How much drinking is normal in your marriage?

So sorry in advance if this isn't the right sub (this is new for me), so feel free to redirect me if needed. I need to get this out because I'm stuck overthinking.

I'm genuinely curious - how much drinking is "normal"? Especially for men, what is a "normal" week for you?

I'm also asking because I'm worried about my husband (or maybe I'm misguided because my standard is "no drinking"). He's great. He has a great job, he helps cook, he helps clean/laundry, he's a good friend to others, and he's a good family member. He's very considerate.

However, I find that when he does drink, it's a lot. It's one drink after another after another, openly when we're out at events or social gatherings. At home, our bar and seltzer machine are set up in the same place, so he often goes there to fill up, but it's hard for me to know if alcohol is going in the cup too. The other night, I went there and noticed a large chunk of clear alcohol missing from a bottle (compared to the night before, maybe ~5 shots worth), so now I'm wondering if he's hiding his drinking from me in seltzers with less-smelly alcohol choices. His tolerance is high so it's really hard to tell if he's been drinking and how much.

When you drink, do you often tell your spouse you're drinking? The fact I feel the need to keep track is already a red flag for me. I don't want to be this person, but I don't know if my concerns are unfounded or not.

I've brought it up a few times in the past. Admittedly, I brought it up while he was drinking a few times (before I knew better), and now I only occasionally say something when he's not drinking. His reaction has been a wide range: from giving me the silent treatment up to 12 hours to admitting he feels bad he drinks so much.

I guess I'm just wondering what's "normal" and if anybody has any advice. I'm really worried how this will affect us in the long-term. I'm very health-conscious, especially as I get older (30s now), and I find it hard to trust someone who isn't taking care of themselves. Also, it's a turn-off when someone doesn't take care of themselves. He hasn't consistently exercised in years, but when we met he was very active :/ This isn't about physical appearances, just maintaining health for the long term.

Posted Feb 26, 2026, 1:57 PM UTC

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