I don’t drink a lot really, half to a bottle of wine four to five times a week but I shouldn’t be drinking at all because of my bipolar meds. Anyone else like me? My family think I’m being stupid, that I don’t have a problem
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Can you stop right now and never drink again and wouldn’t miss it?
There’s your answer. It’s not about quantity it’s about life quality. 
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This is like the perfect description. I didn’t thought I really had a problem either, until I realized I couldn’t quit. I did drink almost every day in the end, but I was convinced it was under control. It wasn’t, it still ain’t but I’m trying.
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You’re right, l feel I was dependent
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And all the moments of my life that I regret involved alcohol
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You absolutely do not have to drink a certain amount or black out or get physically addicted or have a rock bottom, to have a reason to stop drinking.
If you want to stop drinking, that is all the excuse or qualification you need. That’s a personal choice that doesn’t need agreement or approval from anyone else, it doesn’t need any explanation given. However, plenty of people will not understand your choice, and it’s unfortunate, but you can learn to find your self-assurance and confidence that you’re doing what’s best for you.
Do you want to stop drinking? It sounds like it to me! Welcome to the club!
And yes, there are many people like you! I personally had a really obvious big problem before I stopped, but your story is like many others here — wondering if they have a problem at all, if they’re making a mountain out of a molehill, wondering if others feel like them. So I’ll shut my own gob and let them share and relate with your story! 
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Thank you for your support, I needed to hear that
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Thanks, you’re right, me wanting to quit is all that’s important
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Had the same thing with gaming, I thought 18 hours a day was below average 
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Feeling positive, have my first AA meeting in a few minutes (online), thanks for the advice
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Trying to think of people I can tag in here.
@VSue I like hearing your thoughts on things, and for some reason you come to mind as someone having gone through some of these feelings?
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True, addiction is just a very fucked up coping mechanism. It’s in a way healthy, because it prevents from becoming a cannibalistic psycho, but on the other hand, it chronically fucks up your life. I’m 17 and despite the fact I don’t have an alcohol problem, it’s best if I don’t drink for the rest of my life
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I drank probably comparable amounts for years and also thought of it as “minimal”, because I knew plenty of other people who drank even more. But 3-4 bottles of wine a week is 2 or 3 times as much alcohol as the WHO says is the absolute maximum to avoid health issues, or maybe 4 times too much (if you’re a woman, the guideline is no more than one unit of alcohol a day, and a bottle of wine is 8 units), even for people who aren’t combining it with other meds. It’s a drug that our society treats as normal, and huge numbers of people drink much more than is healthy. You don’t have to do that just because others do. It is very tough to quit, no matter what level your drinking is at, but it’s worth it.
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In WHO guidelines, more than 8 units a week for a woman is “heavy drinking”.
There probably are people who can drink just a few sips of wine, and stop, every time. But for lots of people, including me, not so much. I used to feel proud that I had only half a bottle. But that’s already a lot. For a whole lot of us, “normal” or “minimal” means the same as what is from a health perspective, “heavy”.
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me wanting to quit is all that’s important
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Thanks for the tag!!
@Deepoet… the first question you need to ask yourself is “do I need to have a drinking problem to want to stop drinking?”. HELL NO, is the answer!!! If I can give you any advice it would be to go with your instincts and quit now before you end up like me and struggle for years trying to quit when you NEED to. Besides, you say it messes with your meds and that is one damned good reason to not drink.
I don’t know why people feel the need to convince others to keep drinking. It’s kinda messed up. Alcohol IS a poison. It does absolutely nothing good for us nutritionally or anything. I suspect people feel bad because they know they are injecting something bad and it feels better knowing that others are doing bad things too. But ultimately, if you don’t want to drink you don’t have to drink. You don’t have to justify it to others.
Good luck, and stick around if you like.
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I think our (me and my family’s) idea of ‘heavy drinking’ is warped. Last Sunday we had a social distancing BBQ and between me, my sis and my parents we drank 3 or 4 bottles of wine, a few ciders and some gin and tonics. That was in the space of around 3 hours. As soon as the drink ran out I went home and had another few glasses. I didn’t feel drunk and I don’t get hangovers but I knew that day that I had a problem. I spoke to my mum after that and she couldn’t see why I wanted to quit, she said I didn’t have a problem
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