Anyone born between 1946 and 1964 is a part of the Baby Boomer Generation. This generation is often defined as people born during the post–World War II baby boom, consisting of approximately of 76 million Americans. During the 1950s, 8% of the population was over the age of 65. By 2019, this number grew to 16.5%. By 2050, 22% of the US population will be over the age of 65 (over 1 out of 5). There will be 3.7 million centurions in the United States by 2050. So what does this have to do with substance use? Here are the facts: Most baby boomers in their younger years, smoked more marijuana and did more illicit drugs than any other generation. Many baby boomers indulged in early substance use, but as they reach middle age and retirement, many have continued to abuse alcohol and drugs, are getting arrested for drug offenses, and dying from drug overdoses.

Many older adults, now approaching retirement, were exposed to older peers and the events of the times, who were proud participants in a counter-culture movement. This anti-war, anti-establishment, and pro-experimentation with drugs, appeared to contribute to a more accepting view of the use of substances. The class of 1979 reported the highest level of drug use (over 50%), of any high school graduating class, before or since. For many Boomers, the use of alcohol, cannabis and other substances has continued through the years. With the aging of any generation, there are changes in health and one’s environment. With Boomer kids no longer around the house, the Boomer begins to lean more on old behaviors of the past, as a means of coping with physical, emotional, and mental concerns. With these concerns, come higher risk, and the possible onset of addiction.

Aging Boomers have a higher rate of accidental overdose than 18-45 year-olds. More members of this generation are dying from accidental overdoses than car accidents, the influenza or pneumonia. While the misuse of prescription medication is a major concern, 36% of Boomer admissions to drug treatment centers are for heroin abuse, 22% for crack cocaine, 12% for opioid painkillers, and 10% for methamphetamines. Over 10% of 50 to 64 year-olds are using illicit drugs. Despite these drugs, alcohol continues to be the most abused substance. For older adults, the proliferation for drug and alcohol use is based on their formative years. With continued use of substances, or rediscovering mind-altering substances, older adult bodies will be unable to handle or metabolize alcohol or drugs as he or she once did. Research studies indicate that if an older adult continues with this behavior, he or she will become one of the 5.7 million Americans over the age of 50, who will require substance abuse treatment.

Another significant factor, contributing to this boom with Boomers, is the massive focus on chronic pain in the U.S. and the subsequent spike in opioid prescriptions. Americans take more prescription painkillers than any other country. The U.S. contains about 4.4% of the world’s population, but is responsible for consuming over 80% of the world’s opioid use. Women of all ages, especially older women are drinking alcohol more often and using more drugs than ever before. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the rate of binge drinking among older women has increased from 6.3% to 9.1%. Rates of female Boomers abusing alcohol and developing dependency have doubled.

As any generation becomes older, the realities of aging begin to settle in. The combination of loneliness, isolation, chronic health conditions, depression and excess free-time may be leading older adults to abuse drugs and alcohol at higher rates. The total number is expected to reach 15 million by 2030. A Duke University study surveyed 11,000 people over the age of 50, and found a correlation between being separated, divorced or widowed and binge drinking.

What about mental health? One in four adults currently struggles with mental illness. Older adults are more likely to have experienced the traumatic loss of a partner, a close friend, and/or a family member. Loss can also come in the form of retirement, and how the very identity of what defined a person for so many years is now gone. The daily existence of boredom and a lack of structure become problematic. When these factors combine with the likelihood that many older adults use alcohol and experimented with drugs as teenagers and young adults, the result is a population vulnerable substance abuse.

There is help.

If you feel that you are struggling with mental health issues and/or substance use, there is help. The majority of individuals with a substance use issue, 84%, also have a co-occurring mental health issue. For many, sobriety is not enough. An individual may need to see a therapist to resolved past issues, find healthier ways of coping, examine their distorted thinking which perpetuating the unhealthy behavior. Most importantly, substance abuse is not about an issue of character, morality, weakness or bad behavior. Mental health and wellness is deserved for all, especially with My Generation (cue music – The Who).

By: Chris Tuell, EdD, LPCC-S, LICDC-CS
Lindner Center of HOPE, Clinical Director of Addiction Services

Congratulations! The readers of Mason + Deerfield Lifestyle have nominated Lindner Center of HOPE for the 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards. The Center is a finalist in the BEST MEDICAL SPECIALIST Category.

Previous years we were a winner!

Please vote yourselves and encourage your friends, family, and patients to vote for Lindner Center of HOPE. They had over 4300 voters last year, and most categories took at least 500 votes to win and some came within 10 votes—EVERY VOTE COUNTS!   Voting will end at 12pm on November 12th at https://bit.ly/MDL-ReadersChoice2022

  • Please note there is only one vote allowed per email address.
  • Please note that winners are determined 100% by the top vote-getter. We had over 4300 voters last year, and most categories took at least 500 votes to win and some came within 10 votes—EVERY VOTE COUNTS! So, be sure to post and share on your social media, websites, email lists, etc.

When Are the Winners Announced?

  • All winners will get an award and window cling.
  • All winners will be listed in the February  issue.

Thanks for voting!

 

 

 

 

 

Nominations for Cincy Magazine’s “Cincy Best Docs 2022” edition is underway now through Sunday, Oct. 23.

NOMINATE NOW

  • Nominations are open to the public—and anyone can submit a nomination once per day, through 9 p.m. on Oct. 23.
  • In November, the publisher will recognize the top three nominees in each category as finalists.
  • Finalists will move on to the final stages of voting, where anyone can vote for category winners up to once each week.
  • Winners from each category will receive a “Cincy Best Doc 2022” award. All winners and finalists will be recognized in the winter issue of Cincy Magazine.

Lindner Center of HOPE is exceptionally proud of our medical staff’s commitment to delivering our mission with empathy and excellence. We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize your favorite physicians by nominating them for “Cincy Best Docs 2022” by Oct. 23.

  • Nominations and votes are confidential. This is associated only with Cincy Magazine’s “Best Docs.” It is not associated with Cincinnati Magazine’s summertime “Top Doctors” voting.

For your reference, a complete list of Lindner Center of HOPE providers, can be found online at https://lindnercenterofhope.org/why-lcoh/leadership/.

Thank you for supporting Lindner Center of HOPE’s clinical staff.

 

RodriguezNelson_2017

October 19, 2022

6pm-7:30pm

Manor House

Click here to register

Nelson F Rodriguez, M.D. FAPA, DABPN – What To Do When Someone Is In Mental Health Crisis?

Attendees will:

  1. Be able to identify common manifestations of a mental health crisis.
  2. Become aware of appropriate resources to assist those in mental health crisis.
  3. Become familiar with the Rapid Access Service (RAS) at the Lindner Center of HOPE.

Anna I. Guerdjikova, PhD, LISW, CCRC
Director of Administrative Services, Harold C. Schott Foundation Eating Disorders Program
Lindner Center of HOPE

 

 

 

 

Emotion regulation refers to the process of generating and maintaining an emotion, as well as the ability to modulate its’ intensity and frequency in order to achieve socioemotional competence and sustain mental health. In modern society, from early age, we learn inhibition to downregulate our emotions (for example, to not cry in public or to not say anything when angry) which often results in emotional restraint. True emotional regulation is reached through focused monitoring, evaluating, and modifying of our emotional reactions and depends on the person’s age, temperamental characteristics and environmental circumstances. Some examples of successfully practicing emotional regulation include being able to calm self-down after something exciting or upsetting happens, sustaining focus on repetitive tasks, refocusing attention on a new task and controlling impulsive behaviors. The skill to emotionally regulate depends significantly on the persons’ age and brain maturity and thus understanding that some of the time the individual is not difficult or spoiled, but developmentally or circumstantially unable to control their emotions can help build empathy and strengthen family systems and relationships.

DOs in Emotional regulation

  • Do create safe space for all emotions- the good, the bad and the ugly. Being happy should be equally accepted in the family as being angry or sad.
  • Do model emotional regulation for your children and peers every time you can. Work on naming your emotion (ex.” I am very upset with you now..”), the reasons for it/ the trigger, if you know it (..”because you hit your sister..”) and the solution you have (..”so I will take a moment to regroup and then we will talk about how I am feeling and what helps me go through it”)
  • Do practice awareness of your reaction to the emotional dysregulation in others. The goal it to learn to respond to their outburst (observe, acknowledge, empathize and work through it) rather than react (yell back or slam the door and leave).
  • Do prepare and reflect. When a challenging situation lays ahead, take the time to prepare yourself and the child for it and afterwards reflect on how preparation and having a rescue plan had helped to minimize emotional outbursts.

DON’Ts in Emotional regulation

  • Don’t expect emotional regulation if the person is hungry, thirsty, tired, lonely or in other way physically unsettled. Emotions are felt in the body and learning how the body reacts to them is a crucial step in recognizing and further regulating them.
  • Don’t ignore or minimize kids’ emotions. They might see overly dramatic, or unnecessary, or inconvenient (airport tantrums, anyone?) but for the child they are real and often intense. Work on acceptance that even if we don’t get it, it is real for them and our job is to validate their struggle/excitement and teach them how to better self-regulate.
  • Don’t pretend you “feel it for them” if you do not. It is ok to state that “I don’t know what you are going through but I am here for you and I am willing to help you out in any way I can”.
  • Don’t try to “fix it” or make it go away or focus on it for too long. Emotions are fleeting, they can feel very intense when they occur, but most of them resolve or lose their overpowering force if the person “stays with it” (recognizes it, tolerates the distress for negative emotions and responds, rather than reacts) for long enough. Learning this skill early on can be truly helpful in adulthood

Practical skills to help with emotional regulation

Mindfulness techniques. There are many ways to focus on the “now” to help tame an emotional outburst. A simple example is the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise. It can distract from the anxiety trigger, focus the person on the present moment, and help them relax in their body. Ask the person to : name 5 things they can SEE in the room (have them list them out loud) ; name 4 things they can FEEL (sock on my feet, knots in my belly) ; name 3 things they can HEAR (my voice, radio); name 2 things they can SMELL right now (my coffee) ; name 1 thing they can TASTE (if not in the moment, what did they taste last night) . This can be shortened to 4-3-2-1 or even 3-2-1, depending on the circumstances.

Relaxation techniques– teach yourself and your young ones deep breathing. Yoga Dragon breath and the Camel pose can be a fun quick way to release tension.  Explode like a volcano/ Balloon technique can be practiced anywhere and most children under 10 years of age find is helpful (pretend you explode like a volcano/popped balloon- you can jump up and model the eruption with your hands and make a lot of loud dramatic volcano sounds). Using movement, music and sensory activities can help further relax and refocus one’s brain.

Diligent self-care – emotional regulation is impossible in a body with unmet basic needs, namely being tired, hungry, thirsty, lonely or sick. Daily self-care, particularly getting enough rest depending on the person’s age, should be encouraged and taught by parents, especially to teens and young adults who have more autonomy and can make the connection between being overly tired and overly emotional and further

 

 

 

 

WHEN: Thursday, October 13, 2022
9am-11am and 3pm-5pm (Bring your resume)

WHERE: Lindner Center of HOPE – gymnasium
4075 Old Western Row Road
Mason, OH 45040

We are currently hiring various positions. Check our website for openings:

Careers

Visit our website to view more information on these positions:
https://lindnercenterofhope.org/careers/ or contact Tom Kelly in HR at 513-536-0306

Let us know you are coming … call Tom Kelly at 513-536-0306.

LCOH Job fair flyer Oct 2022

Jennifer Farley, Lindner Center of Hope.

November 16, 2022

6pm-7:30pm

Countryside YMCA – Lebanon
1699 Deerfield Rd.
Lebanon, OH. 45036

Click here to register

Jennifer Farley, PsyD – Seasonal Affective Disorder

Attendees will:

  • Learn what Seasonal Affective Disorder Is
  • Learn what symptoms are associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • Learn about tips to help manage Seasonal Affective Disorder

 

 

 

Event Details

Walk Venue: Glenwood Gardens

Walk Location: 10397 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45215

Walk Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022

Registration:  9:30am Walk: 10:30am

 

http://nedawalk.org/cincinnati2022

Lindner Center of HOPE Professional Associates now has expanded outpatient nutrition therapy services available to both individuals in the community, as well as, current Lindner Center of HOPE Professional Associate clients.

Lindsey Flannery, registered dietitian, is fiercely passionate about helping folks integrate nutrition as one element of whole-person health and wellness. Lindsey practices from a weight-inclusive, non-diet perspective and can provide nutrition therapy for individuals with a wide variety of mental health and/or medical conditions.

Individuals and families who might benefit most from her services include those who struggle with:

  • chronic dieting
  • disordered eating
  • an eating disorder
  • body image distress
  • picky/selective eating

Lindsey is available for both in-person and telehealth visits.

To learn more, click here.

To schedule a discovery call or appointment, call 513-536-0570. Referrals are not required.

Paul Crosby, MD, MBA, associate professor and executive vice chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and president and chief executive officer of the Lindner Center of HOPE, has been named to Leadership Cincinnati Class 46.

Fifty-three local executives make up the latest class of the leadership development program by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. Those selected will be part of a months-long course designed to boost their leadership skill and further engage them with the community.

“Individuals who are members of the Leadership Cincinnati class are accepting another level of accountability and responsibility for this community,” says Sean Comer, vice president of the chamber’s Leadership Center. “If you look at cohorts from 25-plus years ago, you will find people who still hold key leadership roles in this community today and who have changed the face of our region.”