Addiction can rear its head at any time during your life

Often a complex and highly misunderstood disorder, addiction can affect any individual, no matter their age, gender, birthplace, or culture.

Because of this, addiction is known as a non-discriminatory disease.

Addiction also affects every individual differently, meaning that no two people will have the same experiences and effects of addiction as other people may experience.

However, some of these experiences and effects can be linked to other specific factors based on the way in which these factors may interact with addiction and its impact on an individual’s life.

There are both substance abuse addictions and behavioural addictions (i.e., to the internet, shopping, or gambling – all requiring rehab), but for the sake of this article, the majority of the focus will be on substance abuse and how this can impact an individual’s lifestyle.

Why can addiction be so much more dangerous the older you get?

Addiction is a vicious cycle, meaning that an individual can continuously begin to struggle with addiction, attempt to rehabilitate, fail, and return to substance consumption.

This can have serious and long-term consequences for an individual’s health – both physical and mental – which is why seeking help as soon as an individual is able to is the best way to minimise these effects.

An alcohol detox, for example, can be life-threatening in many cases if it is not properly managed, but these risks may only increase as an individual gets older.

In general, more research is needed into the long-term effects of addiction in older adults as most of the research is focussed on the younger generation.

However, it is important to note that much research into addiction in older individuals has found that some effects are only likely to develop later in life (1), requiring far more research and testing to truly find the extent of.

The stigma of addiction after 50

But why is there a gap in the research? To generalise, most of the information about addiction and the way it impacts an individual’s body is generally based on a younger population, including those aged 16 and above, but not often above 50.

This is often due to the perceived number of individuals in these age groups (i.e., young people are often portrayed in the media as ‘drug-fuelled’ and ‘junkies’) but does not mean that the older generation are not likely to have just as many issues as young people, if not more.

Generally, as individuals age, they are expected to mature, meaning that older adults who find themselves struggling with addiction are often more likely to experience increased feelings of embarrassment, guilt, and shame about their situation, rather than seeking support.

How can these individuals seek support?

However, where individuals are struggling with addiction, help and support is always available, no matter how young or old an individual may be.

Whether an individual requires structured and tailored rehabilitative practises, or if they just need a local support group to reach out to, help is always available, individuals just need to know where to look.

In general, the first stage of seeking support is to get into contact with your local health services i.e., your local general practitioner (GP) or doctors’ office, or by contacting a specialised rehab referral service.

Some of these services require approval/recommendation from a licensed medical professional, but getting information about the type of support available is free and widely available directly through these organisations’ websites.

Rehabilitation – what is it and how can it help?

Rehabilitation is the process of learning to live with addiction in the long-term while continuously treating its effects.

No one can be ‘cured’ of addiction, and many of the symptoms of a serious and long-term addiction can last years into the future, sometimes the remainder of an individual’s life.

However, by entering rehabilitation as soon as an individual is able, they will give themselves the best possible chance at making the best possible recovery programme they can, both in a dedicated rehab centre or as part of their own local support and home programmes.

The remainder of this article will highlight some of the key places which an individual can contact to get support for addiction today – speak to a medical professional before making any final decisions or signing up to any programmes.

1. Inpatient rehabilitation

As the most commonly recommended form of rehabilitation, inpatient rehab refers to any rehab programme that is participated in from within a dedicated or specialised rehab centre.

During rehab in these centres, individuals will stay on-site 24/7 (unless excursions or special exceptions are made) and partake in many different treatment programmes and therapies that are suited for them and their needs.

Individuals will have the option to reside in private or shared rooms most of the time, and some centres are specialised for specific demographics i.e., older adults, males, and females, for example.

Inpatient rehabilitation is often considered to be the most effective form of rehabilitation due to the around-the-clock care that individuals receive, as well as the specialised and specially designed services and facilities that these centres offer.

The best inpatient treatment programmes integrate mental health and a strong aftercare programme, ensuring that individuals are fully treated and that they receive support in the long-term (2).

2. Outpatient rehabilitation

As a more part-time alternative, outpatient rehabilitation occurs outside of a dedicated rehab centre, often making use of local community spaces, doctors’ offices, and other local areas for an individual’s treatment plan.

Though most of the same therapies and treatments are available from outpatient and inpatient treatment programmes, it is the frequency and sometimes tailor-ability of these services that makes the difference.

In general, most serious and long-term addictions would not be well-treated in outpatient care and these individuals should consider inpatient care. However, less serious and not physically dependent addictions (e.g., to cannabis, cocaine, etc.) may be able to consider outpatient rehab.

This should always be discussed and given the go-ahead by a medical professional.

3. Local health services

In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) often provides suitable care for addiction and its associated issues.

However, this may not always be the most suitable. For example, these services often come with lengthy waiting lists (adding to the risks and dangers that an individual may be in as a result of their addiction), as well as not being able to offer as much flexibility in treatment programmes as inpatient services are able to.

This is not to say this this is not a viable option for some individuals, and most individuals are encouraged to speak about their issues with addiction with their local NHS representatives to get first steps and advice on how best to proceed. From here, individuals may then be recommended private rehab services or directed to other suitable care options.

4. Emergency health services

As a final note, it is important for all individuals who feel as though they may require emergency support or know someone who may require emergency care to contact the relevant and suitable emergency services should they ever be in doubt.

Though rehabilitation is always recommended for individuals struggling with addiction, all cases of emergency should be treated as so, and the correct services should always be contacted.

Seeking further support for addiction today

To learn more about addiction and how this can impact individuals over 50, contact your local health services, take a look online for addiction referral service information, and get in contact with the emergency services in all cases of immediate harm to health.

No addiction is too serious or too mild to start care, so start your recovery journey today.

Refences for this article

[1] Beynon, C.M., 2009. Drug use and ageing: older people do take drugs!. Age and ageing, 38(1), pp.8-10.

[2] de Andrade, D., Elphinston, R.A., Quinn, C., Allan, J. and Hides, L., 2019. The effectiveness of residential treatment services for individuals with substance use disorders: A systematic review. Drug and alcohol dependence, 201, pp.227-235.