Seniors Vets and Women

Seniors and Alcohol

Growing older brings on many changes:

Changes in Health, Lifestyle, Roles and Support
Growing older often brings physical pain and loss of mobility
Growing older can be stressful and loneliness is common

Alcohol and prescription drug problems, among adults 60 and older is one of the fastest growing health problems facing the country. Yet, the situation remains underestimated, underidentified, underdiagnosed, and undertreated.

Result: Thousands of older adults who need treatment and do not receive it.

Alcohol and drug problems among older adults is something few want to talk about, deal with, even treat! The reasons for this silence are varied:

Health care providers tend to overlook alcohol or drug problems among older people, mistaking the symptoms for dementia, depression, or other problems common to older adults.
Older adults are more likely to hide their alcohol or drug use and less likely to seek professional help.
Many relatives of older individuals with substance use disorders, particularly their adult children, are living in denial or ashamed of the problem and choose not to address it.

The real issue – alcoholism and/or alcohol dependency – is overlooked and not treated properly and effectively.

Veterans and Alcohol

“Most nights when Anthony Klecker, a former U.S. marine, finally slept, he found himself back on the battlefields of Iraq. He would awake in a panic and struggle futilely to return to sleep. Days were scarcely better. Car alarms shattered his nerves. Flashbacks came unexpectedly, at the whiff of cleaning chemicals. Bar fights seemed unavoidable; he nearly attacked a man for not washing his hands in the bathroom. Desperate for sleep and relief, Klecker, 30, drank heavily.” - From “After the Battle, Fighting the Bottle at Home” by Lizette Alvarez.

Alcohol use among active military and veterans is a major health issue in American

Throughout our military history, holding one’s liquor has been akin to being a “real soldier”…on par with knowing how to handle one’s weapon. Heavy drinking, glamorized in the culture of those serving in uniform, is common. After active duty, many veterans who served our country with honor abuse alcohol – for many reasons - and often because of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) associated with their experience during military conflicts on the battlefield.

Women and Alcohol

Marty Mann, NCADD’s founder, was the first woman to recover from alcoholism in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). As a result, NCADD has always been dedicated to increasing public awareness and support for women struggling with addiction to alcohol and drugs. Alcoholism does not discriminate between men and women.

A woman’s pattern of drinking is most likely due to one or a combination of factors:

Having parents, siblings, and/or blood relatives with alcohol problems
Having a partner, lover and/or spouse who drinks heavily
Having the ability to “hold liquor” (tolerance for) more than others
Having a history of anxiety and/or depression
Having a history of childhood physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse

Women who develop alcoholism have death rates nearly 75% higher, than those of male alcoholics. Death from suicide, alcohol-related accidents, heart disease, stroke, cirrhosis of liver, etc. occur more frequently in women vs. men.