Substance Use Disorder can happen to anyone. There isn’t just one reason people develop SUD. Some use substances to deal with stress, trauma, or mental health problems. Others may struggle with substances after taking opioids prescribed by a doctor. Over time, substance use can lead to strong cravings, making it hard to stop.
Older adults may go through social and physical changes that can make it easier to misuse substances. Many older adults have health problems like depression, heart or lung issues, or memory loss. Using substances can make these problems worse. Older adults also often take more medicines, and this can lead to a higher chance of misusing substances.
Substance Misuse FAQS:
- What is addiction?
- Can addiction be treated?
- Yes, addiction can be treated. Scientists have studied how addiction works. They created ways to help people stop using drugs. These methods really work. People can get better and live healthy, productive lives again. This is called recovery.
- What is detox?
- Medical detox is a safe, supervised process to help the body heal from substances. It's about keeping the person healthy, safe, and supported every step of the way.
- Can I take medication to help treatment?
- Different medications can help at different stages of treatment. They can help people stop using substances, continue with treatment, and prevent relapse.
- What does treatment look like?
- Opioid Drugs
- Opioids include prescription pain pills, heroin, and fentanyl. The best treatment starts with medicine. Therapy or counseling also helps. Medicine is available for alcohol and nicotine addiction too
- Detox
- Medicine can help remove drugs from the body. This is called detox. But detox by itself doesn't work. People need more treatment after detox, or they will likely use drugs again.
- Other Drugs
- Some drugs like stimulants or cannabis don't have medicine to treat them yet. People use therapy instead.
- Personalized Treatment
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