Alcohol and drug abuse is at a statistical high among the elderly in the United States.  However, the primary problem with substance abuse and the elderly is that it remains largely unreported, undiagnosed, and ignored.  There are numerous reasons why substance abuse by senior citizens is hard to treat and primarily undetected, but the main being that these individuals are no longer active in mainstream society.

Elderly people are less likely than people of other ages to get stopped for driving under the influence, get in trouble with the law, or cause problems in the community, therefore causing their drinking to go unnoticed. Since many elderly people are retired, there is a very low probability that their drinking will cause them to jeopardize a job or career, leaving them with seemingly less consequences for their drinking.

However, elderly people who abuse substances are at very high risk for various physical damages.  Most drinkers who start late in life or who are elderly are affected by social isolation and various physical health problems.  Elderly people who drink are also more likely to fall down and injure themselves, possibly breaking a hip and causing serious or life-threatening damage.

According to a recent study, more than one-third of people over the age of 65 in North America drinks alcohol and 10% of them abuse alcohol.  Substance abuse among the elderly is a growing problem for the elderly themselves as well as the healthcare industry. If you know an elderly person suffering from substance abuse, call Passages today.

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Feelings of insecurities, worthlessness, and low self-esteem affect millions of people in the country today.  Unfortunately, many individuals with little self-worth and a low opinion of themselves engage in destructive and unhealthy behaviors.  When an individual has little confidence and self respect, they are more common to engage in promiscuous sexual activity, drug and alcohol abuse, and other forms of self-inflicted abuse such as bingeing and purging or cutting. While there are numerous underlying reasons why people choose to use drugs and alcohol, at Passages Malibu we see people with no self confidence and a low opinion of themselves to be one some the most common underlying causes of addiction.

Often times, individuals with a poor sense of self often feel as though their life is worthless, unstable, or that they have no control or do not even care to have any control.  At Passages Malibu, a key part of our treatment program is working on client self-esteem.  Our therapists help our clients realize that they are significant, morally sound, valuable people who deserve respect, attention and affection.

Drugs or alcohol may seem like an easy solution at first to numb the pain at first for people suffering from low self-esteem.  However, throughout drug and alcohol abuse their problems still exist and in fact severely worsen.  We believe that once an individual develops a strong sense of self and increases their confidence, they will no longer want or need to abuse alcohol.  At Passages Malibu, our therapists are experienced in helping clients gain self-confidence and overcome their addictions.

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Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, speed, crank, or ice, is an extremely potent and addictive stimulant that can be injected, smoked, snorted, or swallowed.  Meth affects the central nervous system and neurochemical mechanisms that regulate mood, blood pressure, appetite, heart rate, and body temperature.  Meth has become the number one drug of choice and abused substance primarily in low-income, rural areas, mainly because it is cheap to produce using common household items.

Meth has very serious physical and psychological effects, and compared to other drugs it results in severe damage very quickly.  Prolonged meth abuse can result in increased blood pressure, inflammation of the heart lining, stroke, increased aggression and episodes of violent behavior, anxiety, depression, paranoia, insomnia, rapid weight loss, loss of teeth and hair, and skin damage, sores or “graying.”  Individuals who inject meth are also at risk for HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne viruses.  After using meth, the addicted individual experiences a severe withdrawal which can cause feelings of depression and suicide.  Meth detox should be performed at a medically supervised, professional detox facility due to the fact that it can result in psychotic episodes, paranoia, delusions, depression, aggression, hallucinations, feelings of suicide, and various physical ailments.  If you or someone you know needs help dealing with a meth addiction, passages can help.

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In recent years, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has been focusing a large amount of research on identifying and understanding differences in the ways that women and men react to and are at risk of abuse and addiction, and also the differences of how they react to drug treatment.  Although addiction is caused by various underlying issues, in both men and women, the way each genders reacts to addiction and treatment does differ.  Researchers believe that realizing these differences and then incorporating the knowledge into substance abuse prevention and treatment programs can increase effectiveness. NIDA-supported research shows that women and men tend to abuse different drugs, that drugs and alcohol do have differing side effects for women and men, and that some treatment methods are more effective depending on the gender of the client. 

Interestingly, research shows that women and men seem to differ in their susceptibility to become addicted to certain drugs. Both genders show equal likelihood to become dependent on tobacco, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants, however, women are more likely than men to become dependent on sedatives, tranquilizers, anxiety medications or sleeping pills, and are less likely than men to abuse alcohol or marijuana. Women in treatment programs are also more likely than men to have attempted suicide and to openly report a history of sexual abuse or physical abuse.  At Passages Malibu, we offer over 16 different treatment modalities to create customized programs for each of our clients.  If you or someone you know needs treatment, contact Passages today.

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In recent years, the population of stay at home mothers or housewives has been increasing their drug and alcohol abuse at an alarming rate.  There are many explanations for this fairly new trend, however, it is still troublesome.  Some of the reasons researchers have pointed out as the primary causes of drug addiction in this population are stress, loneliness, and postpartum depression.  For many women, the choice to raise a family has caused them to leave their careers and put their hopes and dreams on the back-burner.  This quick switch in roles from career woman to housewife often leaves women feeling lonely and depressed.  Endless nights without adequate sleep, constant pressure, weight gain, and fluctuations in hormones, lack of any free time, performance anxiety, and frequent cases of postpartum depression often leave women seeking a way to self-medicate.  There is a direct correlation that shows that postpartum depression leads to drug and alcohol abuse as a way of coping.  If a woman has already struggled with depression, mental illness, or drug addiction in the past, these problems can be amplified due to the stress of new motherhood.  Statistics show that housewives and mothers are more likely to abuse alcohol, benzodiazepines, and various prescription pills rather than illegal drugs.  If you feel as though depression or the general stress of motherhood is causing you to consume drugs or alcohol as a way of coping, Passages can help.

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