Friday, January 9, 2009

UNPLANNED MIDDLE AGE - INVITES ALCOHOLISM

A little work, a little plan, and SEX. For men and women in the aging years, that is probably the best formula for avoiding alcoholism, according to american psychiatrist, Dr. Leon Saltzman. For those approaching retirement years, his message is: Plan ahead. "Retirement without adequate preparation for alternative activities may lead to boredom, loneliness, and feelings of worthlessness," said Dr. Saltzman, Deputy Director, Bronx Psychiatric Centre, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Such feelings, he said, may lead to depression which in turn may lead to alcoholism. "The crisis years in the absence of responsible involvement in some activity, be it work or play, lend themselves to depression or its equivalent, often ending up in excessive drinking to a point of alcoholism." The relevant issue in both sexes seems to "refer to the marked effects of the reduction or sudden termination of hitherto active functioning either in professional or domestic roles," said Dr. Saltzman. "In the aging crisis, for many of us the difficulty lies in the unfortunate assumption that a productive existence is impssible in the declining years." While the prescription for prevention of such difficulties is comparatively simple, he said, the program to carry it out is "enormously difficult" in a society "where only the young and the active are rewarded with both financial and social acceptance." There should be programs of community education, reforming and restructuring of social security laws, improved retirement programs by organizations and altered attitudes towards the aging, "particularly those in the years from 45 to 70", he said. "These are the most productive years in the sense that the individual has now arrived at the height of his skills in his occupation or profession and can be a very effective participant in any program, even if he is not as physiologically capable as he was in the earlier years. "In addition, misconceptions about sexual activities need to be clarified since the aging years are not associated with a loss of sexual interest but, in fact may be associated with an increased sexual interest even though there may be decreased frequency. There is surely the continued capacity for full and total sexual enjoyment." While this applies to both male and female, for the female "it may also be a period of greater sexual enjoyment since there is no longer any need to restrain or to inhibit one's sexuality because of children and other social restraints." For both men and women, although often at different ages, there are many disruptive elements whether they are single, married, with or without families, said the psychiatrist. THE JOURNAL Don says: This hits home with my wife and I (I am 75, and my wife is 71) . Since retirement some seven years ago we have maintained an active sex life. In addition she and I are in various organizations and have a very active social and "mind active" existance. It would be easy to sit at home in the rocking chair, watch the t.v., play cards on the internet, and watch the world go by. I am happy to say that my wife and I are involved in a Civil War reenactment outfit, and travel around Ontario to reenactments, while, on weekends we live in a tent, cook our meals on the fire outside and go to war each day at 2.00pm. In addition my wife has been a participant in the Sweet Adelines Singing group, and runs a non profit cross country ski group during the winter. She has 35 girls in the group here and Barrie, and while we lived in Orillia she had a group of 150 women. Sometimes I get weary and want to slack off, but she urges me to go on. Rightly she feels that we should remain active and keep the "blood flowing"

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