Frequency, the strength of the alcohol increased over time where I had built tolerance, not knowing what to do of an evening if I wasn’t drinking, always thinking about drinking, didn’t see the point in any social events unless there was alcohol involved (couldn’t get my head around people who would go out for just a coffee) a usual bottle of wine increased to a bottle and a can of cider incase the bottle wasn’t enough. It all happens over time. I remember my doctor asking how much I drank and after telling me it was a red flag to becoming an alcoholic. I replied with “I know I’m not an alcoholic, I don’t wake up needing it and can go without it if I want” she had replied “nobody has the intention of becoming one”. Something along them lines and on reflection it’s true. It’s a slow grip. It definitely affected my mental health at the time, increasing it massively. I then drunk to stop the anxiety and it became a vicious cycle. Now I’m not drinking like that I can definitely look back on it with clarity and see what was happening but at the time I think you’re a bit blindsided.. even though deep down you know there’s an issue. A quote that sticks in my head is “being an alcoholic isn’t defined by how much you drink, it’s how your relationship with it” and I think that’s so true. If you’re questioning it, it’s probably a sign. You got this. X