A study by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that drug use among adults aged 50 and over has increased substantially, especially the overuse and non-medical use of prescription drugs. Overall, it is estimated that nearly five million older adults used an illegal drug in the last year. Of that, men over the age of 50 were more likely to use marijuana rather than prescription drugs, whereas people 65 and older were more inclined to use prescription medication. Women, in particular, had a higher rate of prescription drug abuse than men, though they use less illicit drugs.
The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports that the two most common prescription drugs that are abused are benzodiazepines – diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan) – and opiates – oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and methadone.
Self-medication is often the beginning of addiction for the older generation. Some may begin self-medicating because of pain or other physical ailments, and others because of emotional issues once children have moved away or the death of a spouse. Other problems contributing to the rise in prescription drug addiction are that many times, families will often ignore or believe the problem isn’t as severe as it actually is. Also, many times doctors prescribe doses that are higher than they should be – an older person’s body does not metabolize the drugs at the same rate as when they were in their 20s and 30s. Finally, it is not recommended that benzodiazepines (along with many other types of medication) be taken consecutively for longer than four month; yet, an estimate by the Health Research Group claims that nearly 1.5 million Americans have been taking benzodiazepines daily for more than a year. In light of this, SAMHSA predicts that substance abuse treatment for baby boomers and those over the age of 50 will double by the year 2020.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) approximate that nearly 48 million people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, even though the elderly only comprise 13% of the population, they account for one-third of the prescriptions, raising the potential for abuse and addiction to a great extent.
In combating prescription drug addiction, the Freedom Center has an effective, all-natural, holistic approach. Embracing a vitamin regimen and ideology of not treating drug and alcohol addiction with more drugs, the Freedom Center has amassed an amazing success rate. Over 70% of Freedom Center graduates retain their sobriety in the years following completion of the program. The curriculum treats all aspects of addiction – the physical, mental, and emotional. It is an effective rehabilitation program for all types of drug and alcohol addiction, regardless of age. If you, a family member, or a friend is struggling with drugs and/or alcohol, give the Freedom Center a call today at 1-877-394-1828 and speak with one of our Certified Drug and Alcohol Dependency counselors. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
