Alcohol Problems Over 50

=

Relationship Problems

Alcohol problems ruin relationships. The damage may be apparent right away or it may sneak up on you over a long period of time, but the passage of time is not our friend in this since aging lowers the amount we can drink before we start being at risk.

The older we get, the fewer drinks it takes before we run into trouble. Sound familiar? Apparently it goes along with the slowing of metabolism that makes us gain weight when we keep eating exactly as we have been for years.

You Never Drink Alone! When someone experiences alcohol related problems, the negative effects of drinking exert a toll, not only on the drinker, but also on their partner and other family members. Sometimes it is something as seemingly harmless as the relationship between drinking in the evening and snoring.

One of the clearest demonstrations of how drinking negatively impacts the family is the widely documented association between it and interpersonal violence, but there are others including:

• Marital conflict
  
  

• Infidelity
  

• Erectile dysfunction/impotence
  

• Jealousy
  

• Economic insecurity
  

• Divorce
  

And as we get older, add to that list

• Chronic alcohol-related disease
  
  

• Accidents/injuries
  

It is nearly impossible to untangle relationship problems when alcohol problems are involved. The reason? It is no longer a relationship between two people. It becomes a triangle with alcohol in the third spot.

Don't let the natural tendency to minimize and deny the severity or impact of drinking on your relationships keep you from looking at the situation honestly.

If you wonder about it at all, for yourself or someone close to you, check out some websites that focus on alcohol problems or call an alcohol helpline. Or, for an even smaller step click here to see some simple self-screening questions that can help you start getting an idea of how it might be impacting your life.

In the end, however, if you have any question about how alcohol is affecting you (or some other substance abuse problem), there is no substitute for a professional evaluation and advice. Look in the telephone directory under drug and alcohol treatment and evaluation.

There is lots of good information available on alcohol abuse and on treatment options for the drinker(s) and the rest of the family.

Find it, learn, and take action!

The quality of the rest of your life could depend on it.

Return to Healthy Over 50 from Alcohol Problems = Relationship Problems