Drugs
Yes, it's true, more and more drug users is also among the elderly.
Among this population is the most worrying abuse of drugs and alcohol. Excessive, uncontrolled use of drugs, most of which are available without a prescription and seemingly innocent too, cause dependency in the elderly.
Do you ever wonder how many older people (in our surroundings that we know) uses sleeping pills, painkillers, and other so-called harmless medicine? How many are ingested with alcohol? It is difficult to observe, but these drugs also have many side effects, which are difficult to see by a doctor, because these people, if they go to a doctor, often have other health problems, some age-related. Doctors are not trained to recognize this form of consumption of drugs.
With age, there is less tolerance, so just a small amount of alcohol is enough to get older person drunk. Since there is an increasing sensitivity to certain drugs, older people become more exposed to negative effects of alcohol. In addition, the amount of alcohol that should not harm, are lower for the elderly than for younger patients.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs states that by year 2020, which is very fast approaching, people who face problems with drug use, will be more than twice as high as in 2001.
Older people who take drugs, in addition, are faced with a variety of health problems, personal distress associated with age, and require different treatment appropriate to their needs. At that age a lot of changes happens, mostly negative, which can be very difficult for the individual. Among these is definitely a physical change, bereavement - grief, illness, divorce, retirement, loneliness and other important life events. Even a person, who in his youth did not abuse alcohol and had other social problems, can seek solace in these substances in difficult life events. Older people who are lonely may for this reason resorting to excessive intake of alcohol and drug abuse, to forget his loneliness and abandonment.
Just as there are assistance programs for other age groups, should as soon as possible be establish a specific program for the elderly who abuse illegal substances. This is the only way for them to receive appropriate professional help.