Alcoholism has long been a problem for seniors and, when combined with many of the prescription medications that are often necessary in this age group, it can become a deadly issue. There are a number of stressors in this transitional stage and many seniors end up struggling with depression as well – a problem that often triggers alcoholic behavior. Unfortunately, heavy drinking makes depression worse, which can only exacerbate physical and emotional health. It’s a problem that is expected to get worse over the next 10 years.

Tampa Bay Online reports that about 3 million seniors in the United States struggle with alcohol and drug addiction – a number that is expected to triple over the next decade.

The problems that result from alcohol abuse and addiction among seniors are not much different than those that plague younger drinkers, but because the body becomes more fragile with age, more physical health problems tend to pile up more quickly. TBO reports that about 14 percent of hip fractures among seniors are due to mixing alcohol and prescription medications.

Alcohol abuse is the primary substance of abuse among seniors according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Unfortunately, the same survey shows that the rate of illicit drug abuse has grown by 3 percent over the past 10 years, too. This includes prescription drugs and other substances, like marijuana. The combination of the two substances can be lethal, robbing patients of their quality of life as well as their memories and physical health. Marijuana is far more potent than it was when many aging baby boomers first experimented with the drug 30 years ago, and combining it with prescriptions and alcohol can completely obliterate the patient’s ability to function.

One substance abuse treatment specialist told the Daily Tribune: “Baby-boomer parents who still think marijuana is a harmless substance need to look at the facts. Marijuana potency has grown steeply over the past decade, with serious implications in particular for young people, who may not only be at increased risk for various psychological conditions, cognitive deficits and respiratory problems, but are at significantly higher risk for developing dependency on other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, than are nonsmokers.”

The hard part is first recognizing the signs of addiction among seniors who are going through so many different changes and then helping them to understand the risks that are inherent to abusing alcohol and drugs. Treatment is available, however, and seniors who are ready to make the changes necessary to live a fuller life without addiction can seek treatment. Call us at The Orchid to learn more about options in senior women’s addiction treatment.

According to research that will appear in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research later this year, the boardroom is not the only place women are catching up to men. Unfortunately, for women in the US, the amount and frequency they are consuming alcohol is on the rise and therefore the number of women developing alcoholism is increasing as well.

The research conducted by Columbia University analyzed 31 previously conducted studies for how age and gender affect an individual’s alcohol consumption. They discovered that women are gaining on men in respect to amount of alcohol ingested, while both genders, if born after World War II, have an increased likelihood of binge and problem drinking.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a blood alcohol level above .08. The guidelines for binge drinking are slightly different for men and women because their physiology is slightly different. Over a two-hour period, men may reach the .08 limit with five drinks while women may do so with only four drinks.

Why Have Women’s Attitudes Towards Drinking Changed?

After World War II, women’s role in society completely changed. They joined the workforce is mass numbers and started to experience the stress of trying to balance motherhood and a career. The women’s liberation movement in the 60s and 70s pushed even more women out of the kitchen and into the office.

Many women may have started using alcohol to cope with the stress of trying to be everything to everybody because it is, for the most part, socially acceptable. Most people will have drinks at dinner when out with friends, so if they had a private problem with alcohol it would be fairly easy to mask in public.

Women’s different attitudes towards drinking is apparent in pop culture. To experience this shift in mind-set all you have to do is turn on the TV. For example, Hoda and Kathy Lee on the fourth hour of the Today Show have alcohol every day of the week at 10am. Most people used to be embarrassed imbibing before 5pm and these ladies are drinking before lunch every single day. Then there is Chelsea Handler with her bestseller, Are you there, Vodka? Its me, Chelsea, who does not mince words about her alcohol habits.

What Can Be Done About the Increase In Problem Drinking Among Women?

Katherine Keyes, PhD, one of the researchers, believes this is proof we need more public health education and prevention efforts. One especially vulnerable time is during college when the binge drinking habit is often developed.

If alcoholism is not prevented, the next option is treatment and rehabilitation. If someone you know has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol we can help. Contact us right away and we can help you find the best treatment programs to meet your specific needs.

The Kardashians are often in the limelight for one thing or another, but on a recent season that highlighted Kourtney Kardashian and her relationship with boyfriend, Scott Disick, addiction played a large part of the story. Disick’s behavior while under the influence of alcohol was a huge topic in the program, causing problems between him and Kourtney and even more issues for Kourtney with her sisters, Kim and Khloe.

Since the airing of the episodes showing his violent temper while under the influence, Disick promised to get himself under control. While it was assumed that that meant getting the help he needed to quit drinking, it appears that Disick had something else in mind. He says now that he has not remained sober despite his promises.

Disick told girlfriend, Kourtney, that he “didn’t lie, but I kind of kept some of the truth from you about that time when I went with all the boys to Vegas.”

He went on to say: “I didn’t get out of control. It’s nothing crazy, but sitting here in Tahiti makes me think I wouldn’t mind having a drink or two because I believe that I’m in a place that I could have a drink or two responsibly and not get crazy.”

Broken Promises

Kourtney didn’t necessarily agree with his assessment of the situation or his belief that he doesn’t have to keep his promise of sobriety. She said: “I just don’t know how I feel about that. It’s hard for me to trust you because of everything’s that gone on, and I don’t want it to get back to that place.”

Kourtney Kardashian is not the first to suffer an abusive temper at the hands of a loved one – or to let it go when they promise to get sober after an inexcusable incident and ultimately break that promise with rationalizations. It puts the family member in an awkward position, waiting for the inevitable explosion that comes as alcohol and drug abuse that is “under control” eventually escalates to its former levels with all the same consequences – but still wanting to believe that it’s possible for their loved one to live a life characterized by a normal relationship with alcohol.

Dealing with a Loved One Who Promises Sobriety… And Doesn’t Deliver

One of the best ways to deal with a loved one who cannot control their alcohol and drug abuse is to set boundaries. What those boundaries consist of will vary according to your comfort level and goals for your life – not your hopes for your relationship, but your needs based on the reality of your loved one’s alcohol and drug issues. Therapy and 12-step groups for family members of alcoholics can help you to create boundaries and maintain them, allowing you to provide positive support for your loved one without getting hurt.

Any advice for Kourtney? How would you handle her situation?

Blackouts occur when someone intoxicated engages in conversations, dancing, cooking and frighteningly driving a car, but later on has no memory of the events. These periods of blackout may encompass a couple of minutes or many hours of time. Scientists have never understood the biological process behind alcohol-induced blackouts. However, in one of the latest volumes of The Journal of Neuroscience, the physiology that triggers amnesia from alcohol is uncovered.

Findings Challenge The Concept of Brain Cell Death From Binge Drinking

Neuroscientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered evidence that challenges previous held beliefs about alcohol’s affects on the brain. These researchers exposed brain cells of rats to both moderate and excessive amounts of alcohol. In the group with moderate exposure to alcohol there was no memory loss. However, in the group of cells with excessive alcohol, the process of memory formation was disrupted.

The research demonstrated that, in direct opposition to previously held scientific thought, excessive drinking does not automatically kill brain cells. Instead an extreme amount of alcohol competes with receptors in the brain that then produce steroids which stop the formation of new memories.

These neural receptors when exposed to alcohol have seemingly erratic behavior, with some becoming blocked while others are activated. Instead of cell death, alcohol causes a scrambling of neural activity that temporarily disables the complicated system of memory formation. This idea that alcohol is not damaging brain cells, just temporarily changing how they function, is cutting edge information.

What About Blackout From Other Substances?

Any stress on cells in the hippocampus of the brain can stop the ability to create memories. This is why drugs also have the possibility of causing blackouts. The combination of drugs and alcohol put an individual at a much higher risk to have a blackout than either substance taken on its own.

In addition, the researcher found that if steroids were blocked from being produced then the ability to form memory was protected. They found that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, which are used for enlarged prostate glands, were able to keep memory production functioning in the presence of excess alcohol. Now the scientists are looking towards studying these prescription medications to safeguard the formation of memory in the brain.

If you or someone you know has blackouts frequently or is having other consistent problems from either alcohol or drugs, help is a phone call away. We can answer any questions you may have related to treatment at The Orchid. Don’t spend one more day wondering what to do. Pick up the phone and let someone with experience show you the way.

Both alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are problems that make you lose out in life – money, friends, family, opportunities, hope, goals – but the good news is that both issues can be treated at an alcohol rehab. It helps to know whether you are dealing with alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction when seeking treatment; this is the best way to make sure that you choose an alcohol rehab center that offers the addiction treatment services that will best help you to heal.

What is Alcohol Abuse?

It is estimated that about 10 percent of women and 20 percent of men in the United States have an alcohol abuse problem. Is it a problem for you? Here are some facts that may help you determine whether or not your alcohol issues are abuse or addiction:

• Alcohol abuse may be defined by periods of abstinence followed by periods of bingeing.
• Alcohol abuse usually develops between the ages of 18 and 25.
• The first instance of alcohol abuse generally happens during the teen years.

A dysfunctional relationship defines the periods of bingeing when alcohol abuse is an issue. For example, you may attempt to escape stress or drown extreme emotions at the bar or in a bottle rather than finding healthier outlets. When this happens regularly and you experience problems in your relationships, with the law, or at work as a result, then alcohol abuse is a problem.

What is Alcohol Addiction?

About 4 percent of women and 10 percent of men live with alcohol addiction, making it the third most common mental illness in the United States, affecting more than 14 million people. The number of bad effects on your life when alcohol addiction is a problem are almost limitless. Many will lose their homes, their livelihood, their families, their health – their day-to-day quality of life. Despite all these problems, alcoholics still devote the better part of their time to getting more alcohol, drinking heavily, and trying to stay drunk. Those living with an alcohol addiction will continue to drink despite all these problems.

Do You Need Alcohol Rehab Help?

If you recognized your own life in the above descriptions of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, and you cannot stop drinking for any lengthy period of time on your own, then alcohol rehab can help. Contact us today at The Orchid to learn more about our addiction treatment service options and get started on your own personal path to recovery.