When we hear the term binge drinkers, we don’t generally think about senior citizens as part of that group. But, researchers tell us that binge drinking among baby boomers is more common than we think. In fact, about 10.6 percent of people over 65 years of age are regular binge drinkers. So, what causes the high number of older adults binge drinking today?
To answer that question, we first need to know who baby boomers are. They are a group of people who were born between 1946 and 1964. About 76.4 million senior citizens make up this group.
Next, we need to understand what constitutes binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 g/dl or above.” This BAC level typically occurs when men consume five or more drinks and women consume about four or more drinks in approximately two hours.
Binge drinking is dangerous for anyone no matter their age. But, for baby boomers, the risk of severe consequences from alcohol is much higher. The primary reason for concern comes from the way alcohol interacts with prescription medicines.
Binge drinking is risky for older adults for several reasons such as:
One of the reasons for increased older adults binge drinking has to do with gender. For instance, women generally live longer than men. After their spouse dies, these women spend many years living alone. They struggle with loneliness, depression, grief, and anxiety. As a result, they may choose to self-medicate with alcohol.
Also, women of any age are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and are prone to severe withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, women find it harder to quit their alcohol consumption. According to NIAAA, more than 3 drinks in a day by women are considered binge drinking. So, women who consume more than that are at risk for seizures during withdrawal. This happens because of age-related brain chemistry imbalances that are exacerbated by alcohol consumption.
Physicians often fail to screen older adults about their drinking behavior. And, the patient certainly won’t voluntarily expose their binge drinking. As a result, older adults binge drinking goes undetected until dangerous side effects appear. To help detect problem drinking behaviors, doctors should ask older patients the following 5 questions:
Family members often fail to recognize drinking problems in their older parents for several reasons. First, they may attribute their loved one’s forgetfulness or tiredness to the side effects of prescription medications.
Also, family members fail to notice the signs of older adults binge drinking because of a lack of personal interaction. For instance, young adults are busy with their own families, careers, and social life. So, they don’t spend enough time with their aging parents to notice anything unusual going on.
As mentioned above, alcohol can exacerbate conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, and heart trouble. But, the effects don’t stop there. For older adults, alcohol can cause a range of health problems that are often attributed to other causes. For instance:
Older adults can overcome their alcohol abuse problems with professional treatment at Design for Change Recovery. Our program is designed to address any physical or mental issues to ensure the best treatment approach for their unique situation.
If you are struggling with the combined effects of medications, alcohol, and health issues, don’t hesitate to contact us today. At our Lancaster, CA facility, we consider each patient to be a unique individual who deserves respect and compassion during this sensitive time in their lives. Our goal is to provide the best level of treatment to ensure that you reach your recovery goals.
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