Drinking advice?

Question

Over a normal evening I'll have four to six glasses of wine. (I make my own wine from kits and have done so for most years, keeping about 40 gallons in my cellar.) Every week or two, a night will go by with no alcohol at all. Or, as often, I'll have a pals' pub night and put away a few pints.

For many years I've maintained this level of moderation. My liver is in good shape, and a hangover's fairly rare, maybe one a month. I don't want to change my life dramatically. But I know I have a low to medium dependence on alcohol, and don't want it to get worse.

Can I keep this up into my 60s and 70s? Without sending me to some pathetic 12-step program, what suggestions can you offer?

Answer 1

well not all 12 step programs are pathetic but i suggest that you do make some effort to cut back since you won't be able to keep it up for years to come without it getting worse... you yourself would have to admit that it now takes more alcohol for you to feel the same effect.. as your tolerance increases so will your dependency. my first suggestion is to limit the nights you drink... try cutting back to only drinking on 3-4 nights.. or cut the limit of drinks per night by one, replace one with a non-alcoholic beverage... set a limit and if you find you are having trouble sticking with a limit then its a sign that it is beyond a low/medium dependence.. then you may wanna seek help (even if its not a 12stepper) find someone that can be near you and help.. good luck and take care of yourself...

Answer 2

You already have a dependency on alcohol.

By medical standards you are considered an alcoholic.

Unfortunately what you call moderate drinking is classified as heavy drinking.

It is not good for your system to consume more then one alcoholic beverage an hour. Unless you get off work at 5 and drink until 1 a.m. every night you are already consuming more then your body can absorb.

Have you had your live checked out by a Doctor or is this just an opinion?
The effects of your drinking may not be apparent now, but I assure you , they will become apparent over time.

You can keep it up but I am almost certain you will not enjoy the optimum health that you might have had you not consumed so much alcohol.

Having a drink or two might be the best way to start cutting back, enjoy a water as a spacer and give your body the break it needs.

Answer 3

I just answered a similar question with this;
I started getting the shakes and drinking daily. I needed to go through re-hab to quit. It snuck up on me, it's sinister. Been sober three years and don't miss it. I suppose you are an alcoholic whenever you crave alcohol. A little test. Try not drinking on a day you really want to. If you talk yourself into drinking, you're probably an alcoholic.
Another observation, your degree of dependence is usually much worse than you think. I like the quote from another person, the bottom of a bottle is a cool place to visit but you don't want to live there. I think it has a lot to do with personal fortitude, keeping a tight grip on your booze.

Answer 4

You are already an alcoholic by medical standards. Your liver will suffer soon if you continue drinking this much. If you live to be in your 60-70's you will be a sad, perhaps homeless drunk. No one wants to see that. If you don't want to go to AA meetings just yet, go to a book store and order the 12 step book and follow it. Find a hobby, or limit you wine strictly to one glass a night. After drinking so much for a long time your body has gotten used to the alcohol so much that you rarely have hang overs. This is a danger sign. I am not an alcoholic but have had uncles who were. AA isn't pathetic. They are there to help. If you think 12 step programs are pathetic, maybe you are just being defensive because you know you have a problem but do not want to admit to it.

Answer 5

theres nothing wrong with a glass of wine with dinner but a bottle or more is a bit much. Are you sure your livers in good shape? Get a hobbie, get out of the house, join a club or go for a walk to fill up the time that you would spend drinking so that you dont notice it as much.

Answer 6

Remember this, my granddaddy used to tell me. The bottom of a bottle is a cool place to visit but you don't wanna live there. What I'm saying is if you can handle yourself and handle your booze your ok. when you pick alcohol over food for your family or start beating your wife and kids or go out driving drunk that's when you have a problem. Enjoy your wine and be happy for what you have and remember AA tells everybody there an alcoholic so they can make themselves feel better.

Answer 7

If you think you have a problem, try and change it right? Well, it sounds like you think you have a problem but not a huge one. If you are worried about keeping it up until your sixties and seventies you are doing better than most. Don't go drastic, but instead of four to six glasses of wine a night, try and make it two to four... that is the kind of stuff that helped me. Wish you luck.

Answer 8

ok check this out evreyone is concerned with your alcohol comsumpsion except you here it seems. my Great grand mother lived to well, into her 100 she couldn't remember when her birthday was, anyway she drank and smoked til then also, evrey person has a different motabelisum and each body is individual . in my family although it seems like the partiers that has lived longer and all tge people that has not used drugs or alcohol are dead, so have another glass of wine and be happy now

Answer 9

No body plans on becoming an alcoholic.

It takes time, so give yourself a few more years and hey you may be in one of those pathetic 12 step programs you slam, either that or dead from liver disease or a variety of other things.

Answer 10

There used to be alot of older men who lived to be in their 90's that swore they did it by having a drink or two of whiskey every nite. They did not over indulge, but alcohol thins the blood & relaxes you, & even helps you fall asleep. Moderation is the key.