Baby Boomers and Drug Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic
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Growing older is a scary thing for most people. As many baby boomers become older, many of them tend to experience problems with their health deteriorating. They’re not as strong as they used to be. In some cases, their spouse may have died and now they are forced to live in a nursing home. Those who are able to care for themselves often live alone. Because people move away and children grow up and have their own families, older people sometimes find themselves isolated from the rest of the world.
Many baby boomers take medication for various ailments such as surgical procedures. They also take it to help combat the effects of diseases and disorders such as Parkinsons, Diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure, etc. And just like many other younger people who have problems with prescription drug abuse, older people can become so accustomed to taking prescription medication for ailments that even if they are told they don’t need it, feelings of isolation, growing older and perhaps depression and fear of death help them justify (to themselves) that they still need to take the medication.
Drug Addiction and Senior Citizens
Most people don’t associate drug addiction with senior citizens, but senior citizen drug addiction and alcohol abuse is more prevalent than most of us care to realize. Recent statistics from the National Institute on Drug abuse predicts that the numbers of seniors with alcohol and drug problems will jump to 150 percent by the year 2020. When it comes to getting older, it’s never too late to get help with drug and alcohol addiction.
For more information about drug and alcohol addiction, contact Mark Houston Recovery today!
I can understand why drinking and drugs are being indulged in by seniors. I think this is a time of life where it takes some work to staying healthy, happy etc. THere are so many changes in our lives as we get older. Kids leave, retirement, changes in financial status…It is not easy that is for sure.
This is an interesting article. I can honestly say that I didn’t realise addiction was such an issue for our senior citizens. But I guess it makes perfect sense. You’re at an age where you’re taking pills for all sorts of ailments, that it becomes very easy to cross the line into addiction. I wonder what the most effective way to help would be?
This is a topic that needs to be discussed openly by families, physicians, and communities.
Rita
I think most of my fellow Americans are pathetic weaklings who’d be a tremendous embarrassment to the previous (strong, capable, can-do) generations. Whatever happened to “pull yourself up by your boot straps? I’m 43 and increasingly disgusted by what emotionally-stunted weaklings most Americans are.
If the Baby Boomers are increasingly finding themselves isolated and alone, ultimately they have no one else to blame but themselves: They were the original Selfish “Me” Generation. Subsequent generations have followed suit (it’s becoming an increasingly isolated and socially stunted “society”).
They wanted to live FOR themselves: “Me.” Now they are. Reap what you sow.
I just hope we can turn this nation around.
Just a quick nit:
“Recent statistics from the National Institute on Drug abuse predicts that the numbers of seniors with alcohol and drug problems will jump to 150 percent by the year 2020.”
Doesn’t make sense…do you mean 150% increase? What’s the rate right now? Otherwise great blog.
It’s not just changing health - the reason I’m experiencing a kind of sadness is because the dreams of youth just aren’t coming true, plus the disappointment of the lack of anything good in our society. Everybody wants to make quick money selling sex. It’s what we’re taught to think. We weren’t born thinking it.