Is daily drinking normal?
British people have been discussing their drinking habits after radio presenter Adrian Chiles disclosed he had worked it out. And was shocked to discover he downs over one hundred units of alcohol a week.
That’s greater than 7 times the nationally advised amount for a man.
He stated that his alcohol consumption never upsets his lifestyle and he regards himself as a social drinker, not an alcoholic.
His findings, for a TV documentary, have prompted other problem drinkers to open up about their alcohol use.
Bottle of wine a night is pretty standard
Paul Tomlinson, 48, from Lancashire claims it is “so simple to put away the booze when you’re relaxed in your own home”.
“I routinely consume 85 to 95 units a week, the majority of it over the weekend.
“On each and every evening I will typically get through 2 or 3 tins of lager. Occasionally alcohol-free these days actually. Followed by a bottle of red or white wine and after that 2 or 3 big vodka and sodas.
“This is approximately 17 to 19 units of alcohol per day for 3 successive evenings. I will then do a minimum of 2 or 3 more bottles of wine during the week with a few vodkas once more.
Paul Tomlinson states modern life sets men and women to routinely consume alcohol
We live in a bubble on unreality around drinking
“Do I think about myself an alcoholic? Absolutely not! Do I intend to quit consuming alcohol at the amount I do? Not really.
“I have a handicapped lad who is 25 so do not go out very frequently and consequently consume a lot more booze in the house.
“I do not go to sleep feeling insanely intoxicated and I do not pass out on the couch.”
Spending a fortune on booze
One survey respondent, who decided to remain unidentified, states his dad was a traditional alcoholic who began consuming alcohol in the early morning. But he insists that he is not an alcoholic like his Dad.
“I find myself accustomed to knocking off one and a half to two bottles of Liebfraumilch every evening, except if I’m very thirsty in which case it may be two and a half bottles.
“I kick off at 6 or 7 pm, few glasses of wine while putting together the family dinner. It carries on throughout evening “relaxation” time and finished off with a further couple of glasses.
Bottle or 2 a night?
“After that typically round off the 2nd bottle while enjoying listening to some tunes. All this adds up to around five hundred pounds a month on alcohol.
“I live in an unusual situation, as I could (and do) quit when I need to. In some cases for a whole month or more simply to verify to myself I’m not an alcoholic like my father before me.
“I’ll see my friends and not drink a drop, once again – simply to confirm I don’t have a problem. But it doesn’t dent my monthly use of alcohol, to be honest.
Not getting drunk is not a sign everything is fine
“I’m seldom falling over drunk these days, though clearly I still do not ever drive a vehicle. I simply wish somebody could come out with an alcoholic beverage that tastes as good as the old vina, without having the alcohol.
“I’m presently trying to slim down, so consequently I have restricted myself to a one-half bottle of red or white wine a day.
“I find that the issue is the routine much more than booze itself. I smoked TWENTY cigs a day for over two decades. Then stopped smoking 5 years ago, without any patches, just like that!
“I Never felt like a relapsing on the cigarettes, I have never been drawn to have ‘just one’. I believe booze is in the exact same type of bad habit.
“Even though, as I can affirm having watched what happened to my dad, alcohol is sinister and evil. Instead of just destroy your body, if you allow it, it can steal your pride and whole identity first.”
Drinking in moderation is hell
Adrian Chiles’ record of his alcohol use is the same as how Mark Baker, 58, from Somerset, describes his relationship with alcohol.
“Just like Adrian I down around 90 units of alcohol a week and have done this for several years.
“I have a mild fatty liver problem but otherwise feels completely FINE. I have never struggled with clinical depression or anything like that.
“I drink mainly through the routine. I never get wasted, drink and drive a car, I never consume alcohol as soon as I get up or at lunch, I simply love a drink in the evening to unwind and kick back.
Alcohol does not really help with relaxation – it’s an illusion.
“I am a transport supervisor so drinking alcohol is part of the turf.
“Last year in Autumn I quit drinking for four weeks. I was getting a little stressed out that I maybe depended on it.
“I found it pretty effortless to do particularly as there are a lot of low-alcohol beers and wines around these days. I could still have a pint of lager, a glass of red or white wine or even a vodka and tonic. Yes, there is low-alcohol whiskey, vodka, and Gin now.
Mind you, it tastes vile.
“Like Adrian, I will most likely quit drinking instead of limiting my drinking. When I have attempted that previously it feels really hard.”
‘ I will try and cut back’
Annemarie McAleese, 48, from Northern Ireland, has her own bistro. She says she begins drinking wine as soon as she gets home as she deals with the household chores.
“Typically I would put away 2 bottles of riesling every evening, and have done for the last 8 years.
“I have my own small business and manage it full time 5 or 6 days each week.
“After checking out this post, I believe now is the moment to reconsider my alcohol consumption.
Time to say enough is enough
“It’s an extremely damaging habit. I imagine I will attempt to cut back. I believe I use running my own firm as some sort of justification for drinking. Due to the fact that it can be rather demanding and stressful.
“I will not watch Adrian’s TV programme with my other half because I do not need someone babbling in my ear ‘you have to quit’, I have to do this for myself.”
Alcohol steals life
John, from Essex, states he considered himself an everyday normal drinker up until he got liver disease.
“After that, I quit drinking entirely but the liver condition intensified resulting in numerous emergency room visits and the necessity for a liver transplant.
“I had never missed a day of work or put alcohol ahead of my obligations. However, when I outlined out my day-to-day alcohol consumption to various physicians over a nine-month time frame I was upset to see that I was pretty much a high-functioning alcoholic.
Are you a functioning alcoholic?
“I am happy to point out that because of my organ donor I have led a healthier, happier way of life for the previous 8 years and become a grandpa 3 times since.
“A little something I would have missed out on if I had continued with my crazy alcohol use, as in the past.
“If Adrian’s programme makes anybody genuinely examine the quantity of booze they put away and cut down on it then he is doing a fantastic job.
People need to get a wake-up call
“On quitting drinking, I feel often too much is made of how tough this is, instead of focusing on the advantages of being dry.
” Much better well being, improved sleeping, zero hangovers, greater awareness and a capacity to take pleasure in things with a lucid mind.”
Quitting drinking does not have to be difficult
The amount of men and women who admit they routinely drink alcohol is at an all-time low since studies started over a decade ago, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.
The national health service of England and Wales advises against drinking greater than 14 units of alcohol a week. If you do consume that much, it is better to diffuse it over 3 or more days.
One unit of alcohol is 10ml of pure ethanol, which is equal to a one-half pint of normal-strength beer or an individual measure (25ml) of vodka, whiskey or gin.
A pub measure of red or white wine consists of about one and a half units, a conventional glass is two units and a bottle of red or white wine has around ten units.
According to the health advisors, somebody may require help with their drinking if:
- They frequently believe that they NEED a drink
- Consuming alcohol causes them to get into trouble with work or the law
- Close family and friends constantly warn them about their booze use
- Alcohol is causing harm to their quality of life
Ready to quit drinking?
Craig Beck is known as The Stop Drinking Expert because he shows people how to stop drinking alcohol. Without any of the usual struggle that drinkers complain about.
If you are ready to cut back on your drinking and get back in control of your life. Click here for more information on how he can help you today.
