If you are considering a divorce in Carlsbad or anywhere in North County you may wish to consider recent studies revealing the concerning impact of divorce on alcohol consumption. This is by no means a condemnation of moderate or social alcohol consumption. Burke & Domercq APC is concerned with our client’s best interests, both from a legal point of view as well as the emotional strategies required to navigate a divorce.
Why should you be concerned about alcohol at a time like this? The first and most obvious concern is your own health and well being. Heavy alcohol consumption can impact every aspect of your life: health, professional performance and social relationships. It can also bring into question one’s fitness as a co-parent and open the door to post decree child custody and parenting time litigation.
While past studies have focused upon the “causal” link of alcohol and divorce (alcohol abuse increases the likelihood of divorce) recent studies are focusing on the impact of alcohol use and abuse following the divorce as well. Binge drinking as well as the development and diagnosis of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) increase for both men and women following a divorce. An extensive study in Sweden tracked almost 1 million Swedes who were born between 1960 and 1990 who had no AUD diagnosis prior to marriage. The study analyzed the number of new AUD diagnosis cases within the group. The results raised a substantial red flag concerning the impact of a divorce on alcohol consumption.
Those who were divorced had a substantially higher rate of alcohol abuse. The number of divorced men who were diagnosed with AUD was six times higher than all others in the group. The number for divorced women was even higher – seven times.
There was one good piece of news contained within the study. Those who remarried had a much lower risk of an AUD diagnosis than those who remained divorced.
Why should you consider the concerning impact of divorce on alcohol consumption if you are in the midst of a divorce? We all need strategies for dealing with stress, sadness, anger and other challenges which are increased during a divorce. Your choices after the divorce can still have an impact on many legal issues including child custody and parenting time as well as spousal support. Taking care of yourself and developing effective coping strategies during and after a divorce can help you to protect the things which are most important. The Swedish study brings useful information to light which can help all those in the process of or following a divorce.