We have seen sharp increases in Alcohol Abuse over the last year as the COVID-19 pandemic affected every family in the United States in one way or another. However, the anxiety, isolation, depression, and lack of social interaction will likely have a long-lasting impact on public health and well-being for generations. A 2020 survey study noted a significant increase in Alcoholic drinking over the past year with 75% of American adults adding 1 day more of alcohol consumption per month. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture published the 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which makes the recommendation for adults to moderate their drinking by limiting daily alcohol intake. For men, their recommendation is two drinks or less per day and for women, it is one drink or less per day.
These same guidelines define one drink as 12 oz of 5% alcohol by volume (ABV) beer, 5 oz of 12% ABV wine, or 1.5 oz of 40% ABV liquor. Based upon this definition, that bottle of wine that one may have started enjoying at home typically equals 25 oz or five (5) drinks. This is 2.5 times (or 250%) the recommended average for men and 5 times (or 500%) the recommended average for women.
Although most Americans do not drink alcohol daily, there are studies reflecting the heightened concern with women who drink more than 1 drink per day: Through this same period in 2020, women reported a 39% increase in their alcohol intake compared with 2019. Younger women are developing alcoholic liver diseases in increasing numbers driving the higher mortality rates from milder fatty liver and the permanent scarring of cirrhosis, as well as alcoholic hepatitis. For a lot of women, the heightened stresses in their lives; the difficulty in juggling children who are at home now instead of at school; the anxiety of everyday life: All of these have led to an increase in their alcohol consumption. It is apparent that, for many, their daily intake has increased and is far in excess of the recommended amount and this has health and social consequences.
For these women who have identified that there is a problem, many feel that they cannot address this issue because they cannot afford to “go to rehab” and be either away from their work, school, or their family.
Vero Beach Recovery Center is an Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Program. All of our treatments and therapies are designed around the patient, their needs, and their clinical requirements. Intensive Outpatient Programs offer a more structured approach toward Recovery from Alcohol Abuse with an emphasis on individual and group therapy. We also demand accountability which many feel will help them toward their goal of getting and staying sober.
