The older drinker, men and women who are over 65 and retired, have a ‘perfect storm’ of opportunity when it comes to abusing alcohol or prescription drugs, which are usually their drugs of choice.
Their social circle has shrunk, they are feeling loss of meaning in life, and they have less energy or will than younger people to overcome their challenges in life. The easiest thing in their lives is to reach for that bottle or pill, sometimes combining both.
After all, alcohol is legal, you can get it anywhere, even in some grocery stores. No one’s going to frown or report you if you pick up a couple of bottles or cases of beer. And prescriptions for drugs like Ativan or anti-depressants are readily available from your physician, who is concerned when you tell him about your depression or stress, and happy to steer you to legitimate medication rather than see you take over the counter pain pills.
How alcohol is inbred in our culture
There’s a false sense that ‘it’s okay” to drink and “everybody does it” Most older people who become addicted have consumed alcohol and taken prescription drugs to help with loneliness or stress for most of their adult lives. They have lots of company, according to this recent Globe and Mail article, which quotes Stats Canada:
“The population of Canadians aged 65 to 74 will nearly double from 4.3 million to eight million by 2026, according to Statistics Canada. Some 600,000 older Canadians reported abusing alcohol or drugs in a recent study by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, and that number is set to swell as a wave of oldsters weaned on Woodstock and tie-dye hits retirement age. “
Of the two however, alcohol remains the most acceptable and easily rationalized. Older people have a long history with alcohol that has shaped their drinking patterns over time. It is widely available and promoted in our Western cultures, where they are exposed to messages and images through advertising and marketing of alcoholic beverages and in TV shows, movies and literature. With the majority of Canadians choosing to drink, they are exposed to alcohol through friends and families, in neighborhoods, and at social gatherings.
Heavy drinking brings special problems
It is quite likely that the stats above do not present the complete picture. Alcoholics live secretive lives and many try to hide the truth about their addiction, underestimating and under reporting how much they really drink. Heavy drinking, which refers to males who reported having 5 or more drinks, or women who reported having 4 or more drinks, on one occasion, at least once a month in the past year, is on the rise in older Canadians, according to these 2016 statistics:
Heavy drinking by people 65 and older rose from 287,182 in 2013 to 308,022 in 2014, with the number of male older drinkers rising from 190,290 in 2013 to 212,815 in 2014.
Numbers of alcohol addiction in elder populations are high for other Western countries as well. In the U.S., drinking in excess among older adults is a growing concern. One study, published in the Journal of Addiction, found that about 2.8 million Americans over the age of 50 meet the criteria for alcohol abuse. That number is expected to reach 5.7 million by the year 2020.
Heavy drinking is the truly ugly side of alcohol. It is responsible for the health hazards that can bring illness, mental deterioration, and death. It is also the leading cause of of criminal death in some Western countries.
As people age, they become more sensitive and less tolerant to alcohol. As a result, drinking can do more damage to people who are older than 65 than to younger people.
Alcohol is more destructive and deadly than many illegal street drugs— it placates the central nervous system and disrupts the bodily functions so much that it is commonplace for alcoholics to have seizures when they are coming off of alcohol.
In fact, more deaths are caused by alcohol addiction than almost any other drug. When you include the deaths caused by drinking and driving, the implications of alcoholism are staggering.
Why alcohol is especially lethal for older people
Carol Colleran and Debra Jay have addressed this hidden and hushed problem in their book Aging and Addiction: Helping Older Adults Overcome Alcohol or Medication Dependence. They say:
“The particular risks of alcoholism for those over 50 go beyond family, work and financial pressures, as well as beyond self-medicating for aches and pains. There’s often a much deeper issue that triggers the trap of addiction: A sense of lost meaning or purpose in life.“
Using the Colleran/Jay book as a guide, let’s do a short assessment of the problem:
It’s true that as we age, the losses pile up:
- Loss of income
- Loss of a spouse
- Loss of health
- Loss of work
- Loss of meaning in life
Add to this the reluctance of older people to admit addiction, and to ask for help. Add as well, our lack of recognition of addiction among older people, and finally, add the consequences that always follow when a problem is not addressed— lack of services.
Now we have a problem of staggering proportions. It’s one of our most underestimated, under treated health issues among older persons today.
My husband and I went on a date the other day. We saw a movie and then went out for dinner. I had a lemon drop martini, my favorite! The server came by, saw the empty glass, and asked if I wanted another. I said, “I do, but I can’t.” My husband said, “She has to wait ’til tomorrow.” The waiter said, “Oh, man, bummer!” The silver lining of acid reflux is that I can’t drink as much as I want to, so I don’t have a drinking problem. Or I probably would. And since I can’t drink very much, my semi-abstinence has changed my husband’s drinking, too. We’re so lightweight, it’s pathetic. Seriously, this is a real problem for seniors. As we age, the way we react to alcohol changes. I recommend this book, which is scarily informative: Beyond the Influence https://amazon.com/Beyond-Influence-Understanding-Defeating-Alcoholism/dp/0553380141
Thank you for the suggestion! I’m planning at least one more post on this topic, so will learn more from this book! I have a bad reaction to alcohol as well, but in my case, it started when I was young. One 4 oz glass and I don’t have a headache. More than that and I’m done!
You are so right, and the facts and statistics you provided support the alcohol difficulties that older people can experience. Thank you for bringing this back to our attention. We who read retirement blogs are good messengers to carry the information to our friends and acquaintances. Thank you!
Thanks, Rin! That is the power of blogs—to keep much needed information circulating!
Very informative article, Diane. An additional side effect of drinking in the elderly is loss of brain cells which could bring on early dementia. The alcoholic has enough problems without a foggy memory. Sad to realize that that many families feel helpless as loved ones continue to drink. Ruby Misak
So much yet to be learned about this scourge. Loss of brain cells is especially tragic, given the presence and possible increase of dementia in older people.
Thanks for talking about this. I am a family therapist and work with several people who are over 65 and are retired. Retiring is an adjustment for most and it is important to have coping skills and drinking alcohol isn’t one!
Yet, it is so easy! And it goes without saying, destructive! Thanks, Linda.
“It’s true that as we age, the losses pile up:
Loss of income
Loss of a spouse
Loss of health
Loss of work
Loss of meaning in life”
I’ve lost everything but my spouse. I think that I cope without substance assistance because of the continuity he brings to my life. However, I don’t fancy my chances if he dies, all the colours would run dry in the world. However, it wouldn’t be drugs or alcohol that I would turn to, I would just probably end up spending time with people who make me unhappy, and be a grumpy old woman.
Well, we can only hope that your dear husband has a long and happy life. I know from what you write that you value your relationship so very much. But do stay clear of the people who make you unhappy. No good can come of spending time with them!
Scary stats
I agree, Jane. And to think, they are most likely under reported.
I am 74. I have been off alcohol now for 18 years. I was a what was called a regular drinker till May of 1999 when my God Daughter In Love asked me to stop as in her opinion, it was not keeping in with my spiritual and religious pursuits of then. She was very persuasive, I stopped and have not had a drink since that day. If there is sufficient motivation one can stop even if one is a habitual regular drinker.
Bless your daughter in law. She may well have added several years to you life, not to mention the quality! Motivation is everything, and love is the greatest motivator. In my view, many people who drink regularly have a great hole in their lives, which cannot easily be filled, and that’s why stopping is so hard.
Undoubtedly a sad truth.
Thanks, Derrick, for reading, and commenting.
interesting – probably a whole lot of other addictions that one could add to that – eating too much food, not taking regular health checks, sitting around moping/doing nothing, getting in the car rather than walking a block to the shops (not the wine shop) – not getting involved with something, most of us reading this have access to this wonderful encyclopedia – being part of a community (any type including AA, if need be)… oh and we have forgotten cigarettes.
stats are interesting but not always accurate because as you did mention, a lot of life addictions are hidden.
That might also equate over to the businesses that manufacture and sell these wares, a way to make their competitors believe they are more profitable than they actually are.
Not raining on your parade, just adding some other streams to the matter…
Glad to hear your ideas, Cathy. What characterizes an alcohol addiction is the way it alters a person’s behavior, more so than most other addictions (except drugs). An alcoholic, out of control, is an extreme danger to himself (or herself) and others. Once on the path of addiction, an alcoholic can destroy his own life, with no concern about the repercussions.
My father was addicted to alcohol all of his adult life and died of cirrhosis of the liver when he was 74. He was often happy when he was drunk, though, so who knows? Was it that worse than for my mother when she was depressed?
A wide range of behaviors goes with alcoholism, and of course, the worst one, for families, is anger. I’ve not gone into this aspect yet, but it does interest me. I think growing up with alcoholism must be extremely difficult for children, since they must have to guess which parent will turn up on any given day (the drunk one or the sober one).
I’m thankful to my father for valuing happiness.
You might look at Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood by Wayne Muller. I like the title more than a lot of the contents, but the idea is powerful.
It sounds like something I’d like to read, Jean. I’ll look into it. Thanks!
Oh Dear ! … I’m afraid that I am one of those retired old codgers who enjoys a nice gin and tonic (or two) before dinner, a cold beer on a hot summer’s day and sharing a bottle of ‘plonk’ with my dear wife (of 55 years) on most evenings. Yet, I have no real craving for alcohol, never drink and drive, can always ‘give it a miss’, and as far as I know at the age of 78, my health has not been effected, even though I had my first ‘pint’ at the age of 16.
This is not to say that I do not appreciate the major problems that alcohol addiction brings to many. My best friend drank himself to death at the age of 45, and in the business world which I frequented booze could be a real menace.
Sorry if I’m a bit ‘out of step’ on this one, but I guess that I (and many others) were lucky to have avoided that ‘perfect storm’.
You avoided it because you weren’t emotionally disposed to allow alcohol to control you. There is usually a deep pit of need within an alcoholic—a hole which can only be filled by drinking. Research on this has been done, I’m sure, and the psychological and medical community must have some insights into what makes a person susceptible. And some research, I would think, might suggest that a person’s chemical make up is responsible.
Diane, I appreciate the way you continually educate me and make me think about things I normally wouldn’t. I’ve long known the dangers of alcoholism and have witnessed the toll it takes on families and children. But I never stopped to think about its presence among people of my age group. Thank you for raising my awareness.
I think it’s particularly present in our age group—younger people gravitate to the use of prescription and street drugs to alleviate their emotional pain. Alcohol seems much more acceptable to our generation!
This is a subject I’ve never given much thought to. I didn’t know about the extent of this problem.
Real good article, Diane.
Thanks, Yeah. I can’t say I “enjoyed” writing it, but I felt it’s an issue involving our generation, and should be addressed.
Important topic! Working with adults in health care for many years people might be surprised how many elders who have other medical problems have them exacerbated by an additional diagnosis of ETOH – alcohol abuse. Then there are those conditioned to have their “before dinner drink” who seem troubled by no longer having it available when they are in a setting necessitating physical rehabilitation with a team of therapists and/or in a skilled nursing setting. Often, without realizing what they’re doing, people are self-medicating with the drug alcohol. With the legalization of marijuana for recreational use it will be interesting to see any usage effects on elders and others. Already, some statistics have suggested an increase in auto accidents.
When a substance is deemed ‘legal’, it gives people an excuse to abuse it. But there doesn’t seem to be a protection in making it illegal either—witness the street drug crisis we are having now. I still maintain that people ‘self-medicate’ to ease some deeper psychological problems they have. Anything to prevent them from taking a hard look at how they ‘tick’!
I agree about the reasons for self-medication. Often is depression, only alcohol is itself a depressant and loneliness can prompt increased consumption.
That’s why alcohol, which many believe will relieve their sadness, only makes things worse.
My mom died recently of end-stage alcoholism at the age of 74. The legacy for kids of parents like this is a mixed bag of emotions. Anger is at the top, from which all the others stem.
I can appreciate that anger would prevail. It was, after all, a ruined childhood, from which it would be so difficult to recover. Death from alcohol holds special horrors, but it appears you were at least old enough to cope, when she died. You must look after yourself, and get help in understanding that you had no part of this, and need to be commended for surviving. You may have already done this. I wish you well, East Ender.
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