A study conducted by the Michigan Department of Community Health in October 2010, and just recently released, seems to echo a study published in 2007 by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: boomers are still using drugs.
Those studies both suggest that the number of adults 50 and older who are currently substance abusers is expected to grow to 4.4 million in 2020, up from 1.7 million in 2001. Admissions at drug rehab facilities that are supported via federal funds have more than doubled within the past 10 years for those who are over 50 years old.
“This new data confirms what we’ve always known: no particular group of individuals is immune to substance abuse,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “These statistics bring to light some alarming realizations. Firstly, drug and alcohol abuse is not simply a problem among our youth; it also makes us realize that if addictions aren’t treated when an individual is younger, the likelihood of having severe problems as one gets older significantly increases.”
According to these updated statistics, the number of admissions to federally funded drug rehab programs have more than doubled over the past decade among those over 50 years of age. Nearly 9,000 individuals were admitted to programs in 2009, up from 4,388 in 2000. In addition, research shows that if you start drinking before you turn 15, you’re four times likely to become an alcoholic than if you had waited until you were 21 or older.
Long an advocate of education through awareness, Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities that Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get and to remain sober. In addition, its work in drug abuse prevention has been recognized on a national as well as global level.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 12 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
