The number of people with drinking disorders is on the rise at an alarming rate in the U.S. A new study from JAMA Psychiatry shows one in eight Americans now struggles with an alcohol disorder.
Research shows that number has grown 50 percent between 2002 and 2014. The group with the highest increase in alcohol abuse was people 65 and older. That group saw a 106% increase. Other groups that saw a significant increase include African Americans, where the number of people with alcohol use disorders nearly doubled, and women, where the number of people with disorders increased 84%.
The researchers define alcohol-related disorders in a number of ways, including craving alcohol, spending a lot of time drinking, and trying to cut back on drinking, but not being able to.
