Baby Boomers
Posted under Baby Boomers
1970s Drug Usage May Be Contributing to Record Numbers of Addicted Older Adults
Research suggests older adults are using more drugs and alcohol, with the trend expected to continue for several more years – causing new concerns over where, and how, to treat millions of older adults with substance abuse problems.
Recent statistics from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health said that while use of illegal drugs for younger teens and pre-teens has dropped slightly, their parents may actually be using more illegal substances. Around 4.4 percent of people in the 50 to 59 age span were noted by the survey to have used drugs during the past thirty days – a figure that marks a climb for the third year in a row.
Posted under Baby Boomers
How Retirement Affects Drinking Later in Life
Retirement is a time of transition from work to leisure, from career to hobbies and enjoyment. It can be a time of transition for habits too, such as drinking alcohol. Patterns of social events and work commitments change when an individual enters retirement, and with that comes a re-ordering of other behaviors.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Older Alcohol Abusers Drink More Than Younger Counterparts
A new report has found that older people who abuse alcohol drink more than their younger counterparts—possibly because they need more alcohol to achieve the desired effects.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Drug Use Increasing among Baby Boomers
A federal government report revealed that illicit drug use among Americans ages 50 to 59 has increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to 9.4 percent in 2005. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said the increase occurred because some baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—continue to use drugs as they get older.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Eating Disorders Later in Life
By Leslie Thompson
Let’s be honest—most of us have had one of those days when we were disappointed or even disgusted by the image of ourselves in a mirror. For most, this feeling doesn’t linger very long and we are able to regain confidence in our appearance. But for some, seeing an unfit, unattractive reflection staring back through the glass is a skewed perception that occurs daily—one that reveals the hidden secret of an eating disorder. What’s more shocking is that the person looking in the mirror often isn’t an adolescent girl—it’s a woman in her forties or fifties.
Posted under Baby Boomers
Alcoholism and Older Adults
By Jill Gonzalez
Alcohol problems are largely underreported across all age groups, but adults over the age of 55 are probably the largest group to be underreported.
In a study conducted on adults aged 60 to 94 years of age, approximately 62% of them reported drinking alcohol on a regular (if not daily) basis, with 13% of them admitting to being heavy alcohol users. To put this into perspective, heavy drinking (as defined in this study) referred to the consumption of at least two alcoholic beverages per day.
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