A Day in the Life of Older Adults: Substance Use Facts

Medical consequences

Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction. In the past, healthcare providers, organizations and members of the public often used the terms “addiction/addict,” “abuse/abuser” and “dependence” when referring to substance use. Someone who struggles with a substance use disorder may feel like a slave to their disease, unable to stop using drugs even when they attempt to. Feelings of hopelessness and despair may accompany withdrawal symptoms like extreme lethargy, which can cause someone to feel unmotivated or unable to overcome addiction. Many behavioral therapies and medications have been successful in treating substance use disorders in older adults.

National Institutes of Health

Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs. If you suspect that you or someone you love has a substance use disorder, consider reaching out to a trusted healthcare professional for an evaluation. Activation of the brain’s reward center is the primary reason for most addictions. Whether the SUD is due to alcohol, stimulants, or opioids, the rewarding feeling gained from use — involving an abnormally high dopamine release — is often overpowering. As people with SUD often have co-occurring mental health conditions, treating them together rather than separately is generally better.

How can I help a loved one with substance use disorder?

This class of drugs includes, among others, heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, fentanyl and oxycodone. Substituted cathinones, also called “bath salts,” are mind-altering (psychoactive) substances similar to amphetamines such as ecstasy (MDMA) and cocaine. Two groups of synthetic drugs — synthetic cannabinoids and substituted or synthetic cathinones — are illegal in most states. The effects of these drugs can be dangerous and unpredictable, as there is no quality control and some ingredients may not be known. The law bars health professionals from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing puberty blockers and overseeing hormone treatments for patients under 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children under age 12 should not consume any food or beverages with caffeine.

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The sooner you seek help, the greater your chances for a long-term recovery. Talk with your health care provider or see a mental health provider, such as a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. People who become addicted to opioids are often prescribed prescription drugs, such as painkillers, often following something like an accident or surgery. They can then start taking higher doses of those prescription drugs, which can lead to abuse. Overall, 75% of heroin users report that the first opioid they took was a prescription drug. Drastic changes in mood can occur in substance use disorders, along with hypersensitivity and increased irritability.

Adolescence is a particularly risky time due to the developing, not-yet-mature brain. Thus, drug use causes changes in the brain that can result in a lack of self-control and poor decision-making and judgment. Regardless of the specific type of substance a person is using, there will be similar signs and symptoms. Continued use of the substance may lead to changes in the brain’s structure and function. This can result in intense cravings, withdrawal symptoms, learning and memory problems, and personality changes. Because of the possibility of relapse, you need ongoing treatment.

• If a medication isn’t providing the expected relief, the first step should always be to ask for advice from a doctor.
• Therefore, drinking your morning coffee on an empty stomach might give you a quicker energy boost than if you drank it while eating breakfast.
• Professional rehabilitation programs offer various specialties to address individual needs, so anyone who struggles with addiction can overcome the problem and maintain long-term sobriety.
• It’s important to seek help as soon as possible if you think you or your child is developing SUD.
• It’s common not to talk about your concerns because you fear that your relationship or family will fall apart.

• Prescription drugs are commonly misused substances by young people.
• For some individuals, substance abuse begins when they start socially experimenting with various substances.
• Heroin is an opioid drug, so addiction to this substance has many manifestations that are similar to those of prescription opioid abuse.

Prescription drug abuse in older adults is a growing problem, especially when they combine drugs with alcohol. Having multiple health problems and taking multiple drugs can put people at risk of misusing drugs or becoming addicted. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a prescription medicine in a way not intended by the prescriber. Prescription drug abuse, also called prescription drug misuse, includes signs of drug use everything from taking a friend’s prescription painkiller for your backache to snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high. Prescription drug abuse may become ongoing and compulsive, despite the negative consequences. SUD is a condition that involves a person’s misuse of substances, such as alcohol or drugs, even though the person may continue to experience unwanted harmful effects.

• In the United States, alcohol is the most commonly misused substance by people with SUD.
• Everyone’s bodies and brains are different, so their reactions to drugs can also be different.
• There are specific ages that make a person more likely to develop a substance use problem.
• Many behavioral therapies and medications have been successful in treating substance use disorders in older adults.
• The term “substance use disorder” allows for more clarity in diagnosis.
• In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will.

What are the signs and symptoms of substance use disorder?

When suddenly stopping all caffeine, withdrawal symptoms often follow such as irritability, headache, agitation, depressed mood, and fatigue. The symptoms are strongest within a few days after stopping caffeine, but tend to subside after about one week. [3] Tapering  the amount gradually may help to reduce side effects. If your loved one continues to struggle with their medications, even with your assistance, you may want to consider additional help. The research team evaluated each individual’s CKM stage by looking at their existing risk factors, including hypertension, excess adiposity, chronic kidney disease, or diagnosed CVD like coronary artery disease. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.

• If you or a loved one need treatment for a drug or alcohol use disorder, you can search recovery resources by zip code or call The Recovery Village.
• Feelings of hopelessness and despair may accompany withdrawal symptoms like extreme lethargy, which can cause someone to feel unmotivated or unable to overcome addiction.
• If you or a loved one has substance use disorder, talk to a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
• They can then start taking higher doses of those prescription drugs, which can lead to abuse.
• Fortunately for concerned family members and friends, many characteristics of addiction are easy to identify, and many types of drug addictions share similar signs and symptoms.
• The complications of substance use disorder are broad and may depend on the type of substance use.

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