Many studies of addiction concentrate on the use of substances by young adults, however as the children of the sixties age there is a need for a greater understanding of the issues that contribute to the continued abuse of substances in middle age. It has been recognized in previous studies that substance abuse is often a self medicating behaviour for symptoms of stress amongst individuals who interpret life events as stressful or experience difficulty coping. This study looks at possible causes for life stressors in middle-age and proposes that mid-life can be a time when...