Ageism: The Role Of Substance Abuse In Older Adults

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Ageism, a term used to assign negative labels to the elderly population has caused many of these older adults to internalize such stereotypes and thus, they have been less likely to seek out mental health and substance abuse care. Substance abuse, predominantly of alcohol, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications is a growing health problem among adults age 60 and older and is a major concern that the country is facing. Even though the number of older adults suffering from these substance disorders is increasing, the situation tends to be overlooked or misdiagnosed by health care professionals and thus, inadequate treatment has not been provided to this population. One contributing factor to why substance abuse among older adults remains underdiagnosed is because indications of substance abuse in older individuals sometimes imitate symptoms of other medical and psychological disorders common among this population such as depression, dementia, and diabetes (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2012). …show more content…

In addition, there is an unspoken assumption that it is not necessary to treat older adults for substance use disorders as it is a waste of health care resources. Rather than investing in diagnosing older adults for substance abuse, it is believed that younger adults who abuses drugs need that urgent care more than the

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