Addiction in Elderly People

Drug abuse or alcoholism is not limited to young adults and teens, even elders do have these vices. It

is not uncommon to see an elderly abusing prescription drugs. Visit any rehab, be it one of the

California detox centers or a remote facility in the U.S., you are likely to find some elderly addicts

along with others getting treated for alcoholism or drug abuse. Looking at the frailty of an aging body,

any such addiction can be much riskier than for any other age group.

Addiction pattern in elderly people

The elderly people often get away from being detected at the earliest because of a different set

pattern to their habits from the younger generation and an unsuspecting viewpoint. Only 13 percent of

the U.S. population is over the age of 65. However, their spending on medicines is one-third of the

overall expenditure by outpatients.

Since they have a greater chance of being prescribed

long-term medication for age related diseases like

cognitive decline, their furtive dallying with the

prescribed medicines also increases. In most cases

the abuse starts unknowingly because of the effects of

some drugs and not as a purposive move by them. The

older people cease to work and so they do not have

co-workers to keep a tab on them. They are lone

drinkers and do not take their cars out while drunk. So

there are lesser chances of their addiction getting

noticed.

Some facts:

Statistics reveal that in older people more men abuse prescription drugs compared to women

abusers.

Among the drugs, pain relievers, tranquilizers, and stimulants are the most abused medicines

by them.

The risk of prescription drugs increases when used in ways other than the prescribed format

by doctors. Higher doses, combined with alcohol and other drugs lead to prescription drug

abuse in elderly people.

Patients who get the addiction make multiple visits to different doctors to obtain maximum

number of prescriptions to buy medicines from chemist.

How to discover alcoholism, prescription drug abuse

Even though elders abuse alcohol and prescribed drugs surreptitiously, it is not difficult to find out if

you look a bit carefully. If you have an elderly person in the family and want to ensure his or her

safety, look for the following symptoms:

Tendency to drink in solitude.

Habituated to drinking before, during, or after dinner.

A sudden disinterest in hobbies or otherwise pleasurable activities.

Frequently using tranquilizers and with an urgency.

Bleary eyed and slurred speech, whiff of alcohol on breath, drastic change in personal

appearance.

Scattered empty bottles of liquor and beer.

Chronic and unexplained health complaints.

Signs of depression or hostility in them.

Loss of memory and confusion etc.

How to deal with an elderly addict

Without doubt your love and support is the first step towards getting them out of an addiction. Seek

medical assistance because being feeble their health would always be the first casualty. Ensure that

they are a part of any social support group. The purpose is to make them belong to the society to

prevent a feeling of isolation and solitude. Visit any detox center in the country and avail the best

possible services. The detox centers in Florida are known to be among the best in the country.

www.sovnaturaldetox.com