|
Basic InformationMore Information"I have benefited from AA and the 12 Steps... Very much so!"A Better MeetingAA Is To Shame As A Hot Knife Is To ButterAging and Alcohol UseAlcoholic's Anonymous, Outcomes and New Research on AlcoholismAlcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a Cult ?An Alternative to PowerlessnessAttachment to OutcomesAwakeningConcerning Problems Within AADefining and Understanding the Concept of Denial, Addictions and OtherwiseGauging the Effectiveness of One Component of Alcoholics AnonymousHow Drugs Affect The BrainHuffing: Parents and Kids BewareIts Never Too LateLike Phoenix Risen from the Ashes of Addiction, A New Addiction Recovery ProgramNIDA InfoFacts: Drug Abuse and AIDSNIDA InfoFacts: Drug Addiction Treatment MethodsNIDA InfoFacts: Drugged DrivingNIDA InfoFacts: Pregnancy and Drug Use TrendsNIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and AddictionOn the Question of Medical MarijuanaPain Pills, A Real PainPerverse MotivationRandom Thoughts About Addiction, Delusions and HallucinationsRecoverySelf-EfficacyStaying Sober: Dealing With TemptationsSteering Versus DriftingThe Author of Your FateThe Enlightened PathThe Impeccable PathThe Mentality of ChildhoodThe OPEN PathThe Paradoxical Sinclair Method For Treating Alcohol DependenceTwo MindsWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Annie Fahy, MSW on Motivational InterviewingWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with John C. Fleming, MD on Preventing AddictionWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Laurence Westreich, MD on Helping Families Help Addicted MembersWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Marc Kern, Ph.D. on Rational Alternatives to Alcoholics AnonymousWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An interview with Morteza Khaleghi, Ph.D. on the Importance of Treating Emotional Trauma in Addiction Wise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Patt Denning, Ph.D. on Harm Reduction Psychotherapy for Substance Abuse and AddictionWise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with Stefanie Goldstein, Ph.D. on Mindfulness and Addiction TestsLatest NewsComputer-Based Screening May Reduce Teen Substance AbuseTeen Impulsiveness Has Different Sources in ADHD, Substance UseAccelerated Aging Evident in Cocaine-Dependent IndividualsMany Who First Misuse Prescription Pills Get Them From Friends, Family: ReportCocaine Habit Might Speed Brain AgingUse of Ecstasy, Speed by Teens Tied to Later DepressionHalf of Young Cigarette Smokers Also Smoke Pot: Survey12-Step Meetings May Help Teens Beat Alcohol, Drug AbuseAlcohol Use With Opioids Common Even Without Abuse PastSubstance Abusers, Even Recovering Ones, May Face StigmaDrug, Alcohol Abuse Common Among U.S. Teens, Study FindsAlcohol Effects on Brain Activity Vary With Blackout HistoryPrenatal Meth Exposure Linked to Behavioral ProblemsExcessive Drinking Costs U.S. Colleges Millions AnnuallyKids Using Synthetic Pot a Growing Public Health ConcernSpring Break Boozing May Put Young Brains at RiskMany Alcoholics Suffered Childhood Trauma: StudyGenes Play a Role in Drug Abuse Risk Among Adopted Kids: StudyNarcotic Painkillers Another Threat to Traumatized War Vets: StudyDrinking Scenes in Movies May Spur Teens to Do the SameStrict Underage Drinking Laws May Deter Delinquency in TeensEcstasy Use During Pregnancy May Harm Fetus: StudySupport for Tougher Liquor Laws Rises When Booze, Crime LinkedBooze in Movies May Fuel Teenage Drinking1 in 10 U.S. Kids Lives With Parent Who Has Abused Alcohol: ReportStop-Smoking Drug May Also Curb Problem DrinkingIllicit Drugs Bought Off Internet May Be Poisons, Experts WarnHard Drug Use in Middle Age Could Prove Fatal, Study FindsDrinking Late in First Trimester May Be Most HazardousAlcohol Targets Brain 'Reward Centers' in Heavy DrinkersOne in Six Americans Binge Drink: CDCMeth Users Much More Likely to Try SuicideFor Some Couples, Binge Drinking Is RoutineStates Crack Down on Drunk Drivers This Holiday SeasonDrug Overdoses Kill More Americans Than Car Accidents: CDCAlcohol Use Down, Pot Use Up Among U.S. TeensDrunk Driving-Related Deaths Surge During the Holidays'Ecstasy' May Cause Long-Term Changes in Brain ChemistryToo Much Alcohol Linked to Unsafe Sex, Study ConfirmsIf Parents Drink and Drive, Their Kids May Too: StudySmart Kids More Likely to Try Illicit Drugs as Young AdultsHelping Others Helps Teens Beat Substance AbuseDrugs Slipped Into Drinks Sending Many to ER: ReportHeavy Meth Use Linked to Schizophrenia'Fake Marijuana' May Trigger Heart Trouble in TeensMore Than a Third of Teens Turning to Alcohol, Drugs: StudyMore People Landing in the ER After Abusing Muscle Relaxant: ReportDeaths From Abuse of Painkillers Triple in a Decade: CDCNational Drug Take-Back Day Scheduled for SaturdayPot Can Mimic Brain Changes Seen in Schizophrenia Questions and AnswersLinksBook ReviewsSelf-Help Groups |
| |
Its Never Too LateAllan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. Remember the old song from the decades ago, "Life Begins at Eighty?" It appears that its true in more than one way. A recent UCLA study supported the opinions of many behavioral science experts that alcohol addiction can begin in people fifty years of age and older. To be specific, alcohol addiction can begin in people who never before had a difficulty. Why is this happening?
For one, aging brings depression for some of those people who are getting older. Job loss, death of spouses, adult children moving to distant parts of the nation and too much leisure time can contribute to depressed feelings for some older people. Depression often brings with it alcohol abuse.
While aging does not have to be accompanied by poor health, it is common for older people to be on a variety of prescription medications designed to treat conditions that vary from high cholesterol, blood pressure difficulties, arthritis, etc. Mixing these medications with alcohol consumption is often dangerous and carries with it real health hazards.
In addition, health problems and alcohol consumption make a dangerous mixture. This mixture exacerbates health problems to a degree that is dangerous and potentially fatal. Just one example is the fact that alcohol increased blood pressure problems that can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Senior citizens can make the mistake of believing that they are free from worries about addiction. In actuality, alcohol and drug dependence can begin at any age. There is no such thing as a "safe age" to drink or use drugs. Part of the problem is that older people often fail to recognize the fact that they have an alcohol problem. Symptoms such as dizziness, falling and breaking bones, memory problems and others are often caused by too much alcohol.
That brings with it the next concern about those who are aging. The "baby boom generation" is now reaching the ages of 55 to 60. Many of the people in that population were young during the sixties and seventies when drug use and political protest were mixed. Now, older but not wiser, many of these people continue to abuse drugs but falsely believe it is safe to do so. Many experts are predicting a sharp increase in hospital emergency room visits due to dangerous health problems caused by alcohol and drugs.
If older people fail to recognize the fact that they have a dependence problem, many medical doctors and other health professionals hold the equally mistaken belief that there is no treatment for the elderly alcoholic. In truth, Alcoholics Anonymous is now forming meetings exclusively for the elder. Also, there are many new and useful medication that reduce the cravings for having a drink. Detox treatment and educational programs are fully available for the elderly now struggling with alcoholism.
Are you among the population of aging people who is experiencing alcohol problems? Do you have a parent or grand parent who is showing signs of this disease?
Your experiences, comments, questions and concerns about this are strongly encouraged. The fact is that the health community is predicting an epidemic of alcohol addiction among the elderly that we are not prepared to handle. Lets have a discussion of how to handle a loved one you are worried about having an alcohol problem at an older age.
Allan N. Schwartz, PhD.
|
