20 — Sunday, May 9, 1999 — North Shore News DR. BART McROBERTS DR. DEBRA ROVINELLI OR. CORINNE KNIGHT (E= WEST VANCOUVER OPTOMETRY CLINIC 925-2525 1069 24th Street (24th & Haywood) Saturday and evening appointments available. Dr. Csilla Gyovai' DENTIST ANC UNCES Ta Be ce * Every second Tuesday and avery other Sanday is off ** Open 1 monday per month. First work day of the ween oon - Bem. New patients are welcome {3738 Mount Seymour Parkway _(%e°.) 929-7499 ROUNLY-PRESENTS HEARTWARMING ‘Health Assessment Clinic: ° Osteopoyosis ‘e Heart Disease 2 Breast Cancer ‘* Menopause ‘Take control! of your health and see your. “SAVE-ON-FOODS Pharmacist to register your time to speak with our health care “professionals. : eMisit us at www. Saveonfoods.com Date: May 20th Date: May tr iTime: 2pmto6pm Time: 2 pm to 6 pm Spark & Tilford, North Vancouver, 335 Brooksbank Ave., 1250 Marine Drive, EQBSIUT. «2 aewnres: Pare the tree ir ees 98h « a eres on Coton eer 28-0 -40041 6 8 THIS is the first ofa ovo-part eries about alcoholism and seniors, Sarah Woodend Contributing Writer LONELINESS, bore- dom and fatigue are key factors in driving many elderly people to seek comfort in alco- hol. Alcoholism is a problem for many seniors who feel tov old or too tired to get better. But there is help and many people have found sal- vation in programs suited to their needs. “I was dying of loneli- ness,” Doreen, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) on the North Shore remem- bers. She started to drink at age 55, after her husband died. The previous few years had been hard on their rela- tionship because he was an alcoholic, but she’d helped him recover and they were rebuilding their marriage. “We were joined at the hip,” she says. “Then one day he was gone.” They had a marriage typi- cal of their generation ~— he worked and she had stayed home to look after the chil- dren and the house. She’d been taught to depend on him, but when he got sick she had to take his role, so she got a job. The day after he dicd she went back to work believing life would just carry on unal- tered —— it didn’t. She thought it was the stress of the job that made her drink, so she quit, but now says that was the worst thing she could have done. north shore news HEALTH Booze beaten, lives reclaimed NEWS photo Terry F Peters ALCOHOLISM is a problem that many seniors are struggling to come to grips with. After she quit her job she was bored so she would stay at home to drink. There is a stigma attached to women and drinking Doreen says, so they tend to hide it more. Men typically meet friends at the pub for a drink whereas women “sit at home and drink themselves to death,” Doreen said. She thought drinking was the answer to all her fears because it stopped the pain of being alone. “1 didn’t want to drink, but I didn’t know how to stop.” Doreen used to hide bot- tles all over the house, for example under the bathroom sink, so visitors would not suspect her addiction. “It’s absolutely insane. I laugh about it now, but at the time it seems perfectly normal,” she said. “They (alcoholics) think they’re fooling everyone, but they’re only fooling themselves.” has a saying, “Denial is not a river in Egypt.” To stop drinking people must first admit they have a prob- lem, Doreea only drank for a year and a half, but all of a sudden alcohoi became the enemy and that’s when she sought help. When Doreen _ finally faced up to her addiction she knew where to turn. Her husband's drinking problem had made her aware of and in joining 2 group she found the support she need- ed to get on with her life and stop wasting years away. She is now in her 70s and has been sober for more than 15 years. In sharing her story Doreen found courage to let go ct her fears and laugh again. “We hear our stories over and over and find out we’re not the only ones suffering.” Although Doreen’s expe- rience was traumatic, it’s not unique. Many elderly people go through an empty-nest syndrome after spouses die or thev retire. Many think they're too old to start getting better, but Doreen says you're never too old. There is a lady in her group who is 90 vears old and sober and happier than she has been in years. Jane Cassady is a seniors’ counsellor at Seaview Alcohol and Drug Services, a non-profit alcohol and drug therapy organization in West Vancouver. She says those 55 and over make up a diverse popu- lation that experiences more problems with drugs and alcohol than the younger generation. “It’s just a really at-risk population who are physical- ly and emotionally vulnerable and need intense support and case management.” At Seaview the different characteristics of this popula- tion are incorporated into the STRIVE program. STRIVE, which stands for Seniors Taking Responsibility, Innovative Valuable Endeavors, was cre- ated five years ago by a group of professionals concerned with the lack of appropriate services to deal with the unique problems seniors face. Counsellors offer ways to deal with loneliness, physical pain, the death of loved ones, deterioration of health and the loss of social status after retiring as well as refer- rals to treatment centres and AA. . Many seniors don’t seck help because they are afraid of being judged. “There is a stigma with seniors raised with a moral model of an alcoholic as the See Support page 21 community heroes AWARD PROGRAM A Call for Nominations for Community Heroes Who do you know who hasn't been acknowledged will receive. f north vancouver city o for their commitment and contributions to the com- munity? Or whose efforts have resulted in significant ‘benefits to City residents? wii! of ory Vancouver As part of the City’s Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation Program, the City would like to receive nominations for its COMMUNITY HEROES AWARDS. Community Heroes are volunteers (City residents and others) who have made outstanding contribu- tions to the well-being of the City of North Vancouver and its residents. Nominations can be submitted until May 31, 1999, and the Awards will be made by Council in june. Letters of recognition, lunch with the Mayor and Council, and "thank you" notices in local publications are part of the recognition the Community Heroes Call 983-7380/7381 for further information. Nomination forms are available from Development Services at City Hall, or on the City's Website (HYPERLINK http://Awww.cnv.org www.cnv.org). coumel Mayor Jack E. Loucks Councillor John Braithwaite Councillor Stella Jo Dean Councillor Bob Fearnley Councillor Darrel! Mussatto Councillor Barbara Perrault Councillor Barbara Sharp ete we at off Serr tey, 14] We ih Sec, Nord incomes BC V7 TH Ae we eee Pore ta fore fobs COU Perri rr ea a ‘ “3 0 “f er AA Pho 98 De dent dale bebehiat etek bik hed