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Senior Drug and Alcohol Rehab – Northpoint Recovery

Senior Rehab Program: Specialized Addiction Treatment to Address Your Needs

When you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you need to get professional help in order to quit successfully. Many people fail to do so, and most of the time, the elderly are highly unlikely to get the help they need.

You might not be aware that there are specific facilities that can actually address your unique needs as an elderly person who struggles with addiction. It makes sense that you might need additional help that younger people wouldn't need, and here at Northpoint Recovery, we want you to know that we understand the challenges you face. Our senior rehab program offers you the help you're looking for to finally stop using drugs or alcohol so that you can recover.

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Is there a Real Need for Drug Rehab for Seniors? A Look at the Statistics

Alcohol and drug addiction among senior citizens is quite underestimated, and it's certainly under-diagnosed. As a result, this group of people doesn't always get the help they need, as far as addiction treatment goes. A look at the addiction statistics for senior citizens paints a picture that most people aren't aware exists.

  • 17% of individuals over the age of 65 have abused prescription drugs
  • About 30% of senior citizens are taking at least one prescription medication that's considered to be addictive
  • Senior citizens should consume no more than one alcoholic drink per day, but their consumption rates are generally far above this amount
  • The rate of benzodiazepine addiction among seniors has steadily increased every year, and this medication is widely prescribed
  • Senior citizens have a decreased ability to metabolize drugs and alcohol, and they get increasingly sensitive to them as they grow older

If you're a senior citizen, and you know that your drug or alcohol use has become a problem for you, please don't worry that you won't be able to find suitable treatment. While these statistics are quite eye-opening, finding the right drug rehab for seniors is the first step toward your healing and recovery.

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Addiction Treatment for the Elderly: How Addiction Occurs

An addiction to drugs or alcohol can form quite easily among the elderly. While you most likely aren't addicted to drugs like heroin or cocaine, there are other substances that are just as addicting. The alcohol and prescription medication addiction rates among the elderly have risen quite a bit in the last few years, and they continue to do so.

Addiction occurs in a number of ways for senior citizens. As they get older, they enter a stage of life that involves a great deal of loss, and that can come in different forms. Some people lose a spouse, they retire and feel as though they've lost motivation to get up in the morning, and some people just slip into a sense of depression for a variety of reasons. The emotional and physical pain that is often associated with aging can cause a lot of problems for you, and using drugs or alcohol seems as though it offers a way to escape that pain; even if it's only for a little while. Over time, forming an addiction is easy because the brain begins to recognize that the alcohol or drugs is a normal part of life. In fact, it may even see these substances as necessary for survival.

This is exactly how addictions are often formed by accident. Even if you don't mean to become addicted to something like your pain medication, if you take it for too long, you can inadvertently form an addiction to it. As a result, you need to attend some type of addiction treatment in order to stop successfully and safely.

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Our admissions coordinators are here to help you get started with treatment the right way. They'll verify your health insurance, help set up travel arrangements, and make sure your transition into treatment is smooth and hassle-free.

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The Difference Between Addiction Treatment for Seniors and Traditional Rehab

In many ways, addiction treatment for seniors is a lot like the traditional drug and alcohol rehab setting. However, there are some differences as well. It's important to treat both the physical side of the addiction and the psychological side of the addiction.

The physical part of drug and alcohol addiction in elderly patients is quite strong, and so, before the psychological component can be addressed, it's important to address the physical part. Elderly patients are often slowly weaned off their medications to avoid any serious medical complications that may result, and it's best for this to be done in a strictly controlled setting to minimize any major problems.

Once the physical aspect of the addiction has been addressed, it's essential to move on to the psychological component. Individual counseling is so vital to the recovery process because it provides elderly patients with:

  • Someone to talk with about their struggles with addiction
  • Insight into why they became addicted to drugs or alcohol
  • The ability to heal from the issues that led to their addictions
  • A way to plan how to avoid relapsing in the future
  • A way to construct alternative coping strategies to help when they encounter challenges

What to Look for in Drug Rehab for Elderly Patients

If you're considering going to a drug rehab for elderly patients, then it's vital for you to know what to look for. You don't want to choose randomly. Instead, your choice should be calculated, and it should be based on a variety of different factors, including:

  • Whether or not the facility you're thinking of going to is accredited by one or more organizations
  • Whether or not your chosen drug rehab for seniors participates with your health insurance company
  • Whether or not your chosen rehab facility employs staff members that are specifically trained on the addiction issues that seniors face
  • Whether or not your chosen addiction treatment center provides treatment for co-occurring disorders
  • Whether or not your treatment program will work closely with your family during your recovery

Signs You Need a Senior Rehab Program for Your Addiction

When you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, it's not always completely clear that you need to go and get professional help. This can be even more true for those who may need a senior rehab program. There are a few different signs you can look for to determine whether or not your drug and alcohol use has become an addiction that would benefit from addiction treatment for the elderly, and these include:

  • You're experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you haven't used in a short period of time
  • You've tried to stop using your prescription medication, drugs or alcohol without being successful
  • You find that you want to be alone quite a bit during the day and evening
  • You're experiencing changes in your sleeping habits
  • You've had significant changes in your eating habits and appetite
  • You're having a difficult time finding the motivation to take care of yourself
  • You're experiencing frequent sadness, irritability or even depression
  • You've started having memory problems

These indicators don't always point to a need for drug and alcohol rehab, but, they may in your case. It's best to talk with a professional about your symptoms and history of substance use to be sure what your next step should be.

Drug Rehab for Seniors at Northpoint Recovery

Here at Northpoint Recovery, we understand the unique challenges you face as a senior citizen. We know that you need to have an approach to drug and alcohol rehab that's sensitive to your individual needs, and we're prepared to offer that for you.

If you would like more information about how Northpoint Recovery can assist you with drug rehab for elderly patients, please don't hesitate to contact us right away.