Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jul 2002
Source: Ithaca Journal, The (NY)
Copyright: 2002, The Ithaca Journal
Contact: http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/letters.html
Website: http://www.theithacajournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1098
Author: Kelli B. Grant, Special to The Journal

SUBSTANCE ABUSE SPREADING AMONG SENIOR CITIZENS

Treatment Centers Finding More Cases Of Illicit Drug Use

For "John," the wake-up call about his problem with alcohol came after a 
heart operation earlier this year.

Medical examiners had asked him about his alcohol use, and John said he had 
denied the existence of a problem -- he had always been able to stop 
drinking before.

Then he thought about what he had said: "I had always been able to stop 
before." But if he had always been able to stop, why was he still drinking?

So, at the age of 72, John decided to get help, and began treatment almost 
a month ago for his abuse of alcohol at Cornerstone Recovery Services.

John is part of what the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration is calling a "silent epidemic" of substance abuse that 
affects 17 percent of the nation's senior citizens. According to SAMHSA 
data, patients aged 51 and older accounted for 8 percent of the total 
206,212 substance abuse treatment admissions for New York state in 2001.

SAMHSA statistics show seniors make up a large percentage of those treated 
for abuse of some substances. Older adults represent 33.4 percent of all 
patients treated for alcohol abuse, 38.4 percent of those treated for abuse 
of tranquilizers, and 28.3 percent of those treated for sedatives.

Al Alfaro, an elder abuse/ recovery counselor at Cornerstone, said illicit 
drug use among older adults is an issue that has not been well-addressed. 
He said the problem is growing because baby boomers, many of whom 
experimented with drugs, are just beginning to retire.

Alfaro's goal at Cornerstone is to create a substance abuse treatment 
program that is geared for older adults. He recently created an adult 
wellness circle, and he hopes to begin making home visits and outreach 
trips to adult communities and to set up a special 12-week program for 
rehabilitation.

When they receive treatment, 70 percent of older adults do rehabilitate, 
Alfaro said, which is high compared to the general population. He credits 
the high numbers, in part, to the vast support system and resources -- 
including family, friends, treatment programs and government resources -- 
available to them.

"There's a network out there ... that is very successful," Alfaro said.

Silence

Drug abuse in older adults is a silent epidemic because the problem is not 
often addressed, Alfaro said. Older adults weren't brought up to talk about 
problems outside their families, and so feel the stigma of abuse should not 
be shared.

Other people sometimes don't see the signs because the symptoms of drug 
abuse can easily be confused with symptoms of other diseases. Even injuries 
from substance abuse, such as a fall, can be chalked up to frailty.

Though health care providers may suspect a deeper problem, they don't 
always do the necessary digging, Alfaro said.

"A lot of health care providers don't get training in substance abuse," he 
said.

But many times, caregivers and other people don't see the signs because 
they don't want to, Alfaro said. They don't want to embarrass the person or 
admit that drug abuse knows no age limit.

SAMHSA data indicates there are also a few age-related bodily changes that 
significantly affect the way older adults metabolize alcohol and other 
drugs, which can change tolerance levels and lead to addiction.

Life changes

Alfaro said many adults turn to drugs to deal with the isolation and 
depression caused by many occurrences typical of later life.

Reasons for turning to drug use later in life revolve around losses -- loss 
of a spouse, loss of direction and structure through retirement, loss of 
independence through moving into an adult community or facility, and loss 
of respect in family relationships.

Loss of a spouse is the biggest catalyst, Alfaro said.

"All of a sudden, they're alone," he said.

John said two separate triggers tied him into his alcoholism. The first was 
alcohol as part of "the good life," John said. As a scientist who traveled 
to different parts of the globe, John got used to drinking socially at age 30.

"It's always easier to have another glass than to have a final glass," he said.

Then, several years later, John experienced a family tragedy that set off 
his second trigger --drinking to numb pain.

"Something in you or in your life hurts, and you can't fix it," he said. 
"That's when you reach for the bottle. You use a drug to make life less 
miserable."

Despite his reasons to drink, John said he has never been interested in 
trying any other drugs.

"I would not dare to take drugs," he said. "I sometimes think I'm the only 
professor of my generation who hasn't smoked pot."

John said he has also been lucky enough to have his addiction not greatly 
affect either his work or his family.

"I've never lost my family, even though I'm sure I have given them a hard 
time," John said. "It's not just the victim that suffers. It's the people 
around them."

Alfaro and Terry A. Beckley, outreach program coordinator for Ithaca 
College's Gerontology Institute, predict that illicit drug abuse among 
older adults will become a bigger problem over time as the elder population 
gets larger.

"As the 'flower children,' 'hippies' and the 'love generation' reach older 
adulthood, I believe caregivers are going to be facing a lot of drug use 
and abuse issues."

- ---

"John" is not the subject's real name. He requested to remain anonymous to 
protect himself and his family from the negative stigma that comes with 
addiction.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom