Senior Citizens and Alcohol Abuse

No one wants to admit that Aunt Millie might have a drinking problem. It's a touchy subject, seniors and alcohol abuse. When we are young the excess use of alcohol is often chalked up to sowing wild oats or just being sociable. But when we reach a certain age, besides the fact that excessive drinking reeks havoc on our health, drinking is no longer considered "cool" or acceptable. There is a social stigma attached to being a senior citizen who drinks too much. The problem is often kept hidden by family members, or neglected by doctors and the public. That is why I would like to address it here.

There are two types of alcohol abusers--chronic and situational. Chronic abusers have been heavy drinkers for years and often never make it to old age. But just as often, especially this day and time when we are all living longer, chronic alcoholics are living to be much older. But the chronic drinker is not really who I wrote this article for. Sadly, it has been my experience that a chronic alcoholic would have stopped reading by now anyway. A person has to want to stop drinking and a chronic drinker has often given up on that after years of trying. They also most likely already know the following facts that would make a situational drinker think long and hard about their drinking and decide if the temporary relief is worth the risk.

The situational drinker may not have even been a drinker before and if they were they never had a drinking problem. Then due to circumstances, such as the death of a spouse, retirement, lowered income, failing health or loneliness, they find relief through alcohol. As long as alcohol use is held in tight moderation, the situational drinker can make it through the rough patch in their life and find that they no longer feel the need for the numbing effects of alcohol. For those who don't, these are the facts.