I have 1 beer or glass of wine every night while I cook dinner. On Saturday, I may have 2-3 drinks.

Anonymous wrote:2 long island Ice teas, once a week (either thurs, fri or saturday) for karaoke night

Are you 19?

2 long island Ice teas, once a week (either thurs, fri or saturday) for karaoke night

I don't drink alcohol. None, ever. Probably the reason I survived being a club kid in NYC during the 80ties. Same for drugs.

Never was a everyday/every week type of drinker.I'll buy bottles & let them sit .left the heavy stuff alone(henny ..e&j ..etc) like fruity type drinks (martinis..margaritas..light fruity liquers) & wine

Anonymous wrote:I am not suggesting that anyone here has a problem, but if you are worried you could ask yourself the questions that some counselors use to do a quick assessment of problems. It is called the CAGE assessment and does not diagnose alcoholism, just gives you an idea if further assessments may be advisable.

Two "yes" responses indicate that the possibility of alcoholism should be investigated further. The questionnaire asks the following questions:

Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

+1

Anonymous wrote:I am starting to realize that I drink too much. I probably have 1-2 glasses of wine or 1-2 beers a night. Sometimes a hard drink, such as vodka on the rocks. I've notice my eneregy levels have gone down recently and have been feeling a bit depressed. Thinking that my nightly libations may be the problem. So, just wondering how much others drink and if you've cut down or stopped, did you feel better?

Probably have 3 glasses of wine a year while find dining, and 1 sangria on vacation, tops. It just does nothing for me, and after a few minutes I just get sleepy and want to lie down. Alcohol is a depressant. If you think your drinking is an issue, then what works others is not something you should use to judge yourself. You might find a phone or face to face AA meeting and attend, and just listen to see if you recognize yourself. There are folks who are alcoholics who drink "only" once a month (binge drinkers).

The bottom line is that if you think that you have a drinking problem you probably do. If we admitted that we had a problem with drinking from the begining it might not have turned into the problem that some of us have today. That is why I turned my life over to a higher power, whom I choose to call God and to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Hey, I am no holy roller by any means what so ever but I needed to do something before my drinking got out of hand. Just remember this thought, that God loves you and so does your family and close friends and they would not want to see you go by the way of 'THE BOTTLE' for the rest of your life. Be good to yourself, you are worth it. You will feel so much better. God Bless all of you and good luck.

I drink, on average, one evening per week. 4-5 drinks. Don't know if this is average or excessive. We don't have kids yet, but I imagine my consumption will be pretty close to zero then.

Anonymous wrote: Only in America is light drinking thought of as potential alcoholism, and a possible need for concern.

I am a PP and I did just want to comment that some of the drinking described on this thread is not "light drinking." Even 2 drinks every night is not in my opinion, light, it is habitual and could be very damaging for some people. Alcoholism is ~50% genetic so if you are a habitual drinker you might also think about whether alcoholism is in your family and if so, be very cautious.

I typically have a glass of red wine after my daughter goes to bed. Sometimes two glasses if it was a really hard day, but I've noticed that I feel like crap the next day if I have two. (or more than two on the nights I go out.) Just turned 40, so I'm probably not metabolizing alcohol like i used to.

OP - try giving it up for a week or two and see how you feel? Or maybe keep it to weekends or nights when you can get more sleep afterward? Or figure out if one type of alcohol affects you less than others? Alcohol can mess with your sleep patterns, plus there's the dehydration.

On my way to the liquor store now. Is that a problem?

I am not suggesting that anyone here has a problem, but if you are worried you could ask yourself the questions that some counselors use to do a quick assessment of problems. It is called the CAGE assessment and does not diagnose alcoholism, just gives you an idea if further assessments may be advisable.

Two "yes" responses indicate that the possibility of alcoholism should be investigated further. The questionnaire asks the following questions:

Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking?
Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

1-2 per night. I find it's the ritual that relaxes me in the same way that a cup of coffee and a book on a weekend morning is relaxing. It sort of seems to symbolize a calm period, time to slow down from a busy day. There are times I've wondered whether it's a problem that I enjoy it, but I'm drinking those glasses over a 3-4hr period and therefore not getting any sort of buzz or physical effect. For example, I poured a glass of wine as I made dinner at 5:30 last night and finished it around 7pm. Second glass I poured after bath and bedtime was all done around 8:30 and finished it before heading to bed around 10pm.

Anonymous wrote:1-2 drinks a night, every night, is expected in European countries such as France and Spain. Having lived there, I saw first-hand how this moderation is not a problem.

Only in America is light drinking thought of as potential alcoholism, and a possible need for concern. I think the important part of the OP's post is the recent lack of energy, which may or may not be caused by the alcohol. Maybe OP should see a doc for underlying causes. Good luck and be well.

I lived in Spain for years and had the same impression - but according to the WHO, Spain and France have among the highest rates of alcoholism in the world.