Loosening the Grip : A Handbook of Alcohol Information, 6th Edition
by Michael Beechem
Category: Alcoholism

This text is the first of its kind to substantively integrate alcoholism, aging, and grief theories into an easy-to-understand format for interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate students in the behavioral and physical sciences. Written to prepare students in working with an elderly clientele, the reader is provided with elder-specific practice methodology derived from experiential and theoretical content. Chapters 1 through 4 alert the readers to the nature of elderly alcoholism and accompanying aging theories. Chapter 5 underscores the challenges faced by professionals in identifying elderly alcoholism because the symptoms often mimic other diseases, namely, acute dementia. Chapter 6 is a comprehensive study of elder-specific populations, including people of color, lesbians, gays, and the homeless. Chapters 7 through 13 are essentially practice intervention chapters that include in-depth discussions of such issues as strategies to encourage elderly alcoholics to enter treatment, practice values and attitudes, intervention strategies, spirituality, relapse, and suicide prevention strategies. Also provided are on-site interviews with professional counselors at elder-specific alcoholism treatment programs, and summaries of these interviews appear in Chapter 13 as well as actual case studies. Each chapter includes study questions, the glossary of terms, and a comprehensive bibliography of research specific to the issues. This book will also be useful to professionals who provide services to an elderly population, including nurses, physicians, social workers, and alcoholism counselors.