While drug abuse can appear to be all around us, showing up in demographics as young as pre-teens and up through middle age, many would agree that at least one age group would be safe. As hard as it can be to believe, elderly Indians are currently one of the fastest-growing age groups of drug addicts. We have the rehab centre in Mumbai.
Availability of Drugs
When viewing these statistics, one naturally asks how this could happen. How can any group increase their amount of drug use to such a large degree? One reason may simply be the wide availability of powerful drugs for the elderly to become addicted to.
When we think of drug addiction, images of illegal street drugs like cocaine or heroin usually come to mind. Some of the most powerful and highly addictive drugs are the completely legal class of prescription painkillers called opiates, and many elderly Indians are prescribed at least one.
30% of the elderly are prescribed at least five medications. With so many drugs available, it's not hard for someone to start using the drugs at the wrong times or in too large a quantity. When the drugs are used “off-label” like this, they can quickly become addicted.
Stress Factors
Elderly Indians also have stress factors specific to their age and situation in life. With increasing age, the human body is prone to experience more injuries and diseases. With the increasing reasons and opportunities to be in pain, many elderly people will turn to powerful painkillers to try to feel better.
Added to this, the elderly are often dealing with spouses and friends dying, and they often live away from their families in care homes. These factors can lead to depression and the desire to self-medicate to try to feel happier again.
With so many drugs available (to themselves or friends), the elderly are becoming addicted just as fast or faster than younger demographics.
An At-Risk Group
Most would agree that younger generations must take care of our parents, grandparents, and the elderly in general. What, then, can we do to help older indians not fall prey to drug abuse?
One of the first steps is simply being involved in the lives of our elders. This helps in two ways. First, just visiting the elderly and talking to them can raise the spirits of almost anyone. Showing care and interest in someone's life can ward off depression and lower the need or interest in using drugs to self-medicate.
This involvement also helps because it allows you to see how the elderly person is doing and whether or not they need help in any area of their lives. Being interested and simply observing what is going on can help you spot any indications that something is amiss.
If you observe that the elderly person appears to be taking more medication than they are supposed to, for example, you can talk to them about this or let their doctor know. Even talking to the person about this one-on-one may help ward off an abuse situation. You can contact us through our website, we have one of the best rehabilitation centre in Mumbai.Get Directions to Rehab Centre in Mumbai
This article was originally published at https://www.livepositively.com/@rohittsingh0878/why-the-elderly-are-at-risk-for-drug-addiction/
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