It’s something that is occurring more frequently, particularly when it comes to alcohol, with hospital admissions as a result of alcohol rising among the over 65s and over 50% of that age group drinking. With retirement can often come isolation and turning to drink is becoming an all too frequent coping mechanism. Of course, there’s trauma such as grief and other health-related stresses that can arise too, and alcohol is becoming the antidote. Except it isn’t one.
Watching your parent struggling with alcohol can be heartbreaking, so if you are encountering this it’s important to try and get them to seek help. That in itself can be a challenge, but there are ways to handle it delicately and increase the chance of them seeking the help they need.