Category: Sober Living

Alcohol abuse in older adults is a quiet but serious problem. It may not be as easy to recognize, but alcoholism in older adults is common. If you believe that you or a loved one has problems with alcohol, you can contact your family doctor and they can perform a substance abuse screening. While drinking may help some people fall asleep, it ultimately leads to a less restful night’s sleep, which can be debilitating when combined with other menopause symptoms. When uncertainty about, well, everything, was too much to bear, I found solace in a glass of wine.

These conditions don’t have a cure, but treatment can help make symptoms more manageable and have less of an effect on your appearance. The same study found a correlation between drinking wine and the visibility of blood vessels in the cheeks. One study found that women who consumed eight or more drinks a week perceived themselves as looking older than those who didn’t drink (8).

tell-tale physical traits of a heavy alcohol drinker, according to experts — from brittle hair to skin blotches

Insider talked to Utter and other specialists about some tell-tale signs of alcohol misuse or abuse — and how to change your patterns for better health and looks. Alcohol abuse in older people has become more common in the past few decades. Alcohol is now the most abused substance among people over 65. Alcoholism is often overlooked or misdiagnosed in older people.

1. This includes vitamins A, B, D, and E; minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc; and even basics like proteins and carbohydrates.
2. The rest of the alcohol will leave your body through your sweat and breath.
3. Give your body the best chance at health and reclaim your youthful energy.
4. At Grace Land Recovery, we know the challenges that come with addiction.
5. Mixing alcohol with opioids or benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium) is one potentially deadly combination.

Is alcohol physically addictive?

Alcohol can change the appearance of your mouth and the skin on your face.

Alcohol’s effect on the brain

It’s no secret that unwanted weight gain can be a reality of menopause. Not only does an increase in body fat continue to slow down the metabolization of alcohol, but drinking alcohol, in turn, increases body fat. Every alcoholic drink goes “straight to your head,” or at least to your brain. Heavy drinking over a long time can shrink brain cells and lead to alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) and certain types of dementia. Symptoms of that include lack of judgment, organization, or emotional control, trouble staying focused, and anger issues.

Such actions can even revitalize the skin and body and help prevent physical aging due to alcohol use. Heavy drinking can cause irritation to the blood vessels in your eyes. This is why oftentimes when someone is drunk they get bloodshot eyes.

Over time, heavy alcohol use can result in changes to the skin. This is because of the damage that alcohol can do to the body’s organs as well as chemicals in the body. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that alcohol affects the aging process.

“Heavy alcohol drinking might change the aging clock before one develops medical disease. Broken bones from a stumble are a serious health issue for seniors. It’s because alcohol can affect your balance and sense of judgment.

If you’re blessed with genetics that resists wrinkles and other visible signs of aging, you might not notice the way that alcohol affects your appearance. Drinking alcohol may make you feel younger as you lose your inhibitions and gain some energy, but the hangover the next day can make you feel sick, sluggish, and downright old. Even if you don’t experience acute after-effects, alcohol can age you. You may not realize it, but alcohol and aging effects go hand-in-hand. Popular methods such as meditation, yoga, therapy, and exercise may help if you drink to manage mental health conditions. But these alone may not be enough, so ask your doctor alcoholism and narcissism about additional treatment options.

When participants also were given an infusion of alcohol, this decreased by another 19%. “It was just not pretty,” Grace said in one of her videos for The 30-Day Alcohol Experiment, her program that helps people reevaluate their relationship with alcohol. “When skin gets inflamed, it produces a condition called rosacea,” he said. Rosacea is characterized by redness on the face, what does flakka smell like and sometimes the ears, back, and chest. Alcohol disrupts sleep, too, and poor sleep saps your face of precious time to repair.

Supporting a Loved One: Medication & Recovery

Even diet-conscious alcoholic beverages like vodka sodas can lead to disproportionate belly weight if you drink enough of them. Now a clinical psychologist who works with people with addictions, Utter knows alcohol-use disorder falls on a spectrum. While some people with it do look like those bar patrons, many look perfectly healthy.

For example, young people who drink regularly have been shown to perform poorly in tests of executive function. As you age, what is whippits the body’s mechanisms that protect you from free radicals diminish. Therefore, you’re at a greater risk of developing a wide range of health problems, including the neurodegenerative conditions that affect your cognition and memory. Broken capillaries, the tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin, tend to crop up as you get older.

It’s important to trust your instincts and prioritize your own well-being, while also being compassionate and supportive of your partner’s recovery if they are willing to seek help. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.

For example, you may decide that you’re not willing to be around your loved one when they’re drinking or that you won’t engage in arguments when they’re intoxicated. In the early stage, your partner may start to drink more often than they used to. They may also begin to develop a tolerance to alcohol, which means they need to drink more to feel the same effects. At this stage, it’s still possible for your partner to cut back or quit drinking altogether with support and encouragement. When one partner is struggling with addiction, it can be difficult for them to communicate effectively and honestly about their feelings and needs.

Why does drinking alcohol affect your personality?

If family members try to “help” by covering up for their drinking and making excuses for them, they are playing right into their loved one’s denial game. However, for someone with an alcohol dependence, that expectation may turn out to be unreasonable. If the person is incapable of even being honest with themselves, it may not be reasonable to expect them to be honest with you. If your loved one is truly dependent on alcohol, they are going to drink no matter what you do or say. She adds that not everyone who misuses alcohol develops these changes and that genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors can also play a role.

When someone reaches a crisis point, sometimes that’s when they finally admit they have a problem and begin to reach out for help. This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring multi-platinum award-winning singer Bryan Abrams, shares his sobriety journey and how he found a treatment that actually worked. If you suspect that your boyfriend may have a problem with alcohol, it can be difficult to know what to do.

Symptoms

As alcoholism progresses, your partner may start drinking alone or in secret. In this stage, it’s essential to seek professional help as quitting on their own can be dangerous due to withdrawal symptoms. Coping with a partner’s alcoholism can be emotionally draining and stressful. It’s important to prioritize your own mental health and well-being as you support your partner through their recovery journey. Consider setting boundaries with your partner around their drinking behavior, such as refusing to be around them when they’re drunk or asking them not to drink in front of you.

We can help you along the path to a healthy, successful, and stable life.

On the other hand, a 2020 Swiss cohort study found aggression and hostility to be common personality shifts related to alcohol use. Everyone’s personality is unique, and while it can change as you experience life, the major components tend to persist through the years. Additionally, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a widely recognized support group that has helped many people overcome their addiction.

Some may explain that watching sports or eating chicken wings isn’t worthwhile without a couple of beers. Others might tell you that a steak dinner has to be paired with a glass of wine. Maybe it’s their friend’s birthday or that they weren’t hired for a job they wanted. Whether it’s long covid alcohol intolerance to celebrate or commiserate, someone with alcoholism can always come up with an excuse to drink. The key to dealing with alcohol dependency in the family is staying focused on the situation as it exists today.

This is common among not just those with alcoholism but also drug addicts and people with substance abuse disorder. Individuals who don’t suffer from alcoholism or addiction don’t need to blame others because their behaviors aren’t problematic. However, with an alcoholic personality, someone may try to insinuate that their drinking is the fault of their boss, spouse, partner, roommate, or even an alcoholic parent.

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that alcoholism is not your fault or responsibility. Your partner’s addiction is their own, and they are ultimately responsible for their own recovery. However, if you’re living with an alcoholic, your behavior can have an impact on their ability to stay sober.

It’s important to remember that alcoholism is a disease and that you cannot control your partner’s behavior. Most people recovering from addiction will cycle through the stages of change three or four times before completing the cycle without a slip. Some people who achieve long-term sobriety continue to display the same impulsive and dysfunctional behaviors that they did when they were drinking.

Listening to your loved one without judgment or criticism can make a significant difference in their recovery journey. Encourage them to share their feelings and experiences with you, and offer emotional support when needed. Therapy sessions provide a safe space for family members to express their feelings and concerns about living with an alcoholic. A therapist can offer guidance on how to set healthy boundaries, manage stress, and communicate effectively with their loved one. If maverick house sober living you or your partner are struggling with alcoholism, it’s important to know that there are many different types of treatment available. What works for one person may not work for another, so it’s important to explore your options and find a treatment plan that fits your individual needs.

1. Remember that recovery is possible, and seeking help is the first step towards a healthier, happier life.
2. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.
3. An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help.
4. Contemplation can be an uncomfortable process, and feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness and desperation are common as people reach this crossroads in their addiction journey.
5. Although some individuals want to attempt detoxification on their own, we strongly recommend a clinically supervised program.

Lean on the people around you, and, if you need to, reach out to a mental health professional to speak about your stress and what you’re going through. If alcohol consumption is negatively affecting your interpersonal relationships or other important areas of daily life, you may be living with AUD. Consider reaching out to a therapist or support group to help you navigate this challenging time. In the late stage of alcoholism, your partner’s physical and mental health may deteriorate rapidly. They may experience liver damage, pancreatitis, and other serious health problems.

An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help. If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person. For many, the action stage is both physically and mentally taxing — and individuals at this stage face a risk of alcohol relapse. The action stage typically lasts from three to six months who are the most famous alcoholics and sometimes as long as 18 months, but it does not mark the end of the recovery process.