Rhiannon Ingle
Alcohol Awareness Week kicked off this week (1 July) and is set to continue on until Sunday (7 July).
This year follows the theme of 'Understanding alcohol harm' and seeks to raise understanding on all the ways alcohol can harm our health and wellbeing on a daily basis, from the quality of the sleep we’re getting, to our relationships with those we love.
There's no denying that alcohol is something the majority of us like to indulge in from time to time - whether that's sharing a bottle of wine with a friend on a Friday night after a long week, or having a couple of cocktails to celebrate the weekend.
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But the reality of alcohol is that it's a slippery slope and many soon find themselves becoming dependent on it to get through the stresses of day-to-day life - ultimately becoming a serious health risk.
Well, one couple recently had a serious reality check after opening up on Reddit about their alcohol habits and asking the online community if they drink too much.
The couple, from Australia, explained on the popular forum site that they both work full time and raise two teenagers, but both drink quite a lot of alcohol every week.
The husband penned: "I'd get through about 5 bottles of vodka whilst my wife (nurse who works 32 hours per week) would have about 1 bottle of vodka with 3 bottles of wine per week.
"I'll add that we don't get falling-down drunk every night."
He then questioned: "Mentioned it to a work colleague and they were quite shocked, is it normal to drink like us?"
The post garnered thousands of responses, with many expressing shock over the sheer volume of booze the couple consume in a single week.
"5 bottles of Vodka in a week would be the biggest binge of my life and I would be falling down drunk," one user wrote.
"OP (original poster) has built up a pretty high physical tolerance to alcohol."
Another said: "Even the thought of drinking 5 bottles of vodka in 7 days is sickening. I'd also question if OP is sober while driving/working. I hope they get help and stop putting themselves - and likely others - at risk."
While one pointed out: "Problem is it feels sober to him. Scary."
Others also provided advice on getting sober from their own personal experiences with alcoholism and drinking too much, with one advising: "Start with one or two nights off a week if you can. Stick to that for a while and then increase it by another night.
"One step at a time and you will get there."
And another added: "You got this.. You can break the cycle. I had a bit of a habit about 10yrs ago- 3-4 bottles of wine and a few dram of whisky a week.
"I used it as a coping mechanism. I focussed on replacing grog with drink alternatives and having sober nights, too."
According to the NHS, over seven and a half million people in the UK show signs of alcohol dependence, with alcohol being the third leading preventable cause of death in the UK after smoking and obesity-related diseases.
The NHS also recommends those who want to consume alcohol to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more - that's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.
If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support