7 claims about alcohol

Today we explain 7 statements about alcohol that you may have heard of. You can read here whether alcohol is a good pain reliever and whether a retiree is at greater risk of developing an alcohol problem.

1. If you stop after two or three glasses of alcohol, there is nothing to worry about.

Not true. It is best not to drink at all. The Health Council recommends that if you want to drink, you should drink a maximum of one glass per day. One glass a day is better than drinking seven in a row over the weekend. The health claim that a glass of red wine is good for you is no longer valid. Even moderate drinking can promote certain cancers.

2. Alcohol and medication is not a good combination.

True. Alcohol makes certain drugs less effective: some drugs will work more strongly than intended, while other drugs will be less effective. Alcohol can also increase the side effects of the medication. Be especially careful with alcohol when you take sleeping pills and sedatives (decreased wakefulness), painkillers with paracetamol (risk of liver damage) or anti-inflammatories such as aspirin (stomach pain).

3. An alcohol problem is difficult to hide.

True and false. When a person is a heavy or excessive drinker, this often affects his or her work. For example, this person is absent more often, he or she arrives late or reacts clumsily to colleagues and supervisors. The drinking problem will come to light sooner or later. But those who are retired no longer have those social obligations. Getting up early is not necessary. There is no one waiting in the office. For that matter, alcohol abuse among pensioners more often goes unnoticed because its physical consequences (amnesia, concentration problems, falls, etc.) are attributed to other age-related disorders.

4. Alcohol is a great pain reliever.

True and false. Like a painkiller, alcohol numbs the nervous system, making the pain temporarily more bearable. But in the long run, alcohol worsens the situation. When the alcohol wears off, the pain feels all the more intense. As a result, you are soon tempted to drink just one more glass and you soon end up in a vicious circle. In addition, alcohol is not good for your physical condition, making it more difficult to deal with the pain day after day. The chronic pain associated with some conditions increases the risk of alcohol dependence in those over 50.

5. Alcohol soothes problems.

Not true. It seems like alcohol takes away your problems. It relaxes, it numbs. But in the long run, alcohol actually enhances negative feelings such as fear and depression. The more often you drink and the larger the amounts, the more intense those negative feelings. Find another outlet for your feelings. Talk to someone close to you, consult your doctor, exercise, make beautiful plans and enjoy the small moments when you feel good.

6. Retirees are more at risk of developing an alcohol problem.

True. When your life situation, your personality, your environment and an available product come together at the right time, an addiction can develop. Retirement occurs somewhere in this schedule and that can be a risk factor. A pension can feel empty, especially if your work occupied a large part of your life and you have few other interests. Having nothing to do, being bored and experiencing no sense of purpose can increase the urge for alcohol. So it's time for a hobby!

7. After reaching a certain age you can no longer become addicted.

Not true. No matter how young or old you are; You can always become addicted to alcohol. The elderly have to drink even more to achieve the same effect. The consequences for their health are therefore greater and the impact on their daily lives more tangible. But others only become problem drinkers at a later age, usually because something has changed in their lives: a layoff, a divorce, the death of their partner, loneliness, money worries, health problems… All events that most of us are not spared.