Alcohol Has Bigger Effect on People in Middle Age Due to Physical, Lifestyle Changes

By Join Together Staff | November 19, 2013 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol

Alcohol affects people more in middle age due to physical and lifestyle changes, according to The Wall Street Journal. As people start to take more medication in their 40s and 50s, the risk of alcohol and drug interactions also increases.

As people reach middle age, they experience changes in body composition, brain sensitivity and liver functioning, the article notes. “All of the effects of alcohol are sort of amplified with age,” David W. Oslin, a professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told the newspaper. “Withdrawal is a little bit more complicated. Hangovers are a little bit more complicated.”

Changes in body composition during middle age result in more alcohol circulating in the bloodstream. In addition, the liver, which metabolizes alcohol, gets less efficient as people age. The level of certain enzymes that break down alcohol decreases. Hormonal changes that women experience during menopause can increase their sensitivity to alcohol.

In middle age, people tend to drink less than they did when they were younger, notes Robert Pandina, director of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University. So when you do drink “you might have a more sensitive response to alcohol because you’ve lowered your exposure to alcohol over all,” he said.

Drugs that can interact with alcohol include heartburn drugs such as Zantac, acetaminophen, and blood thinners like Coumadin. Mixing blood thinners with alcohol can cause bleeding. “People on Coumadin shouldn’t really drink at all,” Dr. Oslin noted. Combining alcohol with some pain medications and benzodiazepines can make a person “more prone to sedation, more prone to cardiovascular risk and more prone to overdose,” he added.

According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, about 52 percent of people ages 45 to 64 had at least 12 drinks in the previous year.

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Recovery from the disease of addiction is possible! Save the Date--December 18 But in the event you cannot attend, order your ornament now and we will place it on the tree for you

ORNAMENTS AND DEDICATIONS Think about those you know whose lives have been affected by alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. To honor them with an ornament and personal dedication message click HERE, then click Events, then Tree of Hope and select from several options. Or call 215-345-6644           Note that one option is to  underwrite stars so those unable to afford them can dedicate an ornament on the tree. We will arrange that. Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.  MUSIC MUSIC will be provided by Cordus Mundi   Cordus Mundi is an a cappella group that performs throughout the Bucks County region. Their widely varied and entertaining repertoire spans several centuries and musical styles. Click here for Cordus Mundi 23rd Annual Dedication Ceremony Wednesday, December 18 6:30 pm  Bucks County Courthouse Lobby 55 East Court Street, Doylestown (Park in the VIP Parking Lot at Court & Broad Streets  or use street parking)   Join us for an evening of hope and dignity. Enjoy fellowship, music, personal testimonials and light refreshments. The Tree of Hope   CELEBRATES freedom from addiction, honoring persons successfully achieving recovery; DEDICATES rays of hope to those still struggling in the illness and those working in the field; and COMMEMORATES lives lost to this tragic and misunderstood disease.       Join us and members of the public to decorate the Tree of Hope with personalized ornaments bearing the names of people we wish to honor. Whether in commemoration and remembrance for a life lost, or in celebration and recognition for a life gained in recovery, each ornament placed on the 18-foot evergreen tree is a representation of the hope of recovery and a symbolic reminder that recovery benefits the entire community. Attendees will have special opportunities to place their dedicated ornaments on the tree during the ceremony and enjoy refreshments afterward.        If you are unable to attend, you may order an ornament and dedication and choose to have us place your ornament on the tree for you.   TO ORDER YOUR ORNAMENTS AND DEDICATION MESSAGES, PLEASE CLICK HERE, then click Events, then Tree of Hope  or call 215-345-6644  HOW WE USE PROCEEDS              Proceeds from the Tree of Hope will go toward providing Recovery Support Services to individuals and families and to supporting programs in our PRO-ACT Recovery Community Centers to help people access and sustain long-term recovery.         To make a cash donation to the Tree of Hope, please click HERE, then click Events, then Tree of Hope Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.  CONTACT     www.councilsepa.org

November 21 v 21 POWER IN THE PROVERB

Whoever pursues righteousness and love

finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.

STEP :12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others , and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Righteousness means living life the way GOD designed us to live it .The proverb along with the step are two simple instructions for us on how to live , and by living right we recieve life,prosperity , and honor . Every morning for me it is up at five , so I can do just that carry the message.God gave me my freedom from addiction , how could I not tell the world after living in such a nightmare.There is not a drug or drink in the world that can match the feeling you get when you know you have helped someone find soberity.The twelveth step is not only an instruction it is a principle we must live by every single day ,because our brothers and sisters are still out there lost , hurt , and confused.

Monty Dale Meyer
Discussion - Yesterday 2:52 AM
Three Types of Drinkers

Three Types of Drinkers
Monty Dale Meyer
Discussion - 12:25 AM
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Listen Now: RADIO REHAB'S The Road to Redemption with BRYAN DUNCAN

Topic: Sobriety & Sanity http://take12radio.com/thursday.htmld a comment...

November 20 v 11 POWER IN THE PROVERB

Even a young man is known by his actions

whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.

STEP : 4 We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves .

This was the toughest step fo me ,and it is one , I have to work on a daily basis . When I close my eyes at night to sleep , after my small talk with the Lord ,the movie projector begins to replay all the stuff I had to face during the day in my head. The way we behave is going to tell others everything they need to know about us. 

This a great time as you are watching the daily scenes ,to not let negative feelings , like regret take hold . Share the negative with the Lord ,and if you hurt anybody during the day you need to make it right . Someone told me a long time ago ,you are only as sick as your secrets. Step 4 is designed for us to get it out in the open , deal with it and get rid of it.

Prescription Drug Abuse is Nation’s Fastest Growing Drug Problem: DEA Report

By Join Together Staff | November 19, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs& Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug abuse continues to be the nation’s fastest growing drug problem, according to a new report by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Americans are abusing prescription drugs at a higher prevalence rate than any illicit drug except marijuana.

Pain relievers are the most commonly abused prescription drugs, and are most likely to be involved in overdose incidents, the article notes. Last year, 28 percent of law enforcement officials said prescription drugs are their biggest drug problem, up from 9 percent in 2009.

Heroin was easier to obtain in the United States last year, likely due to high levels of heroin production in Mexico, and Mexican traffickers expanding into white powder heroin markets in the eastern and Midwestern United States, the DEA said. Many prescription opioid users have turned to heroin because it is cheaper and/or easier to obtain, law enforcement and treatment officials around the country report.

Cocaine was less available in some parts of the country, the Miami Herald reports. Several major cities, including Chicago, Houston, St. Louis, Phoenix and Baltimore, reported sporadic interruptions in cocaine availability in the spring of 2012. These interruptions may have been due to counterdrug efforts, conflict within and between drug cartels in Mexico, and continued reductions in cocaine production rates in Colombia.is also concerned with the abuse of synthetic drugs, such as K2, Spice and bath salts.

The availability of methamphetamine and marijuana is likely on the rise because of increased production in Mexico, and ongoing domestic production, the DEA noted. The agency