Old and High

A Guide to Understanding the Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Baby-Boom Adults' Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse

Robert Youdin

Examines the hidden epidemic of older adults experiencing psychotropic substance dependence from both individual and societal perspectives
Integrates the neuroscience of psychotropic substance abuse with contemporary psychotherapeutic techniques and harm-reductive interventions
Features extensive clinical vignettes that humanize the academic research
Criticizes the medicalization of psychological problems older adults experience
Asses the intersectionality of substance use, abuse, and misuse with race, class, and ageism

Old and High

A Guide to Understanding the Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Baby-Boom Adults' Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse

Robert Youdin

Description

Despite the stereotype of older adults primarily abusing alcohol, clinical practice insights indicate that the baby-boom generation frequently abuses the same substances as younger adults-including alcohol, benzodiazepines/z-drugs, cannabis, opioids, tobacco (nicotine), and neurostimulants. Old and High exposes this hidden epidemic and emphasizes the importance of understanding psychotropic substance abuse as a community health problem. Further, the book identifies the unique cultural values, social values, and risks that baby-boom adults have with respect to substance abuse and misuse to give students and clinical professionals in psychology, social work, gerontology, nursing, and medicine a foundation for working with this population. Readers will learn how to integrate current neuroscience findings with contemporary psychotherapy techniques and harm-reduction interventions to help older adults achieve successful recovery from substance abuse problems. Considering that we will likely observe an increase in rates of substance abuse as the baby-boom generation continues to age-and live longer than previous groups-there will be a major need to better understand the unique risk factors and treatment approaches for working with older adults.

Old and High

A Guide to Understanding the Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Baby-Boom Adults' Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse

Robert Youdin

Foreword
Prologue
Acknowledgments
Part I. Understanding Baby-Boom Adult Psychotropic Substance Use, Abuse and Misuse
Chapter 1. Who Are the Baby-Boom Adults?: Differences Between Their Using, Abusing, and Misusing Psychotropic Substances
Chapter 2. Basic Anatomical and Psychophysiological Concepts Needed to Understand Baby-Boom Adults' Psychotropic Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse
Chapter 3. Consequences of Baby-Boom Adults' Psychotropic Substance Abuse and Misuse
Part II. Psychotropic Substances Used, Misused, and Abused By Baby-Boom Adults
Chapter 4. Alcohol
Chapter 5. Benzodiazepines and Sleep Medications
Chapter 6. Cannabis
Chapter 7. Opioids
Chapter 8. Psychostimulants
Chapter 9. Tobacco
Part III. Psychotherapy Theories and Interventions
Chapter 10. Psychotherapy Theories, Techniques, and Harm Reduction Interventions for Treating Baby-Boom Adults' Psychotropic Substance Abuse

Old and High

A Guide to Understanding the Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Baby-Boom Adults' Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse

Robert Youdin

Author Information

Robert Youdin, Visiting Research Collaborator, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University

Robert Youdin, PhD, is Visiting Research Collaborator in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University and has a psychotherapy practice in Princeton, NJ, specializing in substance abuse treatment.

Old and High

A Guide to Understanding the Neuroscience and Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Baby-Boom Adults' Substance Use, Abuse, and Misuse

Robert Youdin

Reviews and Awards

"This book is very interesting for social workers and social pedagogues working with old people...The content of the book encompasses three parts (1) understanding substance use, abuse and misuse, (2) psychotropic substances, and (3) psychotherapeutic technics and harm reduction interventions. Each chapter bases on acknowledged research findings. Therefore, this book offers an alternative to all the misguided approaches that have been applied in the past." - Niels Rosendal Jensen, Aarhus University, European Journal of Social Work

""Robert Youdin's book Old and High is a ground-breaking guide to understanding Baby Boomers' use, misuse, and abuse of psychotropic drugs. The book is broken into three distinct parts."" - Satara Armstrong-Charlson, The New Social Worker

"Focusing on a hitherto much neglected cohort, this meticulously researched volume, richly illustrated with case examples, is a unique contribution to the field of substance abuse literature. Dr. Robert Youdin sheds light upon the 'hidden epidemic' of psychotropic misuse amongst the baby-boom generation. Generously referencing the physiology and neuroscience of substance habits, he pays welcome attention to the psycho-social-historical roots of the problem and suggests a humane, evidence-based, harm-reduction approach to its treatment and resolution." -Gabor Maté, MD, Author, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction; Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University"