I am a 48 year old man and on average i drink about 10 bottles of wine a week. i feel fine look fine & am very healthy, but in gov stats im an alcoholic.
Why is this, i work abroad alot (Spain) where wine consumption is the norm.
I exercise 5hrs a week my weight in 11 to 11 1/2 stone. If i drink white or rose wine i make them spirtzers 3rd sparkiling water, 3rd wine & a 3rd ice, if i drink red then i drink a glass of still water with each glass. I also drink good beer maybe 20 to 30 bottles instead of wine for 3 days a week & drink the same amount of water with each bottle, i never have a hangover, feel slugish. i dont eat junk food drink tea or coffee or popfizz drinks i only eat freash foods no packets or takeaways i make my own. So tell me is my life style wrong?
Hello dibbleskarr 
I never use the term 'alcoholic' but it is used to mean 'dependent on alcohol.'
The way to determine whether you are physically dependent on alcohol is to try to go a few days without a drink. Do you get physical withdrawal symptoms like shakiness, sweating and anxiety? Alcohol dependence is about what happens when you stop, not how much you drink, although the two are very closely related, i.e. the more you drink, the more chance of getting dependent.
You are drinking way above healthy limits and you are taking risks with your body by continuing to drink at that level. The other thing you are doing is risking dependence if you are not already dependent. The problem with that if you like your wine, which you clearly do, becoming dependent (or addicted) would mean that you had to stop completely because it is too difficult to control once you slip over that line.
You are doing right by having water between drinks to keep yourself hydrated but that only deals with one potential problem. Your diet is obviously healthy too.
I would seriously consider cutting down your alcohol intake if I was you.
(I am an independent alcohol treatment practitioner)
When i dont drink i feel fine, as i stated i spend alot of my time in Spain & believe me they love their wine & food 2hr a day for lunch & a seiesta in the afternoon about 40 mins & the Med people seem to live longer than us in the UK. It seems to me that its all scarmungering by the gov. i understand spirtis chemical alcopop & largers are very bad just like binge drinking but a health balance of wine & good foodis fine. Sorry i dont buy into this nanny state attitude. If you look at my profile pic you would not say this 48 yr old man has an unhealthy lifestyle.
Drinking that amount of alcohol per week is not healthy. As Paul says why don't you have no alcohol for a week and see how you feel. Alcohol creeps up on you without you realising it. So the 10 bottles turn I to 11, 12 ect. In my case 2 glasses of wine with dinner soon turned into a bottle and I then started having a couple of drinks before my meal as well. Before I knew it I was having a couple of glasses at lunchtime and could drink a couple of bottles a day. If you feel strange and anxious after a week of not drinking why not ask your GP for an LFT test. Whilst at the moment you may not be physically dependant, you could be psychologically dependant.
I sometimes dont drink for a week or 2 & feel no diff. I the summertime i can easy drink a couple of bottles rose spritzers. its sounds like you started drinking for some reason other than socializing. In Spain every bar cafe etc offer a meal of the day(by LAW) its so the working man gets a cheap lunch good idea no JUNK FOOD , aioli & bread, olives then a soup or salid starter main & dessert & a FREE bottle of wine & water with it for about a fiver. We all eat it then go back to work no probs. i only drink half the wine, then in the evening with dinner & til i go to bed another bottle. Now to me & the Meds that is not exsesive.
Personally, I agree with some of what you say. We often see it in the press that 'if you drink x amount per day you are an 'alcoholic' ' and that is nonsense, in my view because that isn't how alcohol dependence is determined. However, you ARE taking risks and, while you may get away with it for now, there could come a time where you don't. There is a view that you have to drink spirits to have an alcohol problem and that isn't the case. I meet people in an awful state from wine or beer.
You can't really call one and a half bottles of wine a healthy balance and a good diet doesn't counteract alcohol intake. But, as you say, it is not for anybody to dictate to you. I am only saying because you asked
I still like social drinking with wine. I lived in Moraira in Spain for two years, so I know what you mean. Food is fresh and tasty so no need for junk food. Yes you are right, from being a social drinker I started to use alcohol to help with anxiety which it did for a while.
Thats cool but winos as they are know have problems family death of loved one etc etc so like comfort eaters the fine er COMFORT in this then 1 become 2 or so on. I worked in the sity for 1982 for 20 yrs. in commodities market LIFFE and let me telll you i know people who were dependant on booze coke speed e's puff never smack or crack .SO THIS STATEMENT there could come a time where you don't. I could die of anything Road Prosate the big C anything. I smoked from the age of 11 til 35 now that might kill me. IF YOU FEEL & LOOK GOOD THE GET ON WITH IT.
LIFE ENJOY IT WHY YOU CAN
I think you have a stereotypical view of people with alcohol problems. 'Winos' is the name normally associated with people who doss on the street drinking. The majority of people with alcohol problems are not like that at all and many are very high functioning, running businesses and very successfully hiding the fact that they have an alcohol problem.
There IS normally a reason why alcohol consumption gets out of control and this can be a life event or a health problem but it CAN, and sometimes IS just an increase in alcohol intake which happens because of the body's tolerance level rising and a need to drink increasing amounts to get the same effect.
You asked if your drinking level was healthy and I told you my view from my experience. I am pleased for you that your life is good.
I dont use the word wino i said thats what people call them & yes there are addits to boozing like George Best or Gazza have & had RIP George. As well as drugs food & sex these people need help & like i said i was a city boy in the Thatcher era & know very successfully poeple with alcohol problems & yes i did ask but the fact you did not give me a real answer., just " You are drinking way above healthy limits and you are taking risks with your body by continuing to drink at that level." "I would seriously consider cutting down your alcohol intake if I was you."
this is no reason for me to change my habit you gave me no proof & how do you know what healthy limits are.
If you think you've drinking is not a problem, why did you post originally?
Pauls comment about the 'wino' is absolutely spot on. I used to go to AA and remember being petrified about catching fleas from tramps. Needn't have worried there as there wasn't anyone remotely like that.
am probably wrong, but you sound like you're trying to convince yourself and others that you haven't a problem with alcohol and can take it or leave it.
i dont call poeple wino read my post & my problem is when i wake up feel good very good & on the new a glass of wine is 4 fishfingers or dounut or corrneto or a big mac etc. it makes me mad so i am eatting 17 or so fishfinger a night total 120 a weeek & by the way are they fried or grilled?
So i feel the need to stick up for the Boozer of the world who actually are alright & aint in a mess & work & love thier families & look good to. ther you have it so sorry you were wrong
Sounds like you've had a couple of bottles already. You last post did not make sense, ramblings about fish fingers
I answered exactly the question you asked 'Is my lifestyle wrong?' I said that nobody should tell you what to do but you are, in my view, taking a risk with your health by drinking that much. I have not attempted to convice you to change, you will if you want to, you won't if you don't
Just for your information dibbleskarr. I am not anti-alcohol. I drink, myself. I help people who have a problem and WANT help.
Sure thing and it is nessary work. I just feel that gov pick on the drinkers everytime NHS spending come up. So the junk food giants say ther you go eat a Big mac instead gov approved & its not trrue
I don't think they do. I accept that we now live in a nanny state and it drives me mad, but considering the billions that alcohol problems cost the NHS, I don't feel they do enough for those who DO have a problem and want to sort it. It seems to me that it is the smokers they pick on most. I thought it would stop once they got the ban in public places but it hasn't and now they are starting on those that use eCigarettes.
Drinkers like smokers are heavily taxed so weve paid for ours just cause the gov missend it is not my prob. junk food well they dont. i no longer smoke but i had no problems with people smoking in pubs, kids yes i have a prob with them in pubs.
I seriously don't understand why you have even posted this message, you don't seem remotely concerned about your alcohol intake and for the time being are not experiencing the sufferance you will inevitably begin to feel at some point during your drinking.
I have some experience with alcoholism and how I came to realise I was an alcoholic was when I started to ask people.. Do you think I'm an alcoholic?
I detect that you are on phase one of realising this for yourself... Or did you accidentally click on this page whilst playing candy crush one evening?
I wish you all the best and if it's true that you are not experiencing any issues affecting your life, not just your body.. Your life, appointments, getting up late, mood swings, anything, then you are very lucky and I suggest you do a week alcohol free and see if you feel the same,
If you do, high 5! There is no reason for you to ever drink again... And I wish I was you :-)