According to an article published by John Hopkins Medicine, the other states that by 2020, substance use disorders among adults over the age of 50 will increase to 5.7 million. The rise in problems connected to addiction is, in large part, connected to the baby boomer generation. Most baby boomers turned 65 in 2011 and grew up in the decades were experimenting with drugs was more common. Per the Annual Scientific Meeting talking about Substance Use and Misuse Among Older Adults, the most common addiction is alcohol, followed by nicotine, psychoactive prescription drugs, and other illegal drugs, like marijuana and cocaine.
Substance abuse treatment programs for older adults are usually age-specific programs providing more medical care and supervision. However, older adults do not always recognize the need for addiction, which requires most families to organize a family intervention. Also, it is not simple to recognize a substance abuse problem with adults over the age of 65. Substance abuse treatment providers and addiction professionals work with families to help them identify these problems and offer treatment solutions. Much of the problem begins with social isolation as seniors are often retired and no longer in the workforce. Most seniors live alone or are far from family members and personal social circles.
Alcohol and drug abuse present unique problems for the older population, and it a