Tip: Seniors largest binge drinkers
A recent study showed most binge drinking is among senior citizens. Credit: Photos.com
Binge drinking is not confined to a raucous and messy college dorm room. It happens with more regularity in the quiet and comfortable home of an older adult.
A report issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the percentage of the population most often partaking in binge drinking is adults 65 and older. Further, binge drinking was found to be most common in households with incomes of $75,000 or higher. The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on a single occasion within a short period of time.
"Older adults probably do it more frequently because they're in that retirement phase, so they have more time," says Dr. Barbara Krantz, a leading authority on addiction among boomers and seniors who is the medical director of research at Hanley Center, a not-for-profit addiction-recovery facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The CDC report found that those 65 and older who admitted they were binge drinkers said they did it an average of five to six times a month. The CDC said that among all age groups, drinking too much is the third leading preventable cause of death.
"It's not the whole story," says Krantz, who was not connected with the CDC report. While Krantz treats people having problems with alcohol, she believes older adults abusing prescription drugs is a bigger concern. Often, the problem begins with chronic pain and a prescription from the family physician.
"We can't just continue prescribing these medications and think that the exposure is not going to cause an increase in the amount of dependency," Krantz says.
Spotting a loved one who abuses alcohol or prescription drugs is not always easy. For example, symptoms include unexplained burns or bruises, repeated falls, decline in hygiene, sleep complaints, memory problems and malnutrition, Krantz says. But alcohol and drug abuse in older adults is often misdiagnosed because these symptoms are often associated with an array of diseases, including diabetes and dementia.
If you suspect a loved one has a problem, don't ignore it. If necessary, force your loved one to seek treatment. "Intervention still works," Krantz says.
For more information about binge drinking, go to cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm. To get help for you or a loved one, call the federal Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service at 800-662-HELP (4357).
