‘Say nope to the dope’ applies to older folks, too
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali used the rope-a-dope during his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against George Foreman to bring his opponent to his knees. But we’re pretty sure he never imagined that 44 years later, pharmaceutical companies would be using a take-a-dope technique to wear down the elderly and bring them to their knees — all for a profit. (OxyContin has made over $31 billion in sales.)
That’s just what a suit by the state of Oregon against Purdue Pharma claims. Using the Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities Abuse Prevention Act, the Oregon Department of Justice says that Purdue (the makers of OxyContin) targeted the elderly.
In 2015, for every 100,000 seniors in Oregon, nearly 700 people 65 and older were sent to the hospital because of opioids. And, says the suit, the company focused on long-termcare facilities and urged doctors to prescribe opioids at higher dosages than were safe for people older than 65.
The lawsuit also states: Purdue minimized the risks of abuse and addiction of its opioids. It also alleges Purdue falsely claimed that OxyContin posed a lower threat of abuse and addiction than other painkillers and increased function for patients with chronic pain.
That’s tough stuff, but they’re not the only folks saying it. From Colorado to Tennessee, states across the country are filing suits against the company. And as far back as 2007, the company and three executives pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal charges that they misled regulators, doctors and patients about OxyContin’s addictive powers and agreed to pay to more than $600 million in fines and other payments.
Guess that’s why the United States has 4.6 percent of the world’s population, but consumes 80 percent of the world’s opioids!
But OxyContin isn’t the only medication that’s got older folks on the ropes. Take the recent study that found 25 percent of older Americans who are prescribed Xanax or Valium to help them sleep or quell anxiety become hooked. Unbelievable! Since 9 to 12 percent of women and about 5 to 6 percent of men 65 or older are prescribed the drug, that’s up to 2,205,000 addicted oldsters.
Why does this happen?
As a society we look for shortcuts. We give or take a pill instead of exerting the effort necessary to improve well-being through lifestyle choices (nutrition, exercise, sleep, destressing and avoiding toxins).
Also, to some older folks, who decades before indulged in a little recreational cocaine or marijuana, the use of drugs to alter their pain or distress isn’t a stretch. In fact, a new study found that 9 percent of adults 50 to 64 and almost 3 percent of those 65 and older had used marijuana in the past year. Those folks, say the researchers from New York University School of Medicine, are more likely to abuse alcohol, cocaine and prescription drugs.
Whatever the cause, these days it’s fair to say that we’re living in a society where many people don’t know how to age with vigor and dignity. Witness the fact that 90 million of you have diabetes or prediabetes, 100 million live with chronic pain and around 60 million experienced an anxiety disorder during the past year. Many of these conditions can be remedied with proper diet and exercise.
Taking charge
Whatever your age, take the opportunity to change your future by reducing pain and anxiety:
• Learn about Sharecare’s 12-step Stress Management Plan at https://bit.ly/2NnUfZx. Lose weight if you need to. • • Improve your nutrition by eliminating highly processed foods and red meats, and going for fruits, veggies and 100 percent whole grains.
• Get moving by walking, doing pool exercises, chairbased yoga, strength-building exercises and stretching.
There’s no better medicine than that!
As your body helps you control pain, you’ll sleep better, dispel stress and increase your enjoyment of life. Then, if truly needed, pain and anti-anxiety medications may be smart to take and effective. But don’t ever let them put you on the ropes!
CBT benefits moms with kids who have special needs
To paraphrase something the actress Allison Janney once said: If June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) made women in the 1950s and ’60s feel bad because they didn’t measure up to her all-tooperfect mom character in “Leave It to Beaver,” Janney’s character on the TV sitcom “Mom” should make moms everywhere feel great!
Well, laughter is great medicine. But there’s something else that can make moms, especially those caring for children with special needs, feel better about themselves: cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.
Researchers at the University of Louisville have found that brief CBT sessions — just five 45-to-60minute meetings — significantly improved the mental state of women who take care of children with chronic health conditions, such as cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. The therapists also believe that CBT works in any situation where mothers are emotionally stretched because of a child’s complex health condition.
One therapist describes the women as feeling isolated and blue because they couldn’t hire a baby sitter who knew how to deal with their child’s special needs, and consequently, couldn’t find a way to spend time with friends. But even if such situations didn’t change, after therapy, the moms reported decreased depressive symptoms, such as negative thinking, and their sleep quality greatly improved.
So if you (or someone you know), find yourself in a similar situation, locate a CBT program near you. Contact the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies at abct.org to find a CBT therapist in your area.