- Dec 4
- AddictionAlcohol Addiction TreatmentTeen Drug Alcohol AbuseTreatment
Very soon, Millenials will surpass Baby Boomers as the largest living generation in the United States. While this generation has seen incredible advances in a variety of fields, they’ve also been at the heart of crippling school debt and ever-growing depression and anxiety. Unsurprisingly, young people often turn to alcohol to get their minds off these worries.
Drinking may be declining in popularity overall, but alcohol abuse is still a problem among the Millenial generation. Between the rise of craft beer, wine clubs that deliver bottles to your doorstep, and bottomless Bloody Mary and mimosa brunches, alcohol has entrenched itself into Millenial culture. This has made binge-drinking and alcohol addiction among young people more likely to occur than ever.
In this post, we’ll explore some alarming trends as we understand alcoholism among young adults.
New Trends About Alcoholism in Young Adults
The age bracket for Millenials tends to shift, but most agree that this generation is anyone born between the years of 1981 and 1996. Those who comprise the Millenial generation have seen technological improvements, such as the rise of computers and smartphones. However, there’s also been a considerable rise in drug and alcohol use. This trend impacts all age groups, but it’s prevalent among those in their 20s and 30s. In fact, one-third of alcohol abuse users are Millenials.
In a twenty-year time frame, the number of alcohol-related deaths rose by 69%. While drinking seems to have declined in popularity recently, this number still represents a troubling fact — opioids and heroin aren’t the only substance abuse problems among young people.
Alcohol poisoning and alcohol-related accidents do not reflect all these deaths, though. The uptick in alcohol consumption is causing a large number of young people between the ages of 25 and 34 to die from liver disease and damage. People in their 40s and 50s who have been drinking heavily for ten to 20 years typically have these conditions. However, young adults who drink at least 80 grams of alcohol for five years run a high risk of severe alcoholic hepatitis.
What’s Causing the Rise of Alcoholism in Young Adults?
Many adults see the Millenial generation as entitled, or people who expect everything to come easy. This stereotype is unfair, as the truth is young adults today face many difficulties that previous generations never had to worry about. Here is some context for those disparities:
- Smartphones, the internet and social media have given Millenials 24/7 access to news that’s both good and bad.
- Most Millenials started or attempted to grow their careers during the latest recession.
- The cost of healthcare, education and housing is at an all-time high.
- College debt sees many Millenials spending half their income on loan payments.
- Young people lack a sense of community or belonging, and most are unlikely to be connected to a religion or political party.
- The average stress level for Millenials is higher than in other generations.
Help Is Available
From hardships like work stress, increasing college debt, financial uncertainty and coping with depression and anxiety, Millenials are turning to alcohol more and more. However, help is available. At Gateway, we understand that alcohol use disorder often has its roots in stress and anxiety. Many Millenials are young parents, so it’s time to break the chain of addiction before it impacts our next generation.
If you’re ready to receive evidence-based treatment that works, we invite you to contact us today to learn more. We want to help you throughout your recovery journey so your generation can break free from the painful hold of addiction.
