'Is it normal to drink a bottle of wine a day?'
|
Q: I am currently drinking about one bottle of wine daily, sometimes more. I never drink during the day, except weekends, but seem to get the cravings early evening. I am finding it very difficult to go without for a day now. Do you think I am heading down the slippery slope or could this be classed as normal for some people? Jeanie, 32. |
our online advisors reply:
It certainly sounds like you are concerned that you might have a problem with alcohol. The fact that you get cravings for wine, and that you find it difficult to go without alcohol for a day, suggests you could be developing a dependency.
You ask if it's 'normal' for some people to drink a bottle of wine a day. If you look at the Alcohol Concern factsheet Women and Alcohol: A Cause for Concern, you can see that a large number of women are drinking above recommended levels. Also, a significant proportion of women are regularly getting drunk, putting their health and personal safety at risk.
So it might be fairly common, but drinking this much certainly isn't recommended. In fact, official government guidelines suggest that men should drink no more than three to four units per day and women no more than two to three units per day. It's also a good idea to have a few alcohol-free days each week. A bottle of wine contains about six units, so the amount you are drinking on a daily and weekly basis is around double the recommended maximum. Drinking this much can put your health at risk.
Our article the legal drug has lots of information about the risks and effects of alcohol, including advice on cutting down if you think you have a problem. It also contains details of further sources of information, help and advice.
If you think you'd like to talk to someone about your drinking habits, you can contact Drinkline. This is a free, national helpline offering advice to anyone worried about their drinking, or someone else's. You can call Drinkline on 0800 917 8282. The lines are open 9am-11pm Tuesday to Thursday, or any time between 9am on Friday and 11pm on Monday.
One last thing, Jeanie. I wonder what triggers you to feel you need a glass of wine in the early evening. Is it to help you relax after a stressful day? You might find it useful to read a few of the articles in the stress section of this website, for details of alternative ways of relaxing and beating stress.
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
