Alcohol consumption is rising among older adults. Some drink because they love drinking, some drink because they find it stress buster, and some drink to drown their grief. Everyone has their own reasons to stick to alcohol consumption.
Well, whatever the reason, you do not start consuming alcohol right after you step into your retirement age. You start alcohol consumption during your teenage or mostly when you become an adult. It is not bad to drink, but it is bad if you drink excessively.
A majority of the population has reported cases of alcohol abuse by the time they enter into their retirement life. The number of cases of alcohol abuse has risen in recent years among the elderly. Regardless of your reasons for drinking, too much alcohol consumption can take a toll on your overall health.
Studies have found that it is associated with cardiovascular problems, liver ailments, memory issues, mood disorders, type II diabetes, and an increased risk of cancer. There is no denying that excess consumption of alcohol worsens your health.
At an older age, your body feels already weak, and if you do not cut back on the intake of alcohol, you will end up with serious health issues. Most of the people do not drink in moderate amounts, and when they catch a severe illness, and they eventually end up funding their medical bills with long term loans from direct lenders.
Tips for cutting back on alcohol consumption
If you are excessively consuming alcohol, you should try to cut back on it. Here are the tips you can follow:
Set a realistic goal
If you have noticed that you are excessively consuming alcohol and now you should try to whittle down, you should try to set a realistic goal. There are many people who find it very hard to get rid of alcohol despite being diagnosed with a serious medical condition.
You should write down a realistic goal. You should decide how many drinks you want to take per day and per week. Jotting down your goal can actually help you control your drinking habit because this will work as a reminder.
Note that an older woman is not allowed to take more than one drink a day, and an older man is not allowed to take more than two drinks. If you strictly follow the recommended intake, you will be less likely to fall prey to serve diseases.
Measure your drinks
OK, if you have decided that you will not drink more than two drinks, is that enough? No, it is not because of the size per drink. It is crucial to measure the amount of drink you take each time.
If you doubled the quantity, there is no point in reducing the total number of drinks. You are just fooling yourself. Do not forget to record your drinks.
There are many people who keep drinking and do not realise that whether they have exhausted the entire limit as per their goal.
If you cannot remember, ask someone else to take a note of your total number of drinks, so you immediately stop when you have reached the maximum limit you set for yourself.
Set a budget
This is also a good strategy to reduce the amount of alcohol you consume every month. You should decide on a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
Of course, it must be lower than before. Try to cut it by half. Now make sure that you will spend more money than your budget.
By cutting back on your budget, you will be able to consume less alcohol. However, make sure that you do not increase your budget limit just because you can and want to drink more alcohol.
Meditate and meditate
Meditation is an effective way to overcome addiction. In fact, studies have proved meditation can overcome any kind of addiction. According to studies, meditation can train your brain into releasing alpha-theta waves that help you overcome addiction.
When you become an alcohol addict, it is not you who want it, but it is rather alcohol that wants you to consume it. Your brain suddenly floods with addictive thoughts, and those addictive thoughts force you to drink again and again.
It happens because of a craving in your mind. You need to make your brain realise that you will have to stop drinking, and it can easily overcome addiction with the help of meditation. It is a natural way to get rid of addiction to anything.
It does not suppress because if it suppresses your addictive thoughts. They will bounce back and make things work. It instead allows your mind to step aside from the chain of addictive thoughts. This all happens so quickly because the meditated mind observes the in and out of your urges in a detached way.
Find out an alternative drink
Some people find it hard to reduce drinking because they want to drink something. If this is the reason, you should find an alternative drink. Instead of drinking alcohol, you should drink something else. You can take fruit juice, tea or coffee.
Make a list of beverages that you love drinking. Replace alcohol with them if you have a craving for it. Try to hydrate your body as well. Before you consume a drink, you should drink a glass of water. You can also drink another non-alcoholic beverage. This can reduce your intake of alcohol.
Take a break
It is not necessary that you drink every day. You should try to take a couple of days off. If it is being complicated for you to take straightaway a week off, you should try to drink alternately. Drinking on each alternate day can help you reduce your intake.
Once you get it in your stride, you can extend your sober period. If you gradually increase this period, you will find that your alcohol intake has automatically reduced, and you have eventually given up.
How to find that you are drinking too much alcohol
If you have been going through the following, it indicates that you should cut down on the quantity of your alcohol intake:
- You feel that you should cut back on your drinking.
- Your family members or your friends have been asking you to cut down the intake limit.
- You feel guilty whenever you drink alcohol.
- People think that you are misusing alcohol.
The bottom line
Alcohol consumption is not bad as long as it is moderate. If you are excessively consuming alcohol, it will take a toll on your overall health. If you think that it is affecting your health and you want to cut back on its consumption, you should consider the tips mentioned above.
The tips mentioned above can help you gracefully reduce the intake of alcohol. If you do not want to end up funding your medical bills due to any serious medical condition, try to reduce your alcohol intake.
If it is difficult for you to get rid of your alcohol consumption, you should consult a doctor who can help you overcome the addiction.
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