Drinking alone?

Deus Ex Machina

Hello there. Up until September or so I was a normal drinker in the Irish sense of the word, meaning I drank to excess but usually only every few weekends. Since then I have been drinking a lot less at weekends, instead favouring occasional midweek drinks.

The difference is that I prefer to drink alone on these occasions. It is due to the fact that I have an unusually open schedule in that I sometimes find myself free for a day here and there midweek. I must stress that I don't drink every time this occurs, but I might drink midweek every two weeks, sometimes on consecutive weeks.

When I drink midweek I like to sip away at a whiskey for a while, very relaxed. I get tipsy, I don't get hammered. I'd say it equates to about 350 ml of whiskey on most occasions, and I never feel the need to go overboard (something I did do on weekends prior to my change). I don't see it as a problem, but I have often heard that drinking alone is a bad idea. Any thoughts?

robman60

Seems fine to me. Be cautious that something like this doesn't become too common an occurrence, however.

As long as it's not multiple times a week I think it's fine, and probably better than "getting smashed" at weekends.

LegacyUser

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

When I drink midweek I like to sip away at a whiskey for a while, very relaxed. I get tipsy, I don't get hammered. I'd say it equates to about 350 ml of whiskey on most occasions,

35.5ml in a measure as I understand, so you're drinking nine glasses or so?

There's nothing wrong in having a few drinks on your own. Can be great to chill after a hard day in work or go down to the pub and watch a match

Have I got the figures wrong, are you drinking nine whiskeys on a night out?

username123

350 ml of whiskey? Thats a half bottle of whiskey isnt it?

To me, that sounds excessive. Especially to be drinking alone. Its not the fact of getting smashed or not thats the issue (Id be well well smashed on half that amount of any spirit), its the emotional crutch of using the alcohol to relax in such a volume. A 'drink' is grand to relax with, but when you start getting into half bottle territory its a lot.
Why did you drink to excess before you began drinking alone? You probably need to look at your relationship with alcohol, can you have 2 or 3 drinks on a night out and leave it at that? If not, why not? Why do you want to drink alone? Would a cup of tea not suffice? Only you know.

You probably know or think this anyway though? Otherwise you wouldnt be asking it at all I suppose.

indough

half a bottle every second week isnt much at all

username123

indough wrote: »

half a bottle every second week isnt much at all

Totally disagree. Its not a lot over 2 weeks, but all at once its not good.

350 ml of whiskey, at 40% proof constitutes approx 114 grams of alcohol. A unit is 8 grams, so thats 114/8 = 14.25 units. (source for these figures: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/12776/)

14 units at once is considered binge drinking. Its 2/3 of the recommended weekly allowance for a man, but to be drinking in a safe/healthy manner one should not drink more than 6 units at once.

indough

username123 wrote: »

but to be drinking in a safe/healthy manner one should not drink more than 6 units at once.

all the makey-uppey facts and figures in the world will not convince someone who enjoys a drink every now and then to limit themselves to such a ridiculous amount. its a half bottle every two weeks for christs sake, worse things happen at sea.

anyway, it seems the ops issue here is more to do with the drinking alone aspect, which there is nothing really wrong with as long as it doesn't start becoming more regular.

username123

indough wrote: »

all the makey-uppey facts and figures in the world will not convince someone who enjoys a drink every now and then to limit themselves to such a ridiculous amount.

Not sure why you think thats a makey uppy fact? Its the recommendation from the World Health Organisation. Also not sure why you think 6 units is a ridiculous amount? Many sources inform us what constitutes binge drinking, just because someone doesnt like it doesnt mean its not true:

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/healthpromotion/alcohol/
http://alcoholireland.ie/2010/ireland-tops-euro-binge-drinking-poll/
http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/6743/
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0705/alcohol.html
http://ie.reachout.com/inform-yourself/alcohol-drugs-and-addiction/alcohol/binge-drinking/
http://www.headsup.ie/bingedrinking.php

One of the reasons that we have such an unhealthy attitude to alcohol in this country is because people think that 6 units is a 'ridiculous' amount. Or that half a bottle of strong spirits at once is grand. Its not grand, its a lot of alcohol at once.

On the subject of drinking alone, yes I can understand a glass of wine or a beer to relax, but a half bottle of whiskey? That seems a lot, to me, to be drinking alone and I would question why someone needs to consume so much alcohol alone and on such a regular basis. This following a scenario where the OP describes excessive weekend drinking (and he also still drinks at the weekend as well as during the week).

Deus Ex Machina

Just to clarify a few things:

My weekend drinking has decreased both in frequency and amount since I began drinking alone occasionally during the week. My net drinking is without doubt lower than it was prior to my change in habits.

My weekend drinking has taken a step back not only due to the fact that it was excessive, but because it went hand in hand with other things like drug abuse, behaviour which I don't wish to engage in any longer. It was not really something which I was ever inclined towards, it was more the culture within the groups with which I socialise.

Is 350 ml really that much? My sense of scale is a bit out of whack when it comes to what's normal drinking.

username123

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

Is 350 ml really that much? My sense of scale is a bit out of whack when it comes to what's normal drinking.

I think you'll probably get a different answer to that question depending on who you ask (as has been seen in the thread eh?).
Ask your doctor, they will say yes.
Ask your barman, they will say no.
Ask someone in their 20s who binge drinks at the weekend, they will say no.
Ask someone closer to 40 who only drinks once or twice a month and only 5 drinks or so then (thats me), and theyll say yes.
Ask some old dude who props up the bar a lot - theyll say no.

So I guess you have to make a call on it yourself. Id be inclined to think its one of those things that divides opinion because people in this country generally have an unhealthy attitude to alcohol so you will ALWAYS get the 'ah shure its grand' brigade. I dont trust the 'as shure its grand' brigade, they are still saying 'ah shure its grand' when people are being carted off yellow from liver poisoning.

LegacyUser

The worst thing I ever did was make a habit of drinking at home. Like you, I did it because I had the free time and having a drink while talking ráiméis on the internet was a great way to relax.

Drinking at home is much, much cheaper and you can drink as much as you want without people casting judgement. That escapism has a huge attraction. On my last week I was drinking some 25 litres a week. I just had to make a point of not drinking at home. It helped greatly that I had something else to do with my evenings, in my case I went back and did an degree at night. You could get into fitness or whatever has your interest. I also cut down on my (ridiculous) internet usage as it was strongly connected with my drinking habit.

estar

As a general rule most people I know with a healthy relationship with alcohol rarely drink alone of course you could be an exception to this rule.