Alcohol abuse is a severe problem not only among teens, but also among older adults. With many health problems arising at this age, the effects of alcohol abuse further add up to the problems in the older adults. Alcohol abuse at this age can develop health problems and chronic diseases. Older adults’ body cannot withstand the severe effects of alcohol abuse. Hence older adults should limit their drinking habits.

Older adults should limit their drinking

Many studies today suggest that older adults should limit their drinking habits. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recently recommended that limits of drinking alcohol for older people should be drastically cut down. They suggested that the upper ‘safe drinking limits’ for the people aged 65 and above should be reduced from 3 units to 1.5 units of alcohol per day.

According to American Medical Association (AMA), 3 million Americans aged above 60 years are alcoholics and the alcohol related hospitalizations among the elderly are as common as heart attacks.

Physical effects

Alcohol has many harmful effects on the physiology of the body. The major physical effects of alcohol abuse are:

• Increases the risk of various types of cancers like liver, pancreas, breast and mouth
• Raises the risk of heart strokes by increasing the blood pressure and blood lipids
• Causes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis
• Increases the risk of kidney failure by enlarging the kidneys and altering the hormone functions
• Heavy drinking can result in weak bones (osteoporosis), diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers
• It may also lead to immune system disorders and brain damage

Mental effects

Psychiatric disorders of alcohol abuse are common in older people. Older people are at increased risk for cognitive and functional impairment due to alcohol abuse compared to younger adults.

In many of the cases, older people do not know that they are facing a mental disorder due to alcohol consumption. Let us have a look on how alcohol affects the mental state of an adult.

• The responsiveness of the brain in alcoholics differs from the normal people and hence excessive intake produces a rapid depressant effect, resulting in impaired body-mind co-ordination and memory loss
• Alcohol taken in conjunction with the prescribed medication can cause adverse side effects and worsens the depression
• Causes anxiety and insomnia
• Alcohol also heightens emotions leading to moodiness, irritability or even violence

All the above facts clearly indicate that older adults should limit their drinking habits. They may find it difficult to get rid of their drinking habits in this stage of life, but keeping in view the severity of ill effects, these habits should be withdrawn. Fortunately, alcoholism is treatable and the elderly have the highest rates of success in treatment.

If you are trying to recover from a drug addiction and reclaim your life, the most common treatment methods available are usually based on a version of the traditional 12 step model which takes less than 30 days to complete. Although this methodology can be effective for some, long term drug rehabs that are considerably lengthier provides much more effective treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

Unfortunately, the popularity of the 30 day program is mostly money-driven. This started when originally most insurance companies would only cover up to 30 days of drug rehabilitation. While molding treatment to the demands from insurance coverage, this resulted in a publicly popular treatment model which actually produces higher percentage of patients relapsing opposed to other methods of addiction therapy. Those who have been serious about facing their addiction and honestly wanting to end the cycle of relapse have not settled for mediocre rehab; and fortunately looked further into alternative non 12 step drug rehab options.

A primary advantage from non twelve step drug rehabs are they allow patients to approach their own individual problems in-depth, complemented by complete physical detoxification processes which is not what one would normally find at a typical twelve step program.

While no program is perfect, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both the 12 steps and non 12 step methodology of treatment, there are many reasons why most researchers consider non 12 step programs more effective. One key factor is rather than being limited to a set 30 days of treatment, non 12 step drug rehabs are generally long term treatment programs which can last upwards to 90 days or longer.

12 step programs also rely heavily on group therapy sessions where patients are encouraged to share their past experiences in a group setting as they try to overcome their addiction. With limited time and generic non-individualized treatment, this unfortunately leaves little that can actually be accomplished with traditional 12 step therapy.

Removing the 30 day limit and applying tailor made programs allows the addict to be able to truly dig deep and uncover the underlying issues which are the catalyst of their addiction. Breaking free from the norm by not basing themselves on a dated model and focusing more on the individual with tailor made plans suited specifically to the patient is the strength of non 12 step programs. Devoting as much time as possible and including different treatment protocols including chemical detox, one on one counseling, life skills courses and even aftercare treatment is why non 12 step programs have quadruple the success rates.

Is it just me, or does it seem like just about everyone is trying to find a way to alter their mind? By this I am not talking about those doping yoga or deep meditation, I am talking about those using chemical substances to, for lack of a better phrase, get a buzz.

From the most common drugs of alcohol and marijuana to cocaine, meth and heroin, to prescription medication and some of the newer chemical substances, people are getting buzzed.

You know what really scares me? I am sober! I don’t have the luxury of getting my own buzz on, having full knowledge that a ridiculously high number of people driving around me, are under the influence of something.

As a counselor for both in class and online alcohol awareness classes, my students and I often discuss some of the lesser known “buzzes” that many of them and their friends use. I assure you, there are ways kids are getting buzzed nowadays that, pun intended, will blow your mind!

Blow Your Mind!

This article aims to address some of the recent “trendy buzzes” and how lethal they can be. What is especially terrifying is that some of these buzzes remain legal.

Having been sober long enough not to have ever had a medical card to purchase medicinal marijuana, I had no idea all of the products you can purchase in a medical marijuana dispensary. Of course there are edibles like cookies, brownies and candy. But did you know they had pot-laden peanut butter and THC-hopped jelly?

There is also honey, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, lollipops and a variety of pot-filled beverages.

Grooming products like soap and shampoo, hair gel and of course bath tonic – all made with marijuana and capable of getting a person buzzed.

Toxic Bath

One of the more frightening recent trends is bath salts. Yep, you read that correct – bath salts. These are not the Calgon bath salts advertised on to television whose slogan was “will take you away.” No, these bath salts are capable of killing.

One emergency room physician claimed to have treated a patient who came in with a temperature over 107 degrees. Other ER reports speak consistently of highly elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Patients enter in such horrible condition that they can even go into kidney failure.

I know what you’re thinking – really who knew. How can bath salts do this must also come to mind.

The primary chemicals in these bath salts are mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone. They supposedly act very much like synthetic marijuana, which has only recently started to be banned in certain states. These synthetic stimulants create quite a buzz.

Not Soaked, but Snorted and Smoked

These bath salts do not enter the body through the pores after a long hot soak. Because they come in powder and crystal form they are commonly snorted or injected or even smoked.

How can they remain legal?

It seems like the time is getting near where there will be legislation banning, or at least restricting the sale of these bath salts. Just last March the DEA got five chemicals banned that are commonly found in both synthetic marijuana and can be found in some bath salts. There are now congressmen and state senators aware of the problem and I do not think it will be too long before the DEA is forced to get involved. At this point more than 20 states have banned the sale of these bath salts.

These bath salts are really that dangerous. How dangerous?

Acting Crazy

One of the primary complaints from ER personnel from patients coming in after soaking in these bath salts is they are completely physically out of control. Doctors often discharge them from the ER and they are admitted directly into the psychiatric wards because they are completely out of their minds.

Often it takes four or more hospital personnel just to control them as they flail violently out of control. Heavy doses of sedatives are required to bring them down. This is crazy stuff.