Seniors alcohol addiction in old age

Alcohol addiction often goes unnoticed in the elderly

07/17/2014

Alcohol addiction affects all walks of life and almost all age groups. In a group of people, however, the addiction usually goes unnoticed: seniors drink secretly and are ashamed of their behavior. Therapy offers especially for older people, there are hardly any. A new short-term therapy could offer sufferers a way out.

More than a quarter of men and just under a fifth of women over the age of 65 consume alcoholic levels of concern
Besides nicotine addiction, alcohol addiction is one of the most prevalent dependencies in the Western world. Here a glass, as well as a glass and the Feierabendbier not to forget - wine, beer and liquor are an integral part of everyday life for many people. This often applies to seniors.

According to a study by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 27 percent of men and 19 percent of women aged 65 and over drink alcohol that is considered harmful to their health. For women, the limit is 10 to 12 grams of pure alcohol per day, which is about 0.1 liter of wine or 0.25 liters of beer. For men, about twice the amount.

Loneliness is a common trigger for alcohol dependence of seniors
The news agency "dpa" talked to a retiree about her ordeal. One month after the death of her husband, the 72-year-old had slipped deep into addiction and already drank vodka in the morning, the woman reports. Then came the daily walk to get supplies. She never bought her liquor in the same store because she was ashamed of her addiction. "I said then: I lost the world. I had no joy in life and no sense. "The 72-year-old was desperate. "First and foremost, I was physically exhausted. If I had stood in professional life, that would not have happened to me, "said the former teacher. By now she is dry. It was above all the relationship with her son that she had moved away from alcohol.

Above all, the pressure of his employer was crucial for Reinhard Pribyl. "That was the sticking point - because I woke up," reports the 61-year-old, who is committed today in the cross-federation diocesan association for other alcoholics, to the news agency. Pribyl has been dry for 22 years. The 72-year-old has again found a job in life. She is involved in child care and homework help. "That's important, I'll be needed there."

Alcoholism in senior citizens is often a taboo topic
Alcohol dependence of seniors is often taboo. Many people also do not get the idea that an elderly lady speaks indistinctly because she is drunk or an older man goes unsafe for the same reason. Even in medical practices and nursing staff, the topic is often not present. Senior citizens are primarily seen as an "old-age patient" with heart or eye problems. That an elderly person but also can be alcohol dependent, takes a back seat. Therefore, signs of risky handling of alcohol by physicians may be overlooked or neglected when investigating seniors. In addition, the regular consumption of wine and beer at festivals, at the regulars' table and at club meetings is part of social life and socially accepted.

Drug interactions and antidepressants can add to alcohol addiction
Christa Merfert-Diete from the Department of Addiction Issues told the news agency that alcohol addiction among seniors could be exacerbated by tonics such as Klosterfrau Melissengeist, Doppelherz and Buerlecithin. They all contained alcohol. In combination with drugs and in particular sleeping pills such geriatrics would harbor new addictive dangers. Seniors often take a variety of different medicines. "This can lead to addiction dependency," says the expert. But: "An old body can stand less."

As reasons for the late entry into the alcohol dependence calls Merfert Diete among other things the loss of the partner, loneliness and the conversion to a life as a pensioner. "There are personal experiences of destiny that can lead to someone starting to drink more." In addition, seniors could adjust their lives to alcohol more easily than younger people: "I do not have to be careful now - I do not drive a car anymore."

New short-term therapy For alcohol addiction of seniors
Although alcohol dependence among seniors is no exception, as shown by the figures of the RKI study, there are so far only few therapy offers that are specifically tailored to older people. The addiction researcher Gerhard Bühringer from the Dresden University of Technology explains in an interview with the news agency that many people believe that alcoholism is less of a problem for seniors than for younger people. "Then you should let them have the alcohol but to death," was the common view.

Bühringer heads the private institute for therapy research in Munich. With colleagues in Denmark and the US, he wants to help older people find their way out of alcohol addiction as part of the "Elderly" project. A multi-year therapy or a stationary "Wegschließen" would not be necessary. That should be shown with the project. The new short-term therapy will be accompanied by a study of 1,200 people affected, with 200 people each from Dresden and Munich and 400 from the US and Denmark each.

The concept is already being put into practice. So it finds in the advice centers of the Caritas and the addiction help prop application. "We want more older people to find us," says Prop CEO Andreas Czerny told the news agency. "Shame is a difficult and predictable moment for this group." Alcohol addiction in old age usually has different causes than younger people. For many elderly people, concepts for loneliness and meaninglessness can offer a way out of addiction.