In this video, Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. John Dyben, DHSc, MCAP, CMHP, dispels two myths about treating older adults struggling to overcome substance use.
To learn more about older adult treatment of substance use disorders visit www.hanleycenter.org
Video Transcript
There are a lot of misconceptions that come along with treating older adults, things that people tend to think without even realizing it sometimes. When it comes to actually treating older adults, people tend to think that it's just the same as treating younger adults.
The reality is the treatment needs of older adults are very different than the treatment needs of younger adults. And actually addressing them can increase the likelihood that older adults will maintain sobriety.
Even before they get into treatment, there are two significant myths that exist in our culture that often keep older adults from even coming to treatment.
One is this myth that addiction is somehow comfortable when you're an older adult. People will say things like, this person is 75 years old and he's been drinking or using drugs all of his life, why stop now? Let him just be comfortable.
The idea that addiction somehow becomes comfortable as we age is a myth and it is one with dire consequences. Regardless of the age of a person, addiction is a living hell where one's will has been taken captive by a disease. It is never comfortable.
Unfortunately, because of the way our society is, if a young person has addiction, we see it. We see them getting DUIs, losing jobs, losing families. But if someone who is retired, maybe lives alone, has addiction, that occurs out of our sight, out of our minds, out of our experience. And it creates and perpetuates that myth that it's comfortable, but I assure you it's not true.
The other myth is the myth of discount people. There's this idea that goes way deep in our thinking that it's possible to get to a certain stage in life where your ability to fully engage in life, to fully celebrate life, becomes less important.
At Hanley, we wholly and completely reject that. We believe that every human being, regardless of their religion, or their gender, or their culture, or their age, every human being has the right to the highest, best possible quality of life. As long as we take breath, our ability to connect to life in the best and highest way possible is critical, imperative and a human right.
