Alcohol Abuse In Older Adults: A Case Study

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Although substance abuse among the elderly, like alcohol is low considered compared to the general population, its prevalence is still high. A study showed the prevalence of alcohol related problems ranged from 1.4% to 22% (Adams, et al., 1993). It can be understood that the level of alcohol related problems diminishes as an individual ages.

(Alcohol and Public Health,2017) study found the following: Binge drinking is a serious but preventable public health problem.

Alcohol abuse has become one of the principal causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States causing more than 200,000 deaths every year (Hendey, Dery, Barnes, Snowden, &

In Australia 40% of australians from the age of 14 to 19 drink enough alcohol that they can cause a short term accident and or injury. That is a lot of people drinking under age.

techprogram/paper_40822.htm)." Some other effects that can happen from drinking is that students get in trouble with police, vandalism, get injured, or even worse, death. Over 1,400 students are killed annually because of their alcohol use, according to researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health. This survey also claims that over 600,000 students a year are assaulted by other students who have been drinking. Additionally, over 70,000 are the victims of sex assaults or date rapes in similar circumstances. These are very disturbing figures. Thirty-one percent of college students met criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to questionnaire-based self-reports about their drinking. Drinking heavily seems to bring out more difficulties in a person's life and can only continue the same way as an adult. One starts to rely on alcohol to solve problems and may continue throughout their life because their body becomes dependent on alcohol to make them feel good again.

Popular ABC news reporter, Elizabeth Vargas, shared the incredible news about her battle with alcoholism last week on 20/20. This report was partially to promote her new book, Between Breaths. She had gone through most of her career being a secret alcoholic without it affecting her job. However, after 3 decades of drinking, her body chemistry changed. Doctor Dierdre Roche put it this way, “Over time, alcohol hijacks the brain cells to the point that they need alcohol to feel normal.”

Substance abuse in the elderly exists just as in any other population. Many seniors develop substance abuse problems due to circumstances or situations due to the aging process. A report by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that 17% of adults age 60 and older are affected by alcohol abuse and abuse of legal drugs.

According to the Dual Diagnosis website, “In 2012, as many as 87.6 percent of American adults over age 18 were reported in a SAHMSA…study to have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives…The National Institutes of Health…estimated that 17 million adults in the United States in 2012 had an alcohol use disorder” (“Disease…”). Approximately one in every 12 people either are abusing alcohol, or they are becoming, if not are, victims of alcoholism (National…). Alcohol consumption is especially known in our society’s culture. There are numerous people who like to drink every now and again in moderation; however, there are far too many people who abuse the alcohol and may even be completely dependent on it. Several

The article “Alcohol Abuse is Rising Among Older Adults,” is about adults abusing the alcohol usage, and because of that they have to suffer a lot. They get so much into drinking that they don’t even realize how much they are drinking and when they do realize that, either the don’t remember or they end up being in the hospital in serious condition. In the article they talk about a 63 year old man named Wrenn-Meleck, who was in the hospital for a few days recovering from a trauma that he had from drinking so much. From the past years the researchers have been studying which age group abuses alcohol the most and from their study they have found out that adults tend to misuse alcohol, they drink a lot. Also according to research older people

In today's modern society alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse has become one of the most complex, life-threatening issues. Most depressed individuals usually indulge themselves in bars or pubs with their alcohols to escape from their stressful life. It has become increasingly alarming how alcohol does not only attract the adults, but also teenagers these days. "Research has shown that approximately 14 million Americans (7.4%) of the population meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism" ("Facts about Alcohol"). Alcohol addicts may encounter social impact such as loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self- inflictive and easily avoided. Repeated use of alcohol over a period of time can result in

Plenty of people always seem to ask “what are the causes of alcohol abuse?” As a matter of fact, there are many origins that come to mind when actually thinking of why people drink alcohol excessively. Alcohol abuse can run in a person’s family, or sometimes it may be caused by the environment a person is in or if someone is taking on stress (WebMD). When people are frazzled or feel as though they are facing a serious issue within their life, they tend to feel the need to turn towards drinking alcohol so that they can get rid of all the pain they are feeling. Some people treat alcohol as an escape from the grief they are

Alcohol is one of many dangerous substances that effects our bodies. The effects of this drug can be very harmful. Alcohol is a potent non-prescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike other deadly drugs it is easy to access. This makes it easy to over-consume and create a tragic accident, even death. It can damage a person not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Many people each year become more and more addicted to alcohol and soon experience all of it?s dangerous effects. Even if alcohol use is discontinued, some of these damages can not be cured, because the scars have been left on those that drink and those that surround them. The only hope

As compared to men, women of alcohol addiction are diagnosed with medical problems such as depression, cirrhosis, stroke, and brain damage partly because of gender differences (Holdcraft & Iacono, 2002). A woman’s body is generally smaller and contains a higher proportion of fat to water leaving alcohol much more concentrated in the body (McConville, 1983). According to Holdcraft and Iacono (2002), not only do women have higher blood alcohol concentration but also they are highly vulnerable to the physical effects that alcohol can cause. Aside from the previously mentioned medical diagnoses, alcohol can affect the women physically by changing her ovulation and menstruation, which can ultimately affect pregnancy.

The audience will be asked to indicate weather they have been affected by alcoholism directly or indirectly. They will be asked to name the few effects they have experienced that they never liked about people engrossed in alcoholism and the extended effects that they have seen on the family.