Drinking alcohol is considered normal, social behavior. And for most people it is a way of relaxing and enjoying themselves. And consuming alcohol can be fun. The problem is alcohol drinking can become a real problem and concern.
Determining whether someone has a drinking problem is not that difficult, this is not rocket science.
Consequences are often the measure of having a Drinking Alcohol Problem
A drinking problem can sometimes be a hard thing to determine. The general rule of whether there is a problem with drinking is if the individual is starting to suffer any sort of consequences as a direct or indirect result of their drinking alcohol. These problems can be financial, social, family, job, and career, personal, physical, legal or any other area of someone's life.
Anyone at any age can have a drinking problem. Great Uncle George may have always been a heavy drinker--his family may find that as he gets older, the problem gets worse. Grandma Betty may have been a teetotaler all her life, just taking a drink "to help her get to sleep" after her husband died--now she needs a couple of drinks to get through the day. These are common stories. Drinking problems in older people are often neglected by families, doctors, and the public.
Most "normal" drinkers never get drunk or even tipsy.
Normal drinkers can take it or leave it.
They are not focused on drinking alcohol as a part of their lives.
They can drink 1/2 a beer or 1/2 a glass of wine or 11/2 a cocktail and put it down
Normal drinkers can go for days, weeks or even months without wanting or needing to drink
Alcohol does not impair or change their behavior in any real way
They have never suffered any consequences as a result of drinking alcohol
There are two types of problem drinkers--chronic and situational.
Chronic abusers have been heavy drinkers for many years. Although many chronic abusers die by middle age, some live well into old age. Most older problem drinkers are in this group.
Other people may develop a drinking problem late in life, often because of "situational" factors such as retirement, lowered income, failing health, loneliness, or the death of friends or loved ones. At first, having a drink brings relief, but later it can turn into a problem.
How to Recognize a Drinking Problem
Not everyone who drinks regularly has a drinking problem.
- Drink to calm your nerves, forget your worries, or reduce depression
- Lose interest in food in favor of drinking alcohol
- Gulp your drinks down fast
- Lie or try to hide your drinking habits
- Drink alone more often
- Hurt yourself, or someone else, while drinking
- Were drunk more than three or four times last year
- Need more and more alcohol to feel the effects
- Feel irritable, resentful, or unreasonable when you are not drinking
- Have medical, social, or financial problems caused by drinking
- Suffer any hangovers the day after drinking any alcohol
Physical Effects of a Drinking Alcohol Problem
Alcohol slows down brain activity. Because alcohol affects alertness, judgment, coordination, and reaction time, drinking increases the risk of falls and accidents. Some research has shown that it takes less alcohol to affect older people than younger ones. Heavy drinking can permanently damages the brain and central nervous system, as well as the liver, heart, kidneys, and stomach. Alcohol's effects can make some medical problems hard to diagnose. For example, alcohol causes changes in the heart and blood vessels that can dull pain that might be a warning sign of a heart attack. It also can cause forgetfulness and confusion, which can seem like Alzheimer's disease.
Mixing Drugs and Alcohol
Alcohol, itself a drug, is often harmful when mixed with prescription or over-the-counter medicines. This is a special problem for people over 65, because they are often heavy users of prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs.
Mixing alcohol with other drugs such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, pain killers, and antihistamines can be very dangerous, even fatal. For example, aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines; when aspirin is combined with alcohol, the risk of bleeding is much higher.
As people age, the body's ability to absorb and dispose of alcohol and other drugs changes. Anyone who drinks should check with a doctor or pharmacist about possible problems with drug and alcohol interactions.
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