At Any Age, It Does Matter:
Substance Abuse and Older Adults (for Professionals)

Module 5: Recognizing Other Forms of Substance Abuse - Page 11 of 31

Psychoactive Drugs and Alcohol

Older adults’ use of psychoactive drugs combined with alcohol is a growing concern. In a study of inpatients age 65 and older in a chemical dependency program, 12 percent had combined dependence on alcohol and one or more prescription drugs.4 In addition, one study showed that two-thirds of women in an alcohol treatment center had received prescriptions for abusable drugs and one-third reported abusing them.12

The drug-abusing women in this study reported more suicide attempts and early antisocial problems. They had received more psychiatric care than the alcoholic women who did not abuse their prescriptions. These findings are of particular concern because anxiolytics, hypnotics, and stimulants may be used to treat alcohol and other drug abuse.

Concomitant use of prescribed benzodiazepines and alcohol is also common among older adults, especially older women. This includes nonabusive use of both substances, which may be harmful even at modest doses. For example, consuming one or two drinks plus a small dose of a sedative at night can cause problems.

Concern is also raised with the concomitant use of alcohol and opiates prescribed for pain relief. Little empirical evidence exists in this area. However, clinical practice suggests that dual addiction decreases the effectiveness of specific interventions and increases the individual’s severity of symptoms.

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