Substance Abuse Amongst the Elderly Essay

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Q4. Participants at treatment facilities might be disproportionately affluent and white, given that historically, individuals of color suffering from addictions have more often been relegated to prisons, rather than received support and assistance. Public as well as private treatment facilities may need to be compared, to ensure a more representative sampling.

Part B:

Article:

Benshoff, John J., Laura K. Harrawood, & Darwin Shane Koch. (2003, April-June). Substance

abuse and the elderly: unique issues and concerns. Journal of Rehabilitation. 69.

In this study, the authors used a literature review format to examine a variety of previous studies of substance abuse amongst the elderly. In general, while individuals tend to age out of illicit drug use, alcohol abuse remains a risk throughout an individual's lifespan, given the lack of social and cultural taboos. Broad-ranging studies have found that alcohol abuse amongst the elderly is a silent epidemic, and both late and early-onset alcoholism exists, although late onset alcoholics tend to exhibit fewer signs of psychological trauma and physical complaints than early-onset abusers.
However, for all groups, because of the lower muscle-to-fat ratios of aging individuals, alcohol abuse can have a more negative impact upon the sufferer. Late onset users typically abuse alcohol after a traumatic life event, such as retirement and/or a death of a spouse, although it is unclear if the change in life circumstances causes the alcoholism, or makes it easier for the individual to indulge in alcoholic behavior without notice.

Interestingly, none of the studies cited were controlled for racial or gender-related issues. It was briefly noted that amongst poorer alcoholics, alcohol abuse may be used as self-medication when an individual cannot afford legitimate prescription drugs or therapy. It is also noted that poorer alcoholics, regardless of age of onset, suffer more negative consequences: they have less discretionary income to buy other necessities (such as food) and less….....

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