quite unwell/it was clear to my hubby I had developed a problem.
For the past three months, with the exception of about a week when I first tried to get sober (no help) I've been having a bottle of wine each night and three/four bottles at weekends. I never drink before work just as soon as I get in.
Last week was the breaking point; I couldn't function and called in sick for the week. I was drinking at lunch time onwards to get over the hangover, only to end up stuck in a viscous cycle.
Today was a big day for me. The first time I admitted to a professional I have an alcohol addiction. I have been signed off work next week to hopefully start treatment and therapy.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for really. I'm just wanting to be honest about the extent of my problem and this site is great.
It's a bit of a grey area really isnt it ? Like purpleknight said I don't think alcoholic is entirely volume based but rather the hold it can take over your life and if you have an addictive personality this can also contribute in my opinion.
That being said I have huge respect for anyone who can admit to addictions no matter what they are.
Wishing you well.
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: England
Posts: 424
Originally Posted by least
A bottle of wine a night, and 3 or 4 on weekends is way above a 'normal' amount to be drinking. I'd say you had a problem with alcohol, never mind the extent of the problem. Your drinking is interfering with your life - isn't that reason enough to quit?
Hubby spoke to the doctor, I was honest but saying it to strangers will be tough (I see my GP monthly due to my GAD).
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,560
Hi needinghelp. 
At the end of my drinking career I was never sober - lost track of how much I drank, but I drank all day & night. It all started with nice, civilized drinks on the weekend.
At the end of my drinking career I was never sober - lost track of how much I drank, but I drank all day & night. It all started with nice, civilized drinks on the weekend.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North of England
Posts: 1,442
If drinking is costing you more than money then you have a problem, as they sometimes say. I struggled for a long time with whether I was 'one of them' because my consumption was not extreme in terms of volume. It amounted to about a litre of wine a night. That is lightweight compared to a bottle or more of spirits as some people get through. At least that was how I thought of it. Then one day it occurred to me that if I admitted to a normal social drinker that I drank a bottle and a half of wine every single night they would be horrified! The addiction warps our judgement about these sorts of things.
Even so as others have said, it isn't the volume but the impact on ones life and the loss of control. I could not stop drinking despite an intense desire at times to be rid of the hell that it created inside my head. Addiction. Alcoholism.
Even so as others have said, it isn't the volume but the impact on ones life and the loss of control. I could not stop drinking despite an intense desire at times to be rid of the hell that it created inside my head. Addiction. Alcoholism.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
Hi Needinghelp
Your doctors right in that it could be much worse - if you don't stop...but I agree with everyone else here..quantity's not actually important. I don't think 'comparative alcoholism' is terribly helpful either.
Some drank less than me and died, others drank more and didn't suffer the things I did.
It's an individual thing.
As for telling everyone - there's no need to announce yourself as 'needinghelp, alcoholic'.
Its your business.
Tell the people you feel should know - for the rest, 'no thanks I don't drink (or don't drink anymore)' works just fine.
D
Your doctors right in that it could be much worse - if you don't stop...but I agree with everyone else here..quantity's not actually important. I don't think 'comparative alcoholism' is terribly helpful either.
Some drank less than me and died, others drank more and didn't suffer the things I did.
It's an individual thing.
As for telling everyone - there's no need to announce yourself as 'needinghelp, alcoholic'.
Its your business.
Tell the people you feel should know - for the rest, 'no thanks I don't drink (or don't drink anymore)' works just fine.
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: England
Posts: 424
By telling people I meant the medical team I'm going to be working with, it's not something I want to be known publicly. I have friends who don't drink, they won't question that. Apart from Saturday I've never had more than a couple of glasses if we've gone out.
I guess I didn't think of it as being much worse than it got to so was surprised at my GP comments. I didn't mean to offend anyone, rather just get out my own habit and try make sense of what was said at my consultation.
I've done over 25 hours now without touching a drop. It's a start.
I guess I didn't think of it as being much worse than it got to so was surprised at my GP comments. I didn't mean to offend anyone, rather just get out my own habit and try make sense of what was said at my consultation.
I've done over 25 hours now without touching a drop. It's a start.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 45
Your GP was right - it could be much worse. As in, it could eventually be much worse if you continue drinking. I think you will agree that you have gradually been drinking more alcohol, and not gradually drinking less alcohol, over time?
There are plenty of people who drank much more than I did, and lost way more due to drinking than I ever did. I could probably compare myself to those people and feel pretty good about myself. But even so, I saw that alcohol wasn't good for me, so I quit before my drinking started causing serious negative impacts to my life. I don't regret it.
Could my drinking eventually have progressed to the point where alcohol started ruining my life? Maybe, maybe not. I hope I never find out.
There are plenty of people who drank much more than I did, and lost way more due to drinking than I ever did. I could probably compare myself to those people and feel pretty good about myself. But even so, I saw that alcohol wasn't good for me, so I quit before my drinking started causing serious negative impacts to my life. I don't regret it.
Could my drinking eventually have progressed to the point where alcohol started ruining my life? Maybe, maybe not. I hope I never find out.
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