(Or: Water just rusts pipes)
By Patrick M. Kennedy
There are the good spirits, like guardian angels, Gabriel delivering God’s messages, and the Gods of good luck and fortune throughout history. But there are also bad spirits, like demon rum or a Red Devil drink with a combination of wicked things. Alcohol abuse by seniors is a growing problem and one that is often undiagnosed. Aging and alcoholism produce similar deficits in intellectual and behavioral functioning. Alcoholism may accelerate normal aging or cause premature aging of the brain. Don’t listen to W. C. Fields, “I never drink water; that is the stuff that rusts pipes.” Water as a drink is good, water as a chaser is not so good.
If you are older than 50 and you have a couple of drinks when you go out to eat, you may want to take some extra time before getting into the car and driving home. Research shows that after 5-7 drinks the brain is numbed to an extent that a person cannot even hold a pen and write properly. Some seniors can’t do that anyway. But, despite knowing this, many drive under the influence of alcohol.
No one knows exactly why, but moderate amounts of alcohol impair a senior more than a younger drinker. It may be because alcohol is metabolized and removed from the body differently once you are older, but even moderate amounts of alcohol can cause measurable impairment for those over age 50.
According to government studies more than half of adults older than 55 drink socially. Probably one of the reasons for this is that with more time on their hands, they can sit on their bar stools longer and sip a few more. If those social drinkers are more impaired than they think they are, it can cause a significant threat to their health. It must be noted here that there is a difference between a drinker and a drunk. Social drinking in moderation is acceptable. But slugging down one after another is close to being a drunk. Again, don’t count on W. C. Fields: “Actually, it only takes one drink to get me loaded. Trouble is I can't remember if it’s the thirteenth or fourteenth.”
Drinking in moderation and socially is not all bad. Social drinking is an accepted part of life, and history, and it is hard to know when the thin line to alcoholism is crossed. There are many factors – genetic, psychological, social, and environmental – that play a role in alcohol addiction, and any of these can sneak up on seniors without alarms going off in the brain. It’s often difficult for seniors to tell when they’re crossing the line into dependency. There are small alerts that must be considered, like: using alcohol to get through painful situations, physically or mentally; not remembering what happened last night; hiding your drinking by drinking alone; or resenting people who advise you to drink less.
This is a problem that must be dealt with by seniors and is being addressed. The American Medical Association says, “The onset or continuation of drinking behavior becomes problematic because of physiological or psychological changes that occur with aging, including increased sensitivity to alcohol effects.”
But there are other check points as described by that famous philosopher, Anonymous, “Drunk is feeling sophisticated when you can’t say it.” Or, Reality is an illusion that occurs due to lack of alcohol. The point is alcohol is, or can be, a life changer for many seniors.
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