IDENTIFYING SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION LIVING IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

I recently received this letter from a visitor to our blog:

"As a group, we baby boomers experimented more with alcohol and illicit drugs than did previous generations. It is therefore hypothesized that we will have more lenient attitudes about alcohol and illicit drug use than previous generations. I cringe at using the word 'elderly' and prefer to think of this generation as 'boomers' which sounds like a lot more fun! After all, we welcomed the use of substances to rebel, feel more socially acceptable and to experiment with alternative realities.  However, the reality is when open attitudes about alcohol and illicit drug use are coupled with our issues of maturing, exposure to and misuse of prescribed medications,  substance abuse presents a challenging and widespread public health problem.

It is often difficult to assess substance abuse in the this generation. Many times clinicians and family members are hesitant to ask whether the we are having problems with substance use or misuse of prescription medications. Accepted ways of detecting problems with substances (ie. time lost from work, legal problems, or decreased participation in important social activities) don’t always work for the person who is isolating due to retirement, loneliness, addiction. Not eating well,  exercising or being involved socially can contribute to cognitive impairment. Not thinking clearly, and being easily confused may interfere with the ability  to self-monitor the correct intake of medications or interpret feedback from health care providers. MEDICARE is now recognizing that paying for substance abuse treatment services is essential to reduce medical problems in the future.

Until recently, little attention has been paid to substance use disorders in this growing population which includes boomers and their parents. I remember after my mother died, my father started drinking heavily. This was over 30 years ago but my sibling’s reactions were: oh let him go, he’s not hurting anybody, it helps him when he’s lonely, it gives him something to do, it keeps him from missing Mom, he’s worked hard all his life—let him enjoy himself. It also gave us a break since he was “entertaining” himself. Those were our attitudes back then and how many children with aging adults still have this same perspective? We never considered Dad an alcoholic even though he probably would have lived longer if he hadn’t consumed so much alcohol!

"Life is difficult." I remember this opening line from M. Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled." But the way we react to our difficulties makes us who we are. To help avoid skyrocketing healthcare costs, we must learn to cope with life’s difficulties without always looking for the quick fix or instant gratification.

Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in older adults are often under-detected in medical practice. Despite the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation for routine alcohol screening, assessing substance abuse in the boomer generation and their parents isn’t always easy. However, only 13% of primary care physicians use a formal screening tool for alcohol problems.

Problems associated with heavy drinking and drug use among the those over 50 will become more pervasive unless good prevention and detection guidelines are more widely utilized among medical professionals."

If you or someone you love would like to speak with a professional regarding a possible substance abuse problem, call Tamra at (858) 453-4315. There is hope for a grander tomorrow!!

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Founder and Executive Director