Elmwood Park Addiction Treatment Centers

Elmwood Park, New Jersey, sees substance abuse cases every year, as do many other cities in the area. Although addiction has become a serious problem across the country, many people don’t realize that certain populations suffer from high risks of addiction, such as older adults.

In 2016, 97% of the people who sought addiction treatment for drug and alcohol abuse in Elmwood Park rehab centers were 18 years of age and older.¹ Though substance use disorders can develop at any time in a person’s life, people 50 and older may be at particular risk due to factors such as prevalent psychoactive medication use and heightened sensitivity to certain drugs and drug combinations.²

A number of changes have caused the Baby Boomer generation to use more drugs than other generations before it, such as:³

• Changes in culture.
• More lax attitudes about drug abuse and use.
• A higher availability of drugs to abuse, including pharmaceutical medications.
• A longer history of lifetime substance abuse among Baby Boomers. Addiction does not end as a person ages, but often continues the pattern throughout the course of their life.

Older adults may also feel that they cannot talk about their substance abuse problems with other people or with their adult children, making them more susceptible to long-term, dangerous abuse.⁴

Sometimes, adult children of the elderly will avoid getting help for their parents because they do not want to embarrass or upset them. However, the truth is that older people can gain just as much benefit from rehabilitation as younger people can, whether that be in an Elmwood Park drug rehab or elsewhere.⁵

If you are suffering from substance abuse in Elmwood Park, you can find safe, professional rehab centers where you can put an end to your addiction and learn to live a healthier life. You or your loved one can start the journey to recovery today by searching our treatment directory for rehab programs in your area and throughout the country.

Sources

1. New Jersey Human Services Department, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. (2017). New Jersey Drug and Alcohol Treatment, 2016, Substance Abuse Overview Bergen County.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Specific Populations and Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse.
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Are there specific drug addiction treatments for older adults?
4. Clinic of Geriatric Medicine. (2015). Substance Abuse Among Older Adults.
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2011). Substance Abuse Among Older Adults.