How important is alcohol?

I think that many people use alcohol as a kind of crutch . I include myself in this.

I live an often hectic lifestyle and sometimes feel like I am being tugged from every direction. I have always been a glass half empty person (excuse the pun) and use alcohol to stop my brain thinking what it wants to think. If that makes sense. I am a born worrier and I am also able to relax my worries al little bit after a glass or two of wine. I very rarely have anything much to look forward to (except my walks on the beach with save my sanity sometimes) which I suppose is my own fault . I I don't need to drink but do need to find a way to shut some of my brain off. I never ever drink when I have the grandchildren.

Tastes nasty all of it................

I probably drink too much but I can never understand people who have a few drinks at home before going out for a night's drinking. I would be asleep!

I have said on numerous occasions that my favourite part of the day is having a couple of glasses of chilled white wine whilst cooking. DH has a couple of tins of lager we have the TV on and we talk about rhe news, our days, the family.

I had no alcohol at all yesterday and didn't miss it but I enjoy my evening routine.

gillybob (((hugs)))

I'm a control freak, so getting even slightly tipsy and getting that loss of control feeling is a no-no. However, I can drink spirits and do enjoy an occasional (maybe once a week) tot or two. Brandy and whisky being favourite. The trouble is that socially wine drinking is now the norm - it goes straight to my head and my stomach finds it far too acid, so I have very dilute spritzers or fizzy water. I do very much like beer though, but again it goes to my head so I now tend to drink Becks Blue for preference. I just don't like most soft drinks as they're far too sweet.

When the DC were little, money was tighter than tight and I was very stressed, my GP prescribed a tot of whisky each night rather than the magic pills. The problem was affording the whisky! But it worked!

I am not seeking pity btw. Just trying to explain (probably not very well) why some people (like me) drink alcohol.

I've never been a big drinker, but did have a hell of a hen night! I felt so ill that night and the next day that I've been virtually teetotal ever since!
I say 'virtually' because I can go for years without an alcoholic drink and it doesn't bother me at all, but I do occasionally like an Irish Whiskey, or a drop of Tia Maria in my coffee.
My maternal grandmother was a very heavy drinker, how my lovely grandad put up with her for sixty plus years is anyone's guess. She really put her four children off drink though, one was completely teetotal, and the other three drank very little and only on occasions such as the toast at a wedding, or 'C' day!

I never liked wine that much, and now it doesn't agree with me at all. When out for a pub meal I do enjoy a pint of bitter shandy! Or at home, very very occasionally I'll have a licqueor or a sherry. I just don't enjoy it, I like long iced thirst quenching drinks.

On holidays abroad I do like to try the cocktails. They look lovely, taste fruity and harmless. I hate the taste in my mouth later if I've drunk much.

We usually have a glass or two with our evening meal but doesn't bother me if we don't. I agree it helps me to relax and I enjoy it.

In my younger?? days and with a well paid job where business lunches and meetings were drowned in booze I never gave a thought to what it would do to my body.I took early retirement so I believe that was my saviour as it curbed my drinking down to the odd glass of wine with sunday lunch or a very infrequent night out with friends.When I observe, through the media, pictures of the young on holiday drunk twenty four seven I fear for their health and do they realise what they are doing to themselves.

I find cocktails rather overrated - except for margaritas. I do like a good margarita.

I am like you gilly - constantly worrying and mithering. I am very stressed at the moment and a couple of glasses of wine at night help to bring me down a bit. Some years ago, my DH had a very stressful job and was getting chest pains. The GP told him to sit in a quiet room at night and have a couple of whiskies. So he did (but substituted whisky for gin).

I rarely drink anything but wine and water. I loathe all soft and fizzy drinks. I LOVE wine, I could drink gallons of it. I enjoy it for the drink that it is and not the alcohol content. More than three glasses is migraine central and I am not good on hangovers. I have discovered that if I take a migraine pill at bedtime if I think I have had top much I don't get a migraine/hangover. I do try to have at least three alcohol days PW. I live in a remote part of Languedoc Roussillon so non alcoholic wines are unheard of! Only the local wines, very cheap and very nice. Love a chilled rose.

I occasionally like my own homemade elderflower cordial, framboise and limoncello but I reduce the sugar. Cocktails with fresh lime juice are good.

My mam and dad were both heavy drinkers, my brother was alcoholic, I was married to a man who drank heavily and beat me up for 7 years before I found the courage to leave , do you understand why I don't drink alcohol at all? I worked in a pub part time, and the customers used to laugh at me and say I was the only barmaid they knew who was teetotal.

Oh, meant three alcohol free days PW!!

Well I enjoy sharing a bottle of with with DH 3 or 4 times a week. I have no objection to a G & T or a whisky either.
I don't think I drink too much but I like the taste & it is sociable.
We have had to give up a beer when watching rugby as DH on diet but I do miss it.

We work our alcohol intake into his diet plan & I never feel woozy or that I have ' had one too many'.

I enjoy it.

I'm 71 and about twice a week, at 5.30 (when Neighbours is on tv), I'll have a v large vodka and lemonade - like it when that relaxed feeling wafts over me, then I'll make our meal. Never eat or take alcohol after 7pm though...and rarely drink if I'm out socialising.

I'd forgotten hangovers Annifrance so I definitely don't drink too much! And that made me remember I can drink champagne too with no ill effects. Does that count as alcohol?

Having had a parent who became alcohol-dependent in their late 40s & who died from alcohol-related disease at 58, I have always been wary.

I do drink (wine) at social occasions & at home in moderation & not every week. I have never been drunk; I have felt "tiddly" a few times but dislike the feeling of loss of control of both mouth & brain.

I can feel drunk without any alchohol, if I'm in a "silly mood"! I'm a cheap date, one sherry and that's it.

used to be able to knock back a whole bottle of wine in one sitting, but now anything more than half a glass goes straight to my poor old arthritic knees and is agony - therefore not worth the very small pleasure!!

I used to love a gin and tonic, Pimm's and lemonade and wine with a meal. Alas, I can no longer drink any of them due to acid reflux. I'm also having difficulty with fizzy soft drinks. I'm now very careful with what I drink, it's mostly tea or water as I'm not really keen on fruit juices.

Champagne or, if feeling frugal, Prossecco, is definitely not alcoholic.
Perish the thought.

I usually have a glass of red with my evening meal. Well or white if it's fish.

I enjoy a glass of wine when eating. That's all though. The only other time I may indulge is perhaps Pimms on a hot day. G&T once in a blue moon at say Christmas bashes.

I have decided that I am definitely having, gillybob, annsixty, Kittylister, maggiemaybe, Anya and craftycat on my table. Greyduster you can also join us, I too enjoy a glass of ginger beer particularly on a nice sunny day!.
I never drink during the day as even one glass of wine will give me a fuzzy head!. I can honestly say that we don't know anyone who does not enjoy a glass (or two) of wine?.?. A little of what you fancy!!.