Addiction Treatment for Seniors

When older Americans use drugs it’s often for the same reasons that teenagers do: to cope, out of curiosity, and from a lack of passions. Feelings of mortality, boredom and loneliness are common precursors.

• Geriatric Depression Scale
• Depression in Seniors
• Understanding Addiction - What You Need to Know
• Addiction Risk Factors
• Prevent Teen Drug Use - Schedule Constructive Time

Older adults find it difficult to access good, knowledgeable and age-appropriate treatment programs. Here are ten major reasons why seniors are under served in this area.

• Gambling Problems among the Elderly
• How Old Are You?

Why do older people become addicts? What drugs are they likely to abuse? What to do if you suspect your beloved senior citizen relative is using drugs.

• Your biggest problems
• Rebuilding a Relationship after Sobriety
• How Addiction in the Family Affects Children
• How Addiction Affects Siblings
• How to Help without Enabling

It's a given that older adults and seniors do better in treatment programs with peers of a similar age, but what else do you need to look for to find a great addiction treatment program that's going to work well for an older adult or a senior?

• Does Your Lifestyle Match Your Values?
• Affordable Addiction Treatment Options
• Using the Web for Recovery Support
• Choosing a Drug Rehab: 5 Questions You Need to Ask
• Drug Rehab – How Much Does It Cost?

Seniors do very well in alcohol rehab, and since the risks of drinking increase as we age, older women who drink too much need help right now.

Estimates put the number of alcohol dependent seniors in the millions, and only a fraction of these are getting the help they need. For a number of reasons, alcohol abuse in the elderly often goes undiagnosed; and too often, elderly alcoholics are never presented with the treatment options that could greatly improve their health and quality of life. Old age is not a valid reason for self destructive drinking, and families do not offer kindness to older relatives when they attempt to spare them the pain and difficulty of addictions treatment. The elderly deserve the same access to treatment as the rest of the population, and since alcohol is especially debilitating to older bodies, the time for any needed treatment is now.

• Alcoholic Pancreatitis - Causes and Treatment
• Who Becomes An Alcoholic?
• Physical Effects of Alcoholism
• Compare Your Drinking to American Averages
• How to Cut Down Your Drinking

We don't customarily consider that there is much of a need for drug and alcohol rehab for seniors, but the reality of senior drug and alcohol abuse requires us to shift our thinking, and get more seniors the help they need for what is becoming a growing societal problem.