Drinking alone ...

Isn't the advice that a glass of red wine is good for you - or has that changed again?

I don’t know why, but a glass of wine really lifts even the simplest food. Cheese and crackers minus wine= meh, but with a nice glass of wine it becomes, if not a meal, at least an interesting snack. I think of Elizabeth David, who revitalised post-war English cooking, and her book “An omelette and a glass of wine.” And we always start our holidays at the bistro on St Pancras station with a glass of champagne and smoked salmon, and I have still done that when I have been travelling alone.

If your sitting alone in a darkened room, with a bottle of something your drinking alone, if you h has gone to bed, having a shower/shave etc. Your drinking but some one else is around.i often drink on my own h doesn’t always want one.

Sounds good to me NanaSuzy! Carry on enjoying it, you deserve it. It doesn’t sound at all excessive to me.

I'm with you Nanasuzy We're the same. We have a couple of drinks in the evening. We enjoy it. DH is 73 and I am nearly 70. We've also worked hard all our lives. As for drinking alone, the 'drink police' have made us feel guilty for years. If you have the odd drink alone, you are not an alcoholic. It's ridiculous. I've long since stopped listening to such rubbish.

I do like a glass of nice red wine - not French but Australian/New Zealand/South African varieties. I probably buy two to three bottles a month and am quite happy to sit watching a film or read a book on my own whilst sipping away. I rarely buy a glass of wine when out as they charge silly prices and the quality is often dubious. Like my DD I usually order a pint glass of soda and lime.

Goodness! Gransnetters are certainly giving the lie to current tales about drinking epidemic in the older generation! Feeling totally guilty now. My DH and I have a predinner drink (G&T or similar) while preparing the meal. We also have a bottle of wine with the meal, which lasts us 2 evenings, ie we drink 1/4 of a bottle each per day. We are never drunk, never drink and drive, never hungover etc. But we've worked hard all our lives , and been very thrifty, and are finally in a position with a bit of spare money. Both dislike eating out so we eat well at home and enjoy the luxury of having a nice drink. As for drinking alone, if either of us is out or away the other one carries on as normal, just the bottle of wine lasts 4 nights, not 2!

Thanks for the smiles on this subject... and the reminders of how an addictive personality can take things to extremes too. I can enjoy a G&T, especially on a Friday evening to kick the weekend off., but i can just as easily enjoy a soft drink alone or with friends. Cheers xx

Never been a problem for me to drink alone. It’s ok as long as doesn’t become a habit.

Yes do it every Saturday night, love it.

My husband was on hospital for surgery and 3 day stay. We live 2 hour car journey away so I stayed in nearby hotel for ease of visiting etc. Second night I was shattered, hotel was quiet and I didn't fancy being in room watching tv until bedtime. Treated myself to G&T and it did help me relax in a quiet atmosphere and the staff did chat to me. I wasn't drinking alone, others were around albeit not consuming alcohol.

I don't drink normally - just don't like the taste (and it aggravates my stomach probs), but last week I had a glass and a half of champagne, and I must admit I felt pretty good after it! So, if I ever start to drink, it's got to be champagne all the way.

I recently came across the idea of “addiction” as ‘over use of a coping strategy’ which I thought was a really helpful way of looking at any overuse of any ‘habit’ which creates negative consequences. Could be anything - booze; drugs; gambling; cleaning; hobbies. Main thing is, whatever we do, we are able to stop when we want to and it doesn’t have adverse consequences in our lives. Can’t say I’m, personally, worried about doing too much housework!

One day I suddenly failed to see the point in drinking alcohol and stopped - that was 10 years ago now.

Just after that I went to my son's wedding and wondered why do people drink? I was perfectly okay - in fact better - without one.

Alcohol is a depressant anyway and has many side effects which are only just coming to light and the ideal limit for alcohol consumption is now none!

Try going without and maybe you'll see what I'm trying to explain which is the pointlessness of its effects.
xx

No hope for me then.....

I had a friend who lives in France. Feeling generally unwell she went to see her elderly doctor who asked her how much wine she drunk a day. She told him three glasses, about half a bottle. Well no wonder you don’t feel well he told her. You should be drinking a whole bottle! She took his advice and has felt fine ever since. Don’t think I could manage it though......

I live alone so don't have a choice. I rarely go out but sometimes I just fancy a drink with my evening meal and don't even think about it as drinking alone, just enjoying the odd drink

BusterTank I think your mother in law needs help - do you think she drinks because she is lonely or depressed? Has anyone actually sat down with her (when sober) and asked her why she drinks? Don't ask in an accusing way as she will just get defensive, say you are concerned for her and her health.

Hi everyone, thank you for this interesting topic. I feel quite envious of you all that can drink socially. Unfortunately that is not for me as I am a recovering alcoholic and have been sober for 20 years. It does not help to drink alone as I did a lot of the time. If you have a problem with drink and want a drink you won't care where or when or what time of the day it is. I notice a couple of you have alcoholism in your family and have the sense to be aware. Alchololism is an illness I never woke up one morning when I was young and said guess what when I grow up I want to be an alcoholic. My heart goes out to Buster Tank's mother in law I hope she gets the help she desperately needs. Alcoholics Anonymous keeps me sober and I have a good life today.

I'd rather have a cup of tea and a fag !

Perhaps we should have a Gransnet set time for a drink then we wouldn't be drinking alone.

I sometimes have a glass of wine and I enjoy it.alone or with my partner there doesn't matter as it's the enjoyment that counts.if your stressed out that's different it unfortunately can become a crutch.

As I said above, I have a small sherry and a glass of wine every evening, but I never drink before 6pm (unless I am out for lunch with friends or family). In fact I drink less now than when DH was alive. My sister stopped drinking completely when her DH died; she was afraid that once she started drinking on her own she wouldn't know when to stop.

Oh ladies you have made me laugh with your witty responses (especially you Breeze) and of course all my single friends mock my ‘not drinking alone’ stance and some even the ‘no drink drive’ rule I’ve always stuck with.

I do appreciate that having a glass of wine with a meal or a refreshing cava on a sunny afternoon in the garden is not the end of the world and if I lived alone I’d be doing the same - it just felt a little odd last night!

I never drink and drive, I live on my own and around once a fortnight I open a bottle of wine which will last me over 3 evenings. I only have wine with a meal- I never ever gave it a thought that I was drinking on my own. I am usually watching TV at the same time. I never touch spirits because I do not like them. I will not be changing any time soon.