Substance Abuse in the Elderly, Disabled, and LBGT...

The purpose of this paper is to explore the multicultural reaches of substance abuse by examining populations that are often overlooked in addiction studies. Over the past several decades, many general studies have been done about the prevalence and effects of addiction. These studies often focus on risk factors, daily use and/or treatment, and information is gathered through polls and observations. Most of these studies, however, are nonspecific regarding social and cultural factors. I will focus on how addiction affects three vulnerable populations: the elderly, disabled, and gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered populations. One population that is often overlooked when examining addiction is the elderly. In reality, alcoholism†¦show more content†¦The Royal College of Psychologists warns that even normal amounts of alcohol can be a danger to the elderly because of balance issues; alcohol can exacerbate unsteadiness and increase the risk of falling Although more elderly people seek treatment for alcohol abuse, it is not the most commonly abused substance among this population. Compared to adolescents and younger adults, illegal drug use among older adults is rare, however prescription drug abuse is common. Over 1/3 of all prescription medication sold in the United States is used by elder individuals, and most of the prescribed drugs have high abuse potential (Doweiko, p. 256). Consequently, more people over the age of 65 abuse prescription drugs than any other substance. Because of age-related medical problems, undiagnosed mood disorders (such as chronic depression, often magnified by social factors such as loss of peers or a spouse), and changed body chemistry, this population is particularly vulnerable to the effects of and the abusive properties of pharmaceuticals. These factors combined with the fact that many elderly adults have multiple prescriptions that can interact with each other and compound the risk for addic tion. Out of all the drugs prescribed to older adults, sedatives and benzodiazepines potentially cause the greatest concern. Benzodiazepines are prescribed to older adults more than any other age group. According to the Center for Substance Abuse