The usage of illegal drugs appears to be on the rise worldwide. There are also members of this group who are middle-aged, and the rate of addiction among these individuals is comparable to that of young adults. The demographics make it clear that the number of people in the middle-aged group has been, and is expected to continue, growing at a rate that is difficult to accept. The proportion of American adults aged 65 to 84 years old who have developed a substance use disorder has skyrocketed to an astounding 96 percent. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at the reasons why more and more senior people are abusing drugs:
Access to various medications
The ease with which one can obtain drugs is likely a significant contributor to the meteoric rise in the amount of the population that is affected by addiction. Heroin and cocaine are two examples of narcotics that are against the law. The majority of older people in the United States are prescribed painkillers, which are a type of one of legal medication. Opiates are the name given to the other legal drugs that are available. Therefore, as a result of this kind of prescription, it is not very difficult for anyone to become addicted to drugs. Resultantly, they need to join a drug rehab facility for proper treatment.
Aspects That Cause Stress
Because of the increased pressure in their life, many elderly people in the United States have started abusing substances like opioids. This strain is unique to their age as well as the circumstances of their existence. Growing older is associated with a number of physical and mental injuries, and as a result, there is an increase in the amount of stress that people experience. And so, the solution is to turn to drugs, which leads to their abuse. The fact that these drugs come in the form of potent painkillers was chosen so that the users would feel better as a result. On top of all of this pain, elderly people have to deal with a variety of problems, such as the death of family members, spouses, or friends. In addition to this, residents at care facilities do not interact with their families.
Because of these factors, a person may experience feelings of sadness and turn to self-medication in an attempt to lift their mood. They believe that this is the only treatment or path that can lead to bliss since it dulls the senses and makes it impossible to experience any kind of discomfort again. Because their programs are geared toward delivering treatments and therapies that are intended to get you back into the real world, rehabilitation centers have recently experienced a surge in popularity. The senior population is growing more vulnerable to drug usage as a result of the widespread availability of drugs.
A Group That Is In Danger
The younger generation and the youth are becoming less involved in the lives of their parents and grandparents, which is making the elderly more susceptible to the effects of substances like narcotics. Because of this, an increasing number of people are experiencing feelings of depression and isolation. The solution to these kinds of issues is for the younger generation to step up and accept responsibility for looking after their seniors. They need to be more active in the things that are going on in their lives. Addiction to drugs will decrease as a result of this.
